By Sean Flory, Senior, Biology, Environmental Science, General Farm Intern
Hello everyone, my name is Sean, this quarter I’m a general intern at the UW Farm. In past quarters, I have been an intern on the farm and grown my plant skills. I am a senior biology student and member of the university’s farm club, The Dirty Dozen.
Earlier this year, the Dirty Dozen farm club experimented with tomato grafting. This process involves the joining of two different tomato seedlings together so that they will grow as a single plant. Grafting is done to convey the infection resistance of the rootstock (or bottom half) to the fruiting portion on top, sometimes called a graft or scion.
Using a clean, sharp blade attached to a specialized clipper [top left], we cut the rootstock seedling at a 45 degree angle below the cotyledons. The same angled cut was made in the grafting half [top right] thanks to the consistency of the clipper we used. The two cuts are joined together using a small, silicone clip and held upright with a thin straw [bottom right]. The conjoined plants are then kept in a dark and humid environment in order to help them reestablish themselves. If done correctly, the rootstock will be able to provide the new graft with water and nutrients and the plant will begin to grow like normal. One of our survivors [bottom left] is repotted, and a small brown scar is visible where the cut healed over.
The hope when grafting is to create a plant with increased rooting and/or fruiting abilities, with many other factors you could achieve through specific root or fruit stock. For tomatoes you could graft to get strong fruiting capabilities, while your rootstock could offer strong roots in need of less irrigation. This example is one that more broadly will be important with a changing climate and water scarcity. Planting with water use in mind will likely grow in importance, so learning these skills can serve farmers and gardeners alike.
News and Noteworthy:
UW Farm and Dirty Dozen RSO Plant Sale May 20th
Come out and support UW student farmers in their annual plant sale at The Center for Urban Horticulture.
The UW Farm donates regularly to the UW Food Pantry. During peak season we also donate to nearby food banks. The links below are resources to help you or someone you know with food access.
Every year, we have the capacity to grow more food and increase our educational and research program at the UW, but not without your support. Every contribution goes to work immediately, helping us better serve students. Your support can sustain our momentum and help seed new opportunities for student internships, academic work, and future growth. Please consider making a gift to the Farm online
The Weekly Dirt is produced once a week by the University of Washington Farm, a program of the UW Botanic Gardens, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment. It is published nearly year-round for educational purposes and the majority of the content is written or contributed by students and farm staff.
This issue's contributors:
Managing Editor: Althea Ericksen, UW Farm Intern, Communications Coordinator
Around the Farm: Sean Flory, General Farm Intern Contributing Editors: Perry Acworth, Farm Manager; Chrina Munn, AmeriCorps Volunteer 2022-23 Photo Credits: Perry Acworth. Other photos retrieved from the internet and noted in sections
cotyledons. The same angled cut was made in the grafting half [top right] thanks to the consistency of the clipper we used. The two cuts are joined together using a small, silicone clip and held upright with a thin straw [bottom right]. The conjoined plants are then kept in a dark and humid environment in order to help them reestablish themselves. If done correctly, the rootstock will be able to provide the new graft with water and nutrients and the plant will begin to grow like normal. One of our survivors [bottom left] is repotted, and a small brown scar is visible where the cut healed over.
