The "Tompotato"?

I saw on wikipedia recently (probably in something about potatoes) that it's possible to graft a tomato stem onto a potato root.

Of course, the potato is the bottom half (producing potatoes) and the tomato is the top half (producing tomatoes). Otherwise it would be pretty stupid (unless you like ornamental potato plants).

I'm a little nervous about building some frankenfood thing, but I thought maybe for the heck of it I'd try it out next year.

Any one ever try it?
William

I've heard of these but never tried it. Now it has me wondering... Tomatoes love the heat while potatos are not really fans of hot weather. If you have the potato part growing underground and well mulched while the heat loving tomato part is up in the heat growing happily would this be a way to get around the hot weather issue when growing potatoes? Also two crops from one plant is a pretty cool bonus in my book. Hell I don't think it would even be very hard to graft the plant yourself.

This is either the best idea ever or the worst idea ever.  I'm definitely giving it a go next spring. 

In my experience, tomatoes do well from cuttings just popped in soil, so why not grafted?  And they are from the same family.  Can we graft some hot peppers on there, too?    

I think they should definitely be called mater-taters.

You can graft tomatoes onto most of the nightshade family, though whether you'd want to is another matter. My only concern would be the risk of getting poisonous fruit (some chemical from the potato) or tubers (some chemical from the tomato).
I saw a gardening show where a chap had a tamarillo tree with a few eggplants grafted onto it. Looked weird but saved him a lot of space.

The main problem with growing tomato scions on potato rootstock is the plant doesn't produce enough energy surplus to produce BOTH a good crop of tomatoes and a good crop of pototoes, so you'll get a few of each.  Then there's the differing response to environmental conditions between the two species.  Around here, overwintering potatoes pop up in late Mar, go dormant in early June, pop up in Sept and grow until 1st frost in late Oct.  Self-sown tomatoes appear in April and grow all summer until 1st frost.  So what's the tomato scion going to do when the potato rootstock starts going dormant?

OK - so, now I am really possessed with the mad scientist bug.  What about using a rocoto pepper (capsicum pubescens) to form a perennial rootstock onto which could be grafted tomatoes, eggplants, sweet peppers...

Probably have to pull it indoors in winter to have any hope of grafts surviving.

Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are already perennial.
I'm pulling mine in this year as a trial. So far, they seem to be doing fairly well.
The light isn't great, there's too much humidity, and it's cold.

So, this is like "perennializing extreme". If I can get them to stay alive through the winter in those conditions (which incidentally is pretty similar to our winter conditions outside, except for a random day of sun).

I have mostly tomoatoes and a few eggplants. Didn't get my hands on any peppers.

Anyway, I don't think you have to go so far as grafting a perennial rootstock onto an already perennial rootstock. Seems kinda redundant.

Anyway, great project for the winter. Keeps your thumb green at least.

see:
http://www.mothering.com/community/t/926516/tomatos-perennial

on a companion planting scheme of things I don't think tomato's are suitable to plant with potato's normally.

Interesting about the possibility of grafting capsicums ect onto a rocoto tree though, I have a large rocoto so i think i'm going to try it.
 

William wrote:
Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are already perennial.

.....

Anyway, I don't think you have to go so far as grafting a perennial rootstock onto an already perennial rootstock. Seems kinda redundant.

see:
http://www.mothering.com/community/t/926516/tomatos-perennial

Yes, redundant, but not all nightshades are equally hardy - the rocoto being the hardiest.  And there is just something appealing about the idea of a 20ft vine kicking out eggplant, toms, hot & sweet peppers.  Here in socal zone 9, I am hoping to push the envelope. 

With toms in S. Florida, my plants would stay alive just fine, but production steadily faded - though that may have been nutrition or disease rather than climate factors. 

gourd wrote:
on a companion planting scheme of things I don't think tomato's are suitable to plant with potato's normally.

Interesting about the possibility of grafting capsicums ect onto a rocoto tree though, I have a large rocoto so i think i'm going to try it.
 

I would guess they are not suitable companions because they would be competing for nutrients or vulnerable to similar pests? 

Let us know how the grafting goes!  I will be growing my first rocotos this spring - looking for seeds if anyone cares to share.

ok I will, lmk your postal address and i'll be happy to send you both red & yellow rocoto seed.

gourd wrote:
ok I will, lmk your postal address and i'll be happy to send you both red & yellow rocoto seed.

Awesome!!!  p.m. sent

So, I guess the consensus on the "Tompotato" is that "mad scientists can try if they want" but it doesn't have much hope, and there's a slight chance it could be detrimental either to the plant, the soil, or the person who consumes it.

But on the other hand, the rocoto tree could be used as a stock to to graft plants from the nightshade family and would potentially produce much more joyous results.

How's that for an executive summary?

william

I've heard "Devil's Plant" works well as an eggplant rootstock. We have a native solanum here in Oz called Kangaroo Apple, and I've also heard of those being used. Also got a thriving Rocoto, which I'll try. We're not great eggplant fans, but we love out of season capsicums and tomatoes.

Here in Melbourne we're 38 degrees south, which is equivalent to the Carolinas (I think), but with scorching summers. It's our sprnig now, so we will definitely give this grafting solanums a try, and may be able to report back before the northern spring.

An Avomato?!!! Get out!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMjXvXWL5qo&feature=related

And confirmation that fruit may contain chemicals from the rootstock!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msr5Nj95SKk&feature=related

drewbarr wrote:
I've heard "Devil's Plant" works well as an eggplant rootstock.

You are referring to Datura? Come to think of it, eggplant and datura look similar.  Grows wild in the arroyo nearby, so it has appeal as a rootstock, but I'd be worried about ending up with a toxic or psychedelic eggplant.  I think I'll stick with the tomacco. 

Yukkuri, did the seeds get to you? just picked some fresh big reds and have more seeds if they didn't, i put in new guinea beans aswell, don't know why but i feel cuxtoms might not let 'em in.

with grafting onto the rocoto, i'm guessing to cut an upright branch halfway?
I don't have capsicums at the moment so instead i'll just try a tomato, then cut the tomato branch of similar thickness, shape the tip like a flat wedge, make a slit down the rocoto stem and wedge it in?

tape it up ect and see what happens i guess..

gourd wrote:
Yukkuri, did the seeds get to you? just picked some fresh big reds and have more seeds if they didn't, i put in new guinea beans aswell, don't know why but i feel cuxtoms might not let 'em in.

I am away from home at the moment.  I'll check with the person who is at home.  Thanks for the new guinea bean, too!

gourd wrote:
with grafting onto the rocoto, i'm guessing to cut an upright branch halfway?
I don't have capsicums at the moment so instead i'll just try a tomato, then cut the tomato branch of similar thickness, shape the tip like a flat wedge, make a slit down the rocoto stem and wedge it in?

tape it up ect and see what happens i guess..

Yes, I guess so.  Most of the solanacea grafts I've seen look like cleft/wedge grafts.