Heirloom tomatoes reseeding. Chance for new variety?

[Beth_B]

I have numerous tomato seedlings sprouting in my vegetable beds. I was going to just pull them up when it occurred to me I might have some new variety of tomatoes. Last year a planted 8 types, mostly heirloom. It's possible that cross pollination could lead to some of these being hybrids, right?

I still have room so when a few look vigorous I will move them to their own space.

 

[Chuck]

Of course it is possible but how would you know for sure if it happened or not?

 

[headfullofbees]

Cross-pollination is very unlikely with tomatoes, because they so readily self-pollinate, especially outside.

 

[zigs]

It's not often Tomatoes cross polinate without physical help, they have a perfect flower, with both the stamen and the stigma in the same blossom, so polination often occurs before the flower is even open.

Not saying it can't happen, but it's unlikely

 

[zigs]

Cross polinated posted there Bees

 

[marlingardener]

We have had heirloom/non-hybrid tomatoes self-seed. We have found that after two or three years the tomatoes are smaller, fewer, and the vines are less vigorous. We have experienced this with Red and Yellow Pear, which are small cherry type tomatoes, although not round but pear shaped.
We have also had Celebrities self-seed, and they seem to lose vigor after the second year.
If the self-seeded tomatoes are in a spot where I can leave them, I do and see what happens. I do prefer to either save seed on purpose, or order new seed for the growing year.

 

[Beth_B]

Ah, thank you all. I was reading some conflicting stuff online so figured I'd ask here. I will just pull the babies up then. That's what I usually do anyway; I don't plant tomatoes in the same place every year. Right now the babies are sprouting around greens and potatoes and green beans.

Oh @Chuck good point I suppose I wouldn't necessarily know, would I! Unless maybe I saw a very different tomato that I didn't recognize.