Harvesting seed and turn-a-round time

ChrisPlano · June 22, 2015

Hi Tomatovillians. I'm new here. My first year growing tomatoes anywhere and especially here in the Dallas area. It's been very successful though! (I'm originally from the northeast, where good tomatoes are easier to find and I "helped" neighbors and family as a kid)

My question: I have some FABULOUS Paul Robesons. Everything may stop producing soon in the TX summer heat. I have the opportunity to plant for a fall harvest.

How quickly can I "turn around" on harvested seed? I've never done that but have read up on how to do it (with a fermentation time). Can I potentially have seed that can be started within a few wees and start them indoors for a fall planting? Or do they really need to dry for next year?

Yes, here in TX we have the opportunity for fall plantings, but I'm a newbie and the Paul's may be too slow to mature and/or the seeds may need more time to dry for planting next year.

Thanks for any suggestions! If I'm posting to the wrong topic, please let me know.

ContainerTed · June 23, 2015

You can take a tomato to the garden, cut it open, remove some seed and plant them right then. As was discussed in another thread a couple of weeks ago, the only reason to ferment/scrub the seeds and dry them is to facilitate long term storage.

I would put some seeds on a paper towel and get as much of the gel sac off them as quickly possible. The Gel contains the seed germination inhibitor that will slow germination by a few hours if left on them.

No worries.

Douglas_OW · June 23, 2015

Chris,
You don’t need to wait at all. You can sow seeds directly out of the tomato. Better to first wash off the gel in a small strainer, so that they germinate faster.
You can also snap off a sucker from the plant that you have growing now, put in in a container of potting mix in a shady, cooler area, and let it take root.
Jim

ChrisPlano · June 23, 2015

Thanks so much for the replies! Maybe I'll try seed AND sucker :-)

**Lee** · June 23, 2015

I like the "cloning" method that Jim mentioned if you can.
If not, there is no reason you can't sow the new seeds as others have mentioned.
With some hybrids I have created, I resowed immediately after fermenting and drying the seed. This worked well for me.

Good luck!

Lee

AlittleSalt · June 23, 2015

I was the one asking about if I needed to ferment and dry the seeds before planting. The picture below shows the results of cutting a tomato open, squeezing the seeds out and planting them without fermentation or anything else.

Gardeneer · June 23, 2015

Yeah. As mentioned , fermenting and other seed collection methods are for seeds saving ( for the next year, decades from now !! )
I am growing a KUMATO, from a seed taken right out of fresh a fresh tomato.
Now it is growing in my garden.

Gardeneer

Jonnyhat · June 23, 2015

do you need to use root tone when replanting laterals in soil? Will it help with the rooting process?

Douglas_OW · June 25, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonnyhat

do you need to use root tone when replanting laterals in soil? Will it help with the rooting process?

I don't think that it is needed. Here is one of several threads that discuss it:

http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=36472

And as mentioned in the above thread, only root cuttings from healthy plants. You don't want to aid and abet any problems that might be taxing your donor plants.

Jim

June 22, 2015	#1
ChrisPlano Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 11	Harvesting seed and turn-a-round time Hi Tomatovillians. I'm new here. My first year growing tomatoes anywhere and especially here in the Dallas area. It's been very successful though! (I'm originally from the northeast, where good tomatoes are easier to find and I "helped" neighbors and family as a kid) My question: I have some FABULOUS Paul Robesons. Everything may stop producing soon in the TX summer heat. I have the opportunity to plant for a fall harvest. How quickly can I "turn around" on harvested seed? I've never done that but have read up on how to do it (with a fermentation time). Can I potentially have seed that can be started within a few wees and start them indoors for a fall planting? Or do they really need to dry for next year? Yes, here in TX we have the opportunity for fall plantings, but I'm a newbie and the Paul's may be too slow to mature and/or the seeds may need more time to dry for planting next year. Thanks for any suggestions! If I'm posting to the wrong topic, please let me know.

June 23, 2015	#2
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	You can take a tomato to the garden, cut it open, remove some seed and plant them right then. As was discussed in another thread a couple of weeks ago, the only reason to ferment/scrub the seeds and dry them is to facilitate long term storage. I would put some seeds on a paper towel and get as much of the gel sac off them as quickly possible. The Gel contains the seed germination inhibitor that will slow germination by a few hours if left on them. No worries. __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

June 23, 2015	#5
Lee Tomatopalooza™ Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NC-Zone 7 Posts: 2,188	I like the "cloning" method that Jim mentioned if you can. If not, there is no reason you can't sow the new seeds as others have mentioned. With some hybrids I have created, I resowed immediately after fermenting and drying the seed. This worked well for me. Good luck! Lee __________________ Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put one in a fruit salad. Cuostralee - The best thing on sliced bread.

June 23, 2015	#3
Douglas_OW Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NJ z5 Posts: 281	Chris, You don’t need to wait at all. You can sow seeds directly out of the tomato. Better to first wash off the gel in a small strainer, so that they germinate faster. You can also snap off a sucker from the plant that you have growing now, put in in a container of potting mix in a shady, cooler area, and let it take root. Jim

June 23, 2015	#7
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,912	Yeah. As mentioned , fermenting and other seed collection methods are for seeds saving ( for the next year, decades from now !! ) I am growing a KUMATO, from a seed taken right out of fresh a fresh tomato. Now it is growing in my garden. Gardeneer

June 23, 2015	#8
Jonnyhat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: Downingtown, PA Posts: 337	do you need to use root tone when replanting laterals in soil? Will it help with the rooting process?