If you have discovered delicious varieties and don't want to buy seeds again next year, you can reserve a few tomatoes for the seed harvest. There are a few things to consider to ensure that the offspring bear fruit that is just as tasty.
Tomato seeds can be spread out on paper towels to dry
Suitable plants
In principle, all tomato plants are suitable for collecting seeds. If you want to breed single-variety offspring of your tomatoes that develop the same characteristics as the mother plant, you should use varieties that are resistant to seeds.
With F1 hybrids there is a risk that the cultivated culture will be characterized by poorer fruit and growth characteristics. They follow the principle that the plants produce reliable yields once and that all tomatoes ripen evenly and uniformly. Old varieties such as 'Tigerella' and 'Schwarze Krim' or the red wild tomato are a good choice for offspring.
collect seeds
Choose high-yielding plants with healthy and fully ripe fruits. Leave two to three specimens hanging until they are in the overripe stage. Harvest the tomatoes and cut them in half. Get the seeds out of the fruit along with the pulp and pour the mixture into a glass.
Fill the container with some water and cover it with cling film. Fermentation processes begin in a warm place, during which the slimy and germ-inhibiting coat separates from the seeds. You can watch the seeds sink to the bottom over the next day or two. As soon as these feel rough, they need to be dried.
Rest of the procedure:
- Carefully pour off the water with the dissolved pulp
- Pour the seeds into a sieve and rinse off the pulp under the tap
- Spread the seeds out on kitchen paper to dry
- After drying, fill in a paper bag or a light-tight can
Rare seed tips
If you want to expand your own seed pool and in return want to sell your own varieties, look around for exchange markets in your region. Here you will find breeds that have long been forgotten in the trade. Such platforms often offer real treasures and the plants are particularly well adapted to the prevailing climate thanks to regional breeding.