Plant grafting

[kengr]

I had occasion to look up nightshade family plants. Quite a list (but not as huge as cruciferous vegeatable!).

Anyway, I got to wondering. Would it be *possible* (not practical, just possible) to graft things so the same plant was producing, say, eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers?

No funny gene stuff, just "grafting".

Also, are there any nightshade family plants that will last more than a year (so you don't have to replant every year)?

And is the answer different for L-America and T-America?

Comments

[conuly]

Can you graft onto things which don't have wood?

[kengr]

Pretty sure you can. It's the vascular layers that matter, not the woody ones.

[siliconshaman]

Well.. I know you can graft Tomato uppers to potato roots and get both, you could probably graft within the rest of the family as well.

Potatoes will seed themselves so they keep coming up year after year. I don't think the grafts would last though as the above ground part dies back and the plant regrows from the tubers.

[kengr]

That's part of why 'm interested in any plants that manage to live more than one season. Ah, just did a quick check and what I want are perennials!

Though I suppose you could try including the root stock in the grafting process...

One nightshade I think I'd exclude from the mix is tobacco. :-)

But the list is fairly impressive:
Eggplant (Fruit)
Tomatoes (Fruit)
Tomatillo (Fruit)
Potatoes (Vegetable)
Goji Berries (Fruit)
Pimentos (Fruit)
Peppers (Bell, Chili, Paprika, Cayenne) (Fruit)

Not on the list I found, but confirmed by looking it up are ground cherries (related to tomatillo)

I think I'd forego potatoes as well, as harvesting them would tend to be a lot more disruptive to the plant.

Trellising might be needed or even that thing where you train them to grow up a wall (espaleired?) But I think a wide bush would be best.

Now one thing that could get interesting is cross pollination between the different branches. Eggplant crossed with Carolina reaper anyone?

Maybe a removable plastic dome thingy would help with over-wintering?

And for once anybody calling it a frankenfood would be *right*. No GMO, just grafting.