How do you save your tomato seeds?

[SKR8PN]

We planted 4 heirloom varieties and want to save some of the seeds for next year. How do you do it if you are starting with a ripe tomato???

 

[farmerlor]

Best way is if you have some little baby food jars or some small plastic bowls that have lids. Scrape the seeds into your jar/bowl and add a little water. You'll want to leave them alone for a few days and let them ferment a little. Rinse them and leave them again. The whole fermenting process should take a week to ten days. When there's a little scum of mold on the top they're done. Rinse them off, rinse the mold away and spread them out on a paper plate or towel to dry. When absolutely dry put them in a ziploc bag or container in dry, cool place-refrigerator if possible but if not just someplace dark, cool and dry, dry, dry.
Now, if the mold process grosses you out you CAN just clean the seeds really, really well to get all the pulp sac off each one (the fermentation process eats the pulp and bacteria away for you) and dry and store but you may not get as good of germination from your seeds.

 

[patandchickens]

I know the official method is the wet ferment described by farmerlor. Perhaps there are tomatoes that do require it (it's intended to remove the anti-germination factors present in the gel).

However, my mother has been saving tomato seeds for twenty-some years now (me too only not as long) *without* it, and had no germination problems. Mom and I just take overripe tomatoes (ones that've fallen to the ground and got lost and started to go all ooky are ideal, but you can do this yourself on selected tomatoes if you want), rinse away the gook, seive out the seeds, dry and save.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[The Vail Benton's]

We don't save tomato seeds... when we turn our tomato plot under, the volunteers that come up are enough that we don't plant tomatos anymore... we just thin out the seedlings until we have just what we need in the space have room for them. All we do is ammend the soil with compost when we till and then mulch with the same as needed. This is a "method" we stumbled upon and its working for us so far. Been doing it like this for 5 years now because I read somewhere that tomatos like to grow in the same spot every year.
Also, we get 2 springs here because we really don't get a proper fall... I get tomatos after monsoon season starts when the rains cool things off a bit for the fruit to set and then I expect my plants to produce again late October and continue producing until it gets too cold (December or January maybe?) I have noticed that our plants are becoming more and more tolerant to drought, a necessary charachteristic for the desert and one we try to nurture.

 

[SKR8PN]

Thanks for all the ideas guys and gals!!

I'll let ya know what I decide to do in the next day or so. I have my seed 'mater's all picked out and setting on the back porch.

 

[FarmerDenise]

I just put the tomato seeds on a paper towel, when I cut the tomato. I label the paper towel right away. I let it sit on the counter until it is thoroughly dry, then store them in a plastic bag. So far we've had great germination.

 

[homestead holdout]

I just put the tomato seeds on a paper towel, when I cut the tomato. I label the paper towel right away. I let it sit on the counter until it is thoroughly dry, then store them in a plastic bag. So far we've had great germination.

This is exactly what I do, I didnt even realize that I should worry about pulp. I just scrape the seeds, slimey and all, with a butter knife, on to a papertowel and let it dry on the counter. Then fold it up, put in a small plastic bag and cut little pieces of seeded paper towel directly into my seed flats when starting babies. It has worked great year after year.