GROWING TOMATOES FROM SEED

Christine Esteve

Dear Monty Don. I thought your method of salvaging seeds was a bit messy and convluted. Try cutting a whole tomto inn half and layng them on seed compost face down. I buy a selection of tomtoes from my local supermrket each year to test the taste. You can find ome quite exotic varieties in the  better supermarkets. The ones I like I cut in half, lay face down in compost and leave them to get on with it. You can grow rarer tomatoes such as black dnd yellow ones for next to nothing by buying just two of each variety. One to test by eating - the other to plant. I find black beef tomtoes and yellow plum tomtoes taste excellent and are the most disease resistant. I do this all the time. Simples.

Lyn

Hi 

christine,

i don't think you can address Monty from the open forum.

he has a face book page which someone probably reads for him.

Welshonion

If you look on the Real Seeds website it tells you how to do it. Slightly different from Monty Don's method, but one that certainly works.



I personally don't find the largest Russian tomatoes easy because the fruit are huge, there aren't many to a bush, they seem to split easily and they are heavy enough to bend down the branches, but definitely delicious.

Lyn

That's happened with my San Marzano, they are huge. Marmande the same. You spend a lot of time tying them up trying to support them.

Mel M

I grew Urbicany bush tomatoes outdoors last year. 2 foot high x three foot and so prolific it needed supporting. Masses of fruit then blight hit it. Lots of green tomato chutney! This year I tried it in my polytunnel. Rather late fruiting and over a metre tall [The instructions did warn me] also not so many fruit but all ripening now. The Tonedose toms grew well but the fruit were small [if tasty] and half of them split even though I watered them correctly. According to MD, this is becouse of varying temperatures!! Not me for a change.

I followed Real Seeds way of saving tomatoe seed and it works well. Scrape the seed, flesh, juice and all into a glass jar then leave on a warm windowsill for three days - no more no less. Rinse with cold water in a sieve then dry on paper towel. Store in an envelope. Doing it this way kills off any gubbins which will harm the seed so ensuring germination.

Catherine Whitehead

Buying tomato seeds in France gets you loads of them for not much money. I remember buying Sungold tomato seeds in the UK some years ago and getting 10 seeds for £3.99. Shocking. 

Welshonion

Randomly looked on Moreveg; 12 seeds for ??2.50 and their germination rate is excellent. I haven't checked out other sites so it pays to shop around.

Lyn

I got mine free from the seed swap thread. They are very prolific!

Hostafan1

I have to say : Sungold has been my best tasting tomato this year. My seed is about 3 years past its " best before date"  which is why I never take any notice of such nonsense, nor does Mother Nature.

kleipieper

Hi Christine,

If you want Monty and the Gardeners World team to see your message, it may be an idea to mail them, using the link on the following site.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mw1h

 

Italophile

Stored properly - sealed, dry environment, moderate temperature - tom seeds will remain viable for 10 years and more. I'm still using seeds I saved in 1995. 

The best reason to ferment tomato seeds during the seed-saving process is that it removes the green/yellow gel around the seed, a natural germination inhibitor. It stops the seed germinating inside the tom. Fermenting can also remove nasties.