Saving Tomato Seeds

[Susan BBPM]

I'm planning on growing multiple tomato varieties this year - the usual 'Gardner's Delight' indeterminate and 3 different bush varieties to see which I like best. They'll all need to go in the polytunnel together.

Will I be able to save seeds? Or rather, will the plants I grow from those seeds be true to type?

 

[YumYum]

They are heirloom so yes you can save the seeds.

 

[Chuck]

What are the three bush varieties?

 

[YumYum]

I'm planning on growing multiple tomato varieties this year - the usual 'Gardner's Delight' indeterminate and 3 different bush varieties to see which I like best. They'll all need to go in the polytunnel together.

Will I be able to save seeds? Or rather, will the plants I grow from those seeds be true to type?

Oh, the 'Gardeners Delight' tomato is an heirloom. You didn't say what the other 3 varieties were as Chuck says.

 

[Julian777ju]

I'm planning on growing multiple tomato varieties this year - the usual 'Gardner's Delight' indeterminate and 3 different bush varieties to see which I like best. They'll all need to go in the polytunnel together.

Will I be able to save seeds? Or rather, will the plants I grow from those seeds be true to type?

It depends what your goal is. Are you trying to cross different varieties? Or just let 1 or multiple varieties pollinate by themselves isolated for pure seed? Or use some sort of barrier or another different technique there's multiple ways. Most people are simple an just do one variety of tomato a grow season. An not plant anything in the same family is tomato, on the other hand vs to isolate far away is more work depending on how you plan on preserving a specific variety. Or how important that is to you. So many different great flavors out there. An some seed stock sounds nice tomato seeds are nice to have. An a lot of fun to grow im growing like 5 varieties. Im let them cross naturally. An save some seeds might call it random lol

To answer your question on if a seed will grow true to type. Depends on if it's a heirloom or called open pollinated vs a hybrid which doesn't grow true to type but shows more uniqueness.

 

[Susan BBPM]

My long term goal is to never have to externally source seed. I'm aiming for self-sufficiency. Mainly because I find the idea appealing.

I am using heirloom seeds only.

As I'm still fairly new to all of this I'm not trying to do too much too soon. I'm planning on saving all the seeds that are very easy to save this year, and gradually over time I'll start saving all of my own seed.

So for example, beans are easy to save. However, I don't want to stick to one variety at this point. So I'm growing 2 types of runner bean - one in front garden and one in back, and a few types of french beans all well spaced in the garden. This is very easy to manage.

However, with tomatoes we really need to use a polytunnel in Scotland. My main crop are indeterminate (gardners delight), but in order to start getting fruit earlier in the season I've found it pays to have some bush varieties too. I haven't yet selected which varieties are best so I'm growing a few. However, I'm guessing this rules out the saving of tomato seeds this year?

Presumably if I want to continue to grow at least two varieties of tomato and save my own seed I'm going to need a second greenhouse or polytunnel?

Going off-topic a little, but what veg seeds are easiest to save - and by 'easy' I mean no risk of them crossing with other variants (mine or my neighbours)?

 

[Eeilee]

I’m no expert myself but I think most anything can be cross pollinated by either wind ( ex corn) or insects.
I remember my grandma would tie a mesh bag on a clump of her tomato plants to keep one section “ pure” but I was very young and I don’t remember anything beyond that.

 

[Tetters]

Susan, down here in Kent we grow any kind of tomato we fancy. I'll get a few from the farm shop or supermarket, taste them to try 'em out and save the seeds if I like them. squash a bunch of seeds onto a bit of tissue and let them dry out a bit. They work! They will even grow if we chuck them outside with the dishwater. We especially like the San Marzano ones. They are the posh ones Heinz uses for sauce etc. and brilliant for making pasta sauces with. Yes they come true from seed. Try anything at least once.
Using fresh seed from your own plants really is the best plan!

 

[Julian777ju]

My long term goal is to never have to externally source seed. I'm aiming for self-sufficiency. Mainly because I find the idea appealing.

I am using heirloom seeds only.

As I'm still fairly new to all of this I'm not trying to do too much too soon. I'm planning on saving all the seeds that are very easy to save this year, and gradually over time I'll start saving all of my own seed.

So for example, beans are easy to save. However, I don't want to stick to one variety at this point. So I'm growing 2 types of runner bean - one in front garden and one in back, and a few types of french beans all well spaced in the garden. This is very easy to manage.

However, with tomatoes we really need to use a polytunnel in Scotland. My main crop are indeterminate (gardners delight), but in order to start getting fruit earlier in the season I've found it pays to have some bush varieties too. I haven't yet selected which varieties are best so I'm growing a few. However, I'm guessing this rules out the saving of tomato seeds this year?

Presumably if I want to continue to grow at least two varieties of tomato and save my own seed I'm going to need a second greenhouse or polytunnel?

Going off-topic a little, but what veg seeds are easiest to save - and by 'easy' I mean no risk of them crossing with other variants (mine or my neighbours)?

I'd say research a little more maybe hand pollination might be a technique to consider. If having a specific variety is important to you. Im not going to say you shouldn't save seed because, your growing 2 different varieties. You can handpollinate so you see the actual flower get fertilized with pollen. Then cover the flower properly with a sort of bag, so no other bugs try to introduce more pollen. An once the tomato starts fruiting remove the bag. An label the branch there, so you know for sure from that specific tomato. Is what you crossed by hand, and if you want more seeds. Continue to hand pollinate flowers, an label the branch. an practice doing it til your successful practicing to pollinate a female tomato flower successfully. An you can do a lot of experiments. Cross a pure variety of one tomato type. That you know what it is.

On YouTube they got a lot of hand pollination techniques for most plant species but not all of them. You might be able to find beans. Tomato lab is a YouTube channel with a old prehistoric video on crossing a tomato by hand its a good demonstration video. Only one i can find