How to Early Plant Tomato Seeds for Grafting Purposes

Grafting tomatoes is a great way to improve yield, disease resistance, and overall plant vigor. But to successfully graft tomatoes, you need to start with healthy and vigorous seedlings. Here are some tips on how to early plant tomato seeds for grafting purposes.

Choose the Right Varieties

The first step to early plant tomato seeds for grafting purposes is to choose the right varieties. You want to select high-yielding and disease-resistant tomato varieties to graft onto vigorous and disease-resistant rootstock. Some good rootstock varieties include Maxifort, Estamino, and Beaufort. Some good scion varieties include Big Beef, Celebrity, and Mountain Fresh Plus.

Start Early

To early plant tomato seeds for grafting purposes, you need to start early. In general, you want to start your tomato seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost date. This gives your seedlings enough time to grow strong and healthy before it's time to transplant them outside. You can use a seed starting mix and seed trays to start your tomato seeds.

Provide Adequate Lighting and Moisture

Once you've planted your tomato seeds, it's important to provide them with adequate lighting and moisture. Tomato seeds need plenty of light to germinate and grow, so make sure they're placed in a sunny window or under grow lights. You also want to keep the soil moist but not too wet. Too much water can lead to damping off, a disease that causes seedling death.

Fertilize Regularly

As your tomato seedlings grow, it's important to fertilize them regularly to promote strong and healthy growth. You can use an organic fertilizer or a balanced fertilizer that's designed for seedlings. Make sure to follow the instructions on the fertilizer label and don't over-fertilize, as this can lead to burned roots and stunted growth.

Harden Off Your Seedlings

Before transplanting your tomato seedlings outside, you need to harden them off. This means gradually exposing them to the outdoor environment so they can adjust to the changes in temperature, humidity, and light. You can start by placing your seedlings outside for a few hours each day and gradually increasing the time they spend outdoors over the course of a week or two.

In Conclusion

Early planting tomato seeds for grafting purposes is an important step in creating healthy and vigorous tomato plants. By choosing the right varieties, starting early, providing adequate lighting and moisture, fertilizing regularly, and hardening off your seedlings, you can give your tomato plants the best chance of success.