What is all of the hubbub about tomato grafting? While grafting tomatoes is not a new idea, it is becoming more popular in the U.S. Grafting in simplest terms is the combination of one variety of plant tissue with the tissue of another plant, usually of the same species. Grafting heirloom tomatoes onto hybrid tomato stock may provide a more nutritious and tasty vegetable for the home gardener.

Heirloom tomatoes are traditional open-pollinated (by insects, birds and wind) varieties whose seeds will produce vegetables that are identical to the parent plant when pollinated by the same variety of tomato. They are additionally defined as heritage tomatoes or those that have been in production for at least 50 years.

By contrast, hybrid tomatoes are those whose seeds are the product of cross-pollination, or pollination by different varieties of tomatoes. Hybrids may produce a vegetable that has characteristics that depart profoundly in appearance and performance from its parent plants. Hybrids are often selected for their ability to resist certain pests and diseases or their ability to perform well in a particular region of the country.

Many gardeners claim heirlooms have a decided flavor advantage over hybrid tomato varieties. However, heirloom tomatoes often exhibit a shorter shelf life and a lower tolerance for sustaining quality during shipping than hybrids. Heirloom tomatoes are often limited to being grown by home gardeners rather than mass produced for anything larger than local farmer’s markets. Another disadvantage of heirloom tomatoes is their tendency to be negatively impacted by pests and diseases. By grafting heirloom tomatoes onto hybrid rootstock, the result may prove to be a better tasting tomato grown with an increased tolerance to the environmental pressures common to a given region.

The greatest knowledge base for grafting heirloom tomatoes will be developed by individuals in their local communities. The problems that a tomato gardener will need to overcome in one region of the country will be different than those that affect a gardener in another region of the country.