Gardeners Discovering Tomato Grafting from BetterHeirlooms.com

Greensboro, NC, March 18, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Heirloom tomatoes are winning a place in the affections of home gardeners everywhere because of their superb flavor, unique beauty and link to history and tradition. The word “heirloom” in this context refers to tomato and other seeds that were saved from season to season and handed down to family and friends by many previous generations of backyard breeders from around the world.

Unfortunately, vegetable gardeners are also discovering that these delicate varieties are also susceptible to soil borne diseases. Heirlooms also tend to give out quickly, sometimes yielding only two or three fruits in a season.

Commercial organic tomato growers have recently discovered that the answer to growing higher yielding and disease-free heirlooms is the traditional agronomy art of grafting. In this practice, growers use specialized silicone grafting clips made specifically for attaching heirloom tomato stems onto hardy, disease-resistant rootstock. Until recently, tomato grafting was available only to commercial organic and conventional tomato growers because the specialized rootstock seeds and supplies were only available in bulk.

Now, for the first time, gardeners who practice seed starting at home can also enjoy growing high-yielding disease-resistant heirloom tomatoes, thanks to the affordable Tomato Grafting Kit from www.BetterHeirlooms.com. Grafting is especially important for vegetable gardeners who want to practice organic gardening, or reduce their reliance on chemicals. It is also a means of preventing soil-borne diseases from gaining a foothold, which is an important consideration for those who must garden in the same small space from year to year.

Rootstock seeds include varieties such as Maxifort and Beaufort hybrids that have been bred specifically for grafting. They are popular with organic growers because they are highly resistant to most soil borne tomato diseases, including some of the most common, such as fusarium and verticillium wilt.

The Tomato Grafting Kit from www.BetterHeirlooms.com employs the same rootstock seeds, equipment and techniques that commercial tomato growers use, but in a scaled down, low-tech version for home use.

Each kit contains four popular varieties of heirloom tomato seeds, reusable grafting clips and enough supplies to grow 12 grafted heirloom tomato plants. Rootstock and heirloom seeds are also sold separately. Grafting tomato seedlings is not hard, but it does require specific conditions. Detailed, illustrated instructions are provided, along with important trouble shooting tips and advice on how to plant grafted tomatoes to retain disease resistance.

Finally, gardeners can enjoy luscious heirloom tomatoes all season long. The Tomato Grafting Kit provides what every home gardener needs for success with these delicate but very rewarding plants.

Contact: Heirloomveggies@gmail.com

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