Citrus grafting onto tri-foliate orange, eggplant grafted onto turkey berry

Q: I saw your note about hardy orange trees. It is my impression that it is the stock that many citrus trees are grafted to for strength.

A: You are exactly right! Grafting a cold-tender citrus tree onto a winter-hardy trifoliate orange conveys disease-resistance, improved cold hardiness, and dwarfing. Other rootstocks can be used for other effects.

The same situation applies to roses. Many hybrid roses are grafted onto ‘Dr. Huey’ or ‘Fortuiana’ rootstocks to give resistance to nematodes or specific rose diseases.

I saw in Italy an eggplant grafted onto turkey berry, Solanum torvum, which allowed the gardener to have fresh eggplant on a frigid mountainside.

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