Save those tomato seeds!

[showmeoz]

Good for you, Lynnette!! You'll never regret it. Have fun and let us know how it goes!!

[RozieDozie]

My father-in-law saved his tomato seeds by wrapping really ripe, whole tomatoes from his best plants in several layers of paper toweling and putting them on a shelf in the shed until everything was dired up, for at least 2 or 3 months. Then he'd uwrap the thing, pick out the seeds, and that was that. When he got ready to plant, he'd stick the seeds in water, stir them up, and throw out the floaters.

Not saying that it's scientific or the best way to save tomato seed, but that's how I did it for years before all of the seed saving information got popular.

I've also saved seed in the scoop and fermentation in the container way. Both ways work for me. I'm not recommending that anyone try the paper towel method if the container fermentation is working well for you.

But if you want to try the paper towel thing with a few tomatoes, that's how many of the old timers did it. I would suspect that the fermentation takes place naturally that way because if you "peek" inside the towel you will see that the fruit gets really 'ripe' and gets some mold on it before it dries out.

[showmeoz]

That's really interesting, RozieDozie! It's most definitely a fermentation technique which mimics the natural way that fruits ferment if left on the vine or on the ground. I might have to try that next year to see how well it works... Thanks for sharing.

[boizeau]

I'll have some Nyageous Black Tomato Seed this fall. It is one of my favorite black tomatoes, Indeterminate, but good sweet flavor and fairly early ripe. Size is about like a large golf ball to a small tennis ball.
Also have some Heinz Paste tomato seeds.

[simplicity]

I'm not saving seed. I bought all new heirloom seed for next season. However, I thought I would share my TOMATO SAVING experiment, even though it is still in the early stages. Since my garden has been dying out and the tomatoes looked sickly, and I'm not ready to give up fresh tomatoes yet, I thought I'd try to extend the life of a plant. I cut one tomato back to a single stem about 8" tall. Then I dug it up and transplanted it into a pot and stuck it in the greenhouse. This was about a month ago and the tomato has grown about a foot in that time (new growth, from the low portion of the original stem.) Should this plant continue to thrive and put out flowers, I will need to hand-pollinate. Also it has been warm in the greenhouse but soon the weather will not be as cooperative... and I don't know how to provide needed heat as this is our first attempt at greenhousing other than seed starting. But, so far so good, and one never knows without trying.

[showmeoz]

Hi simplicity - Over the years I have made cuttings of tomatoes - in season - with good results, though that was early in the season when the plants were full of natural growth hormones.

In order for your rescued tomato to generate blooms, you will need to keep the greenhouse quite warm and provide quality supplemental lighting since flowering is triggered by day length. If you do get them to bloom, you will not need to hand pollinate, as tomatoes are 'self-pollinating' as discussed earlier in the thread.

Good luck and let us know how your experiement turns out.

[JackMark]

Great!!

[beans are yyummy]

If only the misquetoes and weeds would vanish SIGH SUE

[independentvoter]

All my tomato seeds are saved.. I have some pickle and cuke seeds drying and will be putting them away this week than going through them organizing the early planters from the ones I start indoors in about FEB.. only thing left is waiting for the pumpkins to ripen they are on the ledge indoors on the porch.. I want to save some of those seeds to but I don't want to let the fruit rot to do it.. anyone know if I can use the same process as with tomatoes? that way I can use the meat on the pumpkins process it and freeze for pumpkin bread and pie..

[showmeoz]

Pumpkins don't store as well as winter squash so you can't store them as long, but as soon as your pumkins are ripe enough to eat, the seeds inside are ripe enough to save. Same goes for winter squash, but these can be kept a very long time before the flesh (and seeds) go bad. Wait til you are ready to eat them and just save the seeds at that time. Tomatoes are the same as pumkins in that way - once they are fully ripe and ready for eating, the seeds are ready to save. Hope that helps