Â鶹Éç

Grow your own  permalink

Tomato seeds

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Scootieman (U12372823) on Monday, 20th February 2012

  I've just taken some seeds out of my favourite tomatoes - do I have to dry them out before I can plant them again?

  Link to this forum: Tomato seeds

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by John Moodie (U14353581) on Monday, 20th February 2012

  Here's what I do in the fall. I take the seeds out of the best toms, put them in a jar with a bit of water, cover the jar with plastic wrap, poke some holes in the plastic and set it in a sunny window. After several days it well start getting bubbly and smell bad. Then I empty the seeds into a sieve and spray the seeds good under the tap. put them on a plate to dry. Has never failed me.
  Now this entire process maybe entirely unnecessary. LOL there could be a much simpler method.

  Link to this forum: Tomato seeds

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Monday, 20th February 2012

  I do dry mine out. Just squeeze them onto kitchen paper and leave on the extractor fan to dry.
  
  Do be aware though that you won't get the same tomatoes from the seeds. Might be better or worse. Bearing in mind that commercial varieties are F1 hybrids which would be your first problem, tomatoes will have cross pollinated giving you something totally different.
  
  If you have time, space and the inclination then they're worth a gamble as an experiment. Otherwise buy some named varieties where you get guaranteed results.

  Link to this forum: Tomato seeds

  Report message3

• Message 4

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Tuesday, 21st February 2012

  You're fomenting the seeds, John, the classic way of preparing them. It gets rid of the gooey coating and can kill of any seed-borne disease. I do the same thing.
  
  As pointed out above, saving seeds from a hybrid variety won't produce the same tomato. The first generation, from the saved seed, will produce something like the parent but there will be variations as the scrambled gene pool starts to unravel. Second generation seeds from a hybrid will produce all sorts of interesting fruit as the gene pool seriously unravels. Fun to try if you have the time and growing space. I know a couple of American growers who delight in trying to dehybridise varieties. Too much time and growing space on their hands!
  
  Saving seeds from heirlooms - pure varieties - will produce identical toms providing, as pointed out above, there hasn't been any cross pollination.

  Link to this forum: Tomato seeds

  Report message4

• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by Scootieman (U12372823) on Tuesday, 21st February 2012

  You're fomenting the seeds, John, the classic way of preparing them. It gets rid of the gooey coating and can kill of any seed-borne disease. I do the same thing.
  
  As pointed out above, saving seeds from a hybrid variety won't produce the same tomato. The first generation, from the saved seed, will produce something like the parent but there will be variations as the scrambled gene pool starts to unravel. Second generation seeds from a hybrid will produce all sorts of interesting fruit as the gene pool seriously unravels. Fun to try if you have the time and growing space. I know a couple of American growers who delight in trying to dehybridise varieties. Too much time and growing space on their hands!
  
  Saving seeds from heirlooms - pure varieties - will produce identical toms providing, as pointed out above, there hasn't been any cross pollination.  Thank you everyone for your advice

  Link to this forum: Tomato seeds

  Report message5

Back to top