In the warm spring weather we’ve had this week we’ve worked hard to plant out most of our tomato plants and the aubergines. All our tomato plants are grown from seed that we saved from last year’s tomatoes. However, we usually buy grafted aubergine plants because they are so much more productive and give us a lot of aubergines in a relatively small space. These plants are aubergine seedlings which have been grafted on to a variety of tomato that has very vigorous roots – the resulting plants produce up to 50 aubergines each, rather than an ungrafted plant’s 6 to 10 at most.
When we buy them the plants are about 20 to 25 cm tall with big leaves, and they look as though they will grow strongly once planted out.
The graft shows clearly on the stem of the plant and it’s important to make sure it’s not covered with soil when replanting, otherwise a tomato plant will start to grow from the root.
All five plants in the ground, with strong stakes to support them once they start to branch and bear fruit and a deep watering channel running alongside the row.
olivesandartichokes 
Wow – did not realise there was such a huge difference in production of fruit on the grafted plants. Amazing!
It is amazing! I was surprised the first time we grew grafted plants what a difference it made.
I’d heard of grafted fruit trees but had no idea that vegetable plants were also grafted and to such great effect. Incredible! Like you, my Grandfather used seeds from the largest tomato of his garden for the following year’s plants. We always had plenty of tomatoes. 🙂
I can imagine your grandfather saving seeds from his best tomato and growing amazing fruit the following year!
Good job you like fried aubergines, though I’m sure you can swap them for other food items if you get too many 🙂
I love aubergines cooked any way, that’s why we grow so many. Not much chance of exchanging them as everyone else here grows a lot of aubergines too!
I wish I lived nearby 😉
I have never heard of grafted aubergines, that is what I need, my plants usually produce about 5 or 6 each if I am lucky.