Self-harvesting tomato seeds

However, having grown a crop, we understand that we did not want such a fruit, that it does not meet the requirements that were described and promised. The circle closes. It is at this moment that we understand that you need to collect the seeds yourself. To figure out how to collect tomato seeds at home alone you need a certain amount of information.

Where to get seed?

If tomatoes grow in your garden, they fully satisfy your taste, color, shape, height, are resistant to diseases, and you are sure that they are varietal, not hybrids, then they can be used as a seed stock.

Many experienced growers, strolling through the market, notice a “beautiful” tomato and find out from the seller (if he also grew them), the variety, the habit of the plant, and if they are satisfied with the information, they buy tomatoes.

If the seller does not know the name of the variety and other information, then the tomato fruit is very good, then you can also buy it, and after receiving the fruit, you can find out if it is needed for further cultivation in your garden.

How to pick a tomato for seed

Wherever you pick tomatoes, they should be even, clean, beautiful, elastic, without any signs of incidence.

Harvesting tomato seeds alone is not difficult. If the selection is carried out on the bed, then preference should be given to typical for the variety of bushes, healthy, with the most number of ovaries.

Do not rush to take the first tomatoes, it is better if it is the middle of the collection. The seeds can not be selected the largest or smallest, tomatoes should be medium for the variety.

See also: Why do tomato leaves turn yellow in the greenhouse and how to deal with it?

Ripening seed fund

Some vegetable growers, in order to select the seeds, give in to its full fermentation or rotting, and only then they pick, supposedly ripened seeds. However, this is not necessary.

By science and practice, it has long been verified that it is enough to choose seeds from a fully ripe tomato, so that they are both viable and fruitful.

Even if a tomato is removed from the garden bed in a brown condition, it is necessary that it should be ripe. To make tomatoes ripen completely, you need to provide them with a warm and dark place. As a rule, if a few tomatoes are put in a container and covered with a towel. In this state, kept to a state of complete ripeness.

Selection of seeds start when the tomato becomes soft, as if overripe.

Tasting characteristics

By purchasing the tomato you like, you need to figure out whether it is good and taste. For this you need to hold a tasting.

After the tomato has fully ripened, it is cut into shares, and treated. In that case, if you are completely satisfied with the internal content, there are no voids, white inclusions, huge green fibers, you can start tasting.

Having tried a small slice, and having defined that the tomato is tasty and worthy, to take the place in your kitchen garden, it is possible to choose seeds.

See also: Varieties of tomatoes for Siberia with photos and descriptions

Seed selection

Considering how to properly harvest tomato seeds at home, it should be noted that there are no uniform rules. However, having tried to do this procedure once, and having convinced of good shoots, you will stop on that, go to another method.

Cutting the tomato into pieces gently, you need to select the seeds in a cup with a spoon.Tomatoes that remain after the selection of the seed can be used as intended.

You need to put the cup in any place with room temperature on the toilet paper rolled up in several layers. We put a label on the paper in which we indicate the name of the variety (if we know), all the information that we consider necessary, height, color, taste, shape, size of the tomato, that is, what will help the spring to decide whether we need just such a tomato for sowing .

Be sure when marking indicate the year of collection of seeds. No need to rely on your memory. Collecting seeds can become a fanatical hobby and then the records will be just a wand.

After 4-5 days, the mixture selected in the glass will begin to “wander” and this will be a signal for washing. Pouring the water it is necessary to chop the mixture well with a spoon, and then put it on sludge. After standing for 1-2 minutes, full-weighted seeds will settle, and empty ones will float.

Drain the sedimentary liquid again, pour the water, and again raskolachivaem. Drain and pour water again. The last pouring is carried out through a sieve, and the seeds are spread on toilet paper, which is already marked on the reverse side. The paper absorbs moisture, and when it dries, it holds the seeds firmly enough on itself.

You can store seeds collected in this way right in this paper, simply by carefully wrapping its ends.

See also: Tomato varieties with photos and descriptions

What to do with hybrids?

Very often the question “Is it possible to collect seeds from tomato hybrids?” And the answer follows that it is impossible. However, this is not the case, seeds can be collected, but it is impossible to foresee what will grow and what it will be. Therefore, there is no sense in collecting seeds from hybrids.

Hybrids occur when two parental forms are crossed, but modern breeders go further and several initial forms sometimes take part in the “production” of a hybrid — this is a step hybridization method.

As a result of heterosis, plants appear bearing genomes responsible for high yields, which can increase up to 30%. The precocity improves, sometimes even up to 20 days, compared to the parent forms. However, when sowing heterotic (collected from hybrids) seeds, these qualities are no longer traceable.

The process of genetic cleavage is inevitable, so those growers who want to have high yields prefer hybrids. By purchasing seeds from a proven company, you can get a high yield of tomatoes of good commercial quality. Large producers prefer the hybrids, but their tomatoes do not have such taste as those grown from varietal seeds.

Everyone decides for himself to choose the seeds or buy in the store, but in order to get a good tomato one must strictly follow all the rules of agricultural technology.