Tomatoes on two roots – experiments with seedlings

Tomatoes

Every gardener, even a beginner, dreams of getting a large tomato harvest in the summer and tasting ripe tomatoes picked straight from the bush. Tasty, fleshy, and thin-skinned, they are perfect for eating fresh, making salads, winter preserves, sauces, ketchups, and freezing. However, not everyone has the resources to plant 50-100 nightshade roots in their gardens. Gardeners have developed a method for increasing yields in minimal space by grafting two plants together and removing the weaker one, preserving the root.

Ablation

https://youtu.be/ScQVVQpTxWs

Grafting a plant onto a plant using the close-fitting method is called ablactation. The rootstock is not cut off, but rather placed with open cuts and scion grafts next to each other. The rootstock is then simply removed.

Ablactation on tomatoes is used:

To increase the root system that feeds the plant.
To obtain a decent harvest on a minimum area.
When seedlings outgrow.
To strengthen weak plants.
To extend the fruiting period.
To obtain larger and tastier fruits.
To accelerate fruiting.
For disposal of large quantities of seedlings.

Attention!

The method of grafting one tomato onto another increases the final yield by 30-40%.

Splicing method

The best, most painless time for grafting is when transplanting from a container with a large number of seedlings into individual cups. The principle of the method:

For planting, you will need a large pot, with a drainage layer at the bottom, then fertile soil for tomatoes.
Two tomato bushes are planted in a prepared container at a distance of no more than 2 cm. They are allowed to take root and get used to the new space for about a week.
Cut off a strip of non-woven material (lutrasil, spunbond) and stick double-sided tape to the end.
The tomatoes are planted close together to determine the best height for grafting. Thin strips of skin, approximately 5-7 cm in size, are cut from the inner sides of the opposite vines using a blade or utility knife.
On a stronger seedling, a tongue-shaped cut is made on the trunk, cutting the trunk 1/3 from the bottom up.
On a weaker tomato bush, which is used as a scion, an incision is made from top to bottom.
Carefully and accurately insert the tongues one into the other.
The connection point is secured with a non-woven bandage, which is fixed to the surface using tape.
Move the pot from a bright sunny spot to diffused light, monitor watering, and do not allow the soil to dry out.
After 7-10 days, visually inspect the bushes. If the scion appears weakened and weakened, this means the grafting was successful.
It is carefully cut off without touching the rootstock. The cut is wrapped with another piece of non-woven material or a piece of bandage to protect it from microbes.
After 14 days the bandages are removed.
If there are few seedlings, the cut stem is rooted in a solution with a rooting agent (1 drop of epin per 200 ml of water, 1.2 drops of aloe juice per 200 ml of water, 1 teaspoon of honey per 200 ml of water), if there are enough bushes, the sprout is disposed of.
Further care of the plant is no different from the usual care of tomatoes.
Before carrying out a total grafting, it is worth experimenting on several plants to avoid being left without a harvest.

Attention!

Avoid using plastic bags for wrapping. Since tomato plants have root buds all over their surface, the plant may root or rot under cover.

Experimental gardeners graft different tomato varieties together, producing not only fruits of varying sizes and shapes on a single plant, but also fruit of varying colors, from yellow to red, on a single tomato plant. This will provide the plant with the characteristics of different varieties, enhance its resistance to disease, and increase the yield by increasing the nutrients supplied by the roots in a minimal amount of space. Some hobbyists successfully graft tomatoes onto other nightshade crops (potatoes) or peppers.