Topic: Turbo veg

[Uncle_Filthster]

Popped to B&Q today for some concrete for my greenhouse base and spied a rack of turbo veg in the garden section.  A local garden centre also has them  but at 4 queens heads a pop and only a few varieties available are they worth splashing out on?

[Ragdoll Lady]

Pardon me for having a blonde moment but are these turbo seeds because they grow quickly or is it because of the shape?

[Bugloss2009]

they're grafted plants - onto a vigorous rootstock, like commercial grower use

[Ellen K]

I saw these last year and was very tempted by the Piccolo tomato plants but didn't buy.

If you're very short of space and they're something you love they may be worth a punt but otherwise it is hard to imagine the advantage over 4 ordinary plants.  Still, I'm looking out for another Piccolo turbo and will buy if I see one.

[Uncle_Filthster]

As bugloss says, they were plants about a foot tall grafted onto a rootstock.  They had about 4 or 5 varieties of toms (a cherry, beefsteak, plum and a 'standard' tom), a chilli, a bell pepper and an aubergine.

I thought they were ridiculously expensive for what they were really but would be good to hear if they are actually any good cropwise or whether they produce fruit similar to the water filled tasteless supermarket stuff.

[Bugloss2009]

I don't suppose they are particularly selected for taste, but for yield. Like DV says they're mostly useful if you're pushed for space. Always fancied having a go at grafting them myself, but the rootstock seed was difficult to get hold of or ridiculously expensive. I think some commercial outdoor tomatoes are grafted onto aubergine, for extra root-borne disease resistance, or maybe drought resistance....

[Jeannine]

I have access to three types of rootstock seeds. Has very strong root system,resulting in  greater yeilds, higher resistance to disease ,main stem is very thick.

 50 seeds here works our roughly to 15GBP.

Excellent for growing heirloom seeds as the plant  grows much stronger and produces more fruit. The  plant that is grafted on retains it's own taste etc.

XX Jeannine

[OberonUK]

I tried two tomatoes and a pepper as grafted stock from B&Q last year - The pepper was no better than the ones I grew myself from seed so I was not especially impressed. The beef tomato didn't do much in terms of yield, put on a load of growth but took just as long to fruit and then not in quantity. The cherry/plum tomato did OK but again, I'd say we got more from our seed-grown Tumbling Tom plants. I'll not be bothering with them this year as there really didn't seem to be the massive benefits that were claimed.

[Ragdoll Lady]

Thanks for your replies guys :) I am begining to learn a lot.

[Bugloss2009]

I tried two tomatoes and a pepper as grafted stock from B&Q last year - The pepper was no better than the ones I grew myself from seed so I was not especially impressed. The beef tomato didn't do much in terms of yield, put on a load of growth but took just as long to fruit and then not in quantity. The cherry/plum tomato did OK but again, I'd say we got more from our seed-grown Tumbling Tom plants. I'll not be bothering with them this year as there really didn't seem to be the massive benefits that were claimed.

oh. I was tempted to try one, and then see if the lovely Jeannine would get me some seeds for next year. Not so sure now.  :)

[Jeannine]

No probs, check out Johnys seeds in the US. I have bought all I want for this year bit next Spring I will be placing an oredr, I can include the seeds for you if you wish
XX Jeannine

[Bugloss2009]

No probs, check out Johnys seeds in the US. I have bought all I want for this year bit next Spring I will be placing an oredr, I can include the seeds for you if you wish
XX Jeannine

thank you jeannine. i have problems with the US sites - they don't usually do PayPal, and I don't have a credit card...

[Jeannine]

Have you considered a debit  Mastercard. I think your UK bank should do it. It looks and works exactly like a regular Mastercard but works like a debit card so the money comes straight from you bank account.

I use mine all  over the world with no problems, and no bills to pay.


I feel sure they should be available over there.

XX Jeannine

Quick google in the UK found it..[attachment=1]

[Digeroo]

Does the Debit Mastercard have the same buyer protection as a Credit card.  Bank advised me to use the credit card.  I actually only use my credit card for internet purchses and then it simply clears the balance to my bank account at the end of the month automatically so I don't pay any interest.

At one stage various spurious transaction started happening on CC and bank spotted it and stopped the card and sorted it all out.  Seemed various companies selling shoes got the details. 

[Bugloss2009]

Have you considered a debit  Mastercard. I think your UK bank should do it. It looks and works exactly like a regular Mastercard but works like a debit card so the money comes straight from you bank account.

I use mine all  over the world with no problems, and no bills to pay.


I feel sure they should be available over there.

XX Jeannine

ah Jeannine, i'm hopeless with cards. I've  run up an overdraft on my library card.

[Jeannine]

 Our bank is a credit union,we have shares in it, very different here to the Uk ones, we have had the same one for 30 years

The service is excellent , very friendly and personal.

They did phone us a few months ago and said they had frozen one Mastercard as it had been used in a place where something bad had happened.  We simply went into the bank and changed pin numbers.

XX Jeannine