Heirloom tomatoes are often what lead people to become seed savers. If you've always lamented tomatoes not tasting the way they used to, it's probably because you're growing the wrong type of tomato. When you find a tomato variety you love, you'll want to save it. Unfortunately saving tomato seed isn't as easy as drying the seed and storing it for next year. It's a bit messy and smelly, but it's worth the effort. Here are some easy step-by-step how-tos, to get you started.
Haven't tried growing heirloom tomatoes yet? Why not? Well, this should tempt you: Molly Watson tours a world of heirloom tomatoes and Colleen Vanderlinden shares her picks for the Tastiest Top 10. Need more? Check out Carolyn Male's book, 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden. Though how she picked only 100 is beyond me.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti
Comments
I tried this last fall, and IT WORKED!! Virtually every seed germinated this spring. Huge,high yield tomatoes. I planted them against the wall this year and they loved the extra reflected heat.
Excellent reminder, Marie! Would you mind talking about the tomato blight and saving seeds this year? Any thoughts on that? I know some of these varieties are precious and even if they are not thriving, should the seeds be saved if possible?
Amy
Amy, it should be safe to save your seed.
According to Margaret Tuttle McGrath, Department of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, Cornell University, Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center, Riverhead, NY:
“Fortunately this pathogen is not able to get inside seed and it does not produce a type of spore that is able to survive the dry conditions on the outside of a seed. Thus there is no concern that late blight will develop as a result of growing plants next year from seed that were in tomato fruit affected by late blight. There are other pathogens that can be in or on seed, however, thus there are other reasons to use seed from healthy plants.”
It can survive in potatoes though, because the spores need live tissue to grow on. So eat your potatoes, don’t replant them next year. The spores won’t hurt you. Enjoy.
Thanks for sharing this step-by-step process, Marie. I will try this technique, too and hopefully I could get the same results like what in2soap has had. I am planning to grow it in hydroponics. Do you have any suggestions on the appropriate light cycle for the germination stage?