This was my week to start my tomatoes, indoors.

One variety I started was brandywine, which I'm pretty certain is not a
hybrid. Since the packet contained very few seeds, I started thinking
that perhaps I could harvest some seeds this year, and save money and
have more plants next year. I know tomato seeds seem to pass through
the digestive tract and survive, but I'd rather find a more pleasant
way to get the seeds.

So what are the steps to harvest tomato seeds, assuming I'm willing to
sacrifice one or two of these fruits.

"Not@home" wrote in message
...
This was my week to start my tomatoes, indoors.

One variety I started was brandywine, which I'm pretty certain is not a
hybrid. Since the packet contained very few seeds, I started thinking
that perhaps I could harvest some seeds this year, and save money and have
more plants next year. I know tomato seeds seem to pass through the
digestive tract and survive, but I'd rather find a more pleasant way to
get the seeds.

So what are the steps to harvest tomato seeds, assuming I'm willing to
sacrifice one or two of these fruits.

Simply scoop some seeds from the tomatoes before eating them.

On Apr 4, 6:28*pm, "Not@home" wrote:
This was my week to start my tomatoes, indoors.

One variety I started was brandywine, which I'm pretty certain is not a
hybrid. *Since the packet contained very few seeds, I started thinking
that perhaps I could harvest some seeds this year, and save money and
have more plants next year. *I know tomato seeds seem to pass through
the digestive tract and survive, *but I'd rather find a more pleasant
way to get the seeds.

So what are the steps to harvest tomato seeds, assuming I'm willing to
sacrifice one or two of these fruits.

Brandywine is a heritage type.

My local tomato guru uses the following method. When selecting blooms
for propation, put a gauze bag over top of the flowers so they do not
cross pollinate with other varieties. They can be pollinated by
lightly shaking the flower. When the tomato is ripe (post-gauze bag),
squeeze the seeds out into a bowl, add some water and allow the bowl
to sit in a warm place so fermentation occurs. When a skin has
developed over the top of the seeds, remove it and you will be able to
drain the seeds out on a coffee filter, where they should sit until
dry and you can bag them. Note, tomato seeds can remain viable for 10
years if stored properly in cool, dark conditions.

Personally I prefer buying my tomato seeds.
Dora

All I do is take a good one by eye and more important taste. Squeeze
some seeds on to a paper towel and and let them air dry. Later on clean
them up a little, label and store. The do is becoming did as my sun
light is not great at my house. I gardened over my dad's next door for
over 50 years . But things change.

Bill whose sunlight is increasing sadly due to some Oak rust disease.

--
Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA

Not all who wander are lost.
- J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973)

On Apr 5, 6:51*am, Jangchub wrote:
On Sat, 4 Apr 2009 19:46:12 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
I'm interested to hear Brandywine will not cross pollinate. *Is there
a reason?
Dora

Yes, it is an heirloom because it was never purposely hybridized and
has been a stable replica of itself form a very long time. *It's also
a potato leaf tomato, so still in the solancea family, with same
flower parts as other tomatoes, but the foliage is somewhat different.

I have had the hardest time growing them here in Texas. *Our nights
are just not cool enough. *By the time the plants set flowers, the
night temps stay over 80 and it is difficult to set up.

Enjoy them, they are magnificent!


Whereas for me the nights are too cool for tomatoes to do well unless
they are in a warm spot! However I have been told the night time
coolness helps the sugars to develop.
Dora

wrote:
On Apr 5, 6:51 am, Jangchub wrote:

I have had the hardest time growing them here in Texas. Our nights
are just not cool enough. By the time the plants set flowers, the
night temps stay over 80 and it is difficult to set up.

Enjoy them, they are magnificent!


Whereas for me the nights are too cool for tomatoes to do well unless
they are in a warm spot! However I have been told the night time
coolness helps the sugars to develop.
Dora

The "trick" to growing tomatoes in "hostile" conditions (too hot or too
cool) is to pick the right varieties for *your* area. Contact your
counties' extension agent (or whatever the position is called in your
area) and ask what grows well in your area. You may not be able to grow
exactly what you want but there are so many varieties of tomatoes that
you will likely find many that you will enjoy.
--
Bill R. (Ohio Valley, U.S.A)

"You are never to old to play in the dirt"

To see pictures from my garden visit http://members.iglou.com/brosen

Digital Camera - Pentax *ist DL

Remove NO_WEEDS_ in e-mail address to reply by e-mail

Jangchub wrote in
:

'Brandywine' tomatoes are heirloom so will come true from seed.
I won't go into the whole process here, but the seeds need to be
fermented after you remove them from the fruit. Just do a quick
search on seed saving tomato seeds and you will find a ton of
helpful information. Fermentation is a vital step in the
process and it's not very difficult.

i run mine through my tortoises... they enjoy a treat of tomato gel
& i get prefertilized seeds (actually i pick the sprouted seedings
out of the soil in the tortoise pens. no need to handle the
droppings).
otherwise, yes, fermentation of the gel helps, but it's not
necessary. i've just dried seeds & grown them the next year.
lee

On Apr 5, 8:30*am, Bill R wrote:
wrote:
On Apr 5, 6:51 am, Jangchub wrote:

I have had the hardest time growing them here in Texas. *Our nights
are just not cool enough. *By the time the plants set flowers, the
night temps stay over 80 and it is difficult to set up.

Enjoy them, they are magnificent!

Whereas for me the nights are too cool for tomatoes to do well unless
they are in a warm spot! *However I have been told the night time
coolness helps the sugars to develop.
Dora

The "trick" to growing tomatoes in "hostile" conditions (too hot or too
cool) is to pick the right varieties for *your* area. *Contact your
counties' extension agent (or whatever the position is called in your
area) and ask what grows well in your area. *You may not be able to grow
exactly what you want but there are so many varieties of tomatoes that
you will likely find many that you will enjoy.
--
Yes. I gave up trying to grow Black Cherokee. Most of the heirlooms
I grow are from Siberia, and I have one I think is a hybrid called Sub
Arctic. They are very fast maturing.
Dora

On Apr 5, 8:48*am, Jangchub wrote:
On Sun, 5 Apr 2009 07:14:30 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
On Apr 5, 6:51*am, Jangchub wrote:
On Sat, 4 Apr 2009 19:46:12 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
I'm interested to hear Brandywine will not cross pollinate. *Is there
a reason?
Dora

Yes, it is an heirloom because it was never purposely hybridized and
has been a stable replica of itself form a very long time. *It's also
a potato leaf tomato, so still in the solancea family, with same
flower parts as other tomatoes, but the foliage is somewhat different.

I have had the hardest time growing them here in Texas. *Our nights
are just not cool enough. *By the time the plants set flowers, the
night temps stay over 80 and it is difficult to set up.

Enjoy them, they are magnificent!

Whereas for me the nights are too cool for tomatoes to do well unless
they are in a warm spot! *However I have been told the night time
coolness helps the sugars to develop.
Dora

It's ideal to have 70 degrees at night for tomatoes to set fruit. They
will flower at higher or lower temps, but the blossoms will drop. How
sugars develop are another story.
Victoria

I still get fruit, just not as much, and often cat-faced. Still good
though.
Dora

In article
,
wrote:

On Apr 5, 8:30*am, Bill R wrote:
wrote:
On Apr 5, 6:51 am, Jangchub wrote:

I have had the hardest time growing them here in Texas. *Our nights
are just not cool enough. *By the time the plants set flowers, the
night temps stay over 80 and it is difficult to set up.

Enjoy them, they are magnificent!

Whereas for me the nights are too cool for tomatoes to do well unless
they are in a warm spot! *However I have been told the night time
coolness helps the sugars to develop.
Dora

The "trick" to growing tomatoes in "hostile" conditions (too hot or too
cool) is to pick the right varieties for *your* area. *Contact your
counties' extension agent (or whatever the position is called in your
area) and ask what grows well in your area. *You may not be able to grow
exactly what you want but there are so many varieties of tomatoes that
you will likely find many that you will enjoy.
--
Yes. I gave up trying to grow Black Cherokee. Most of the heirlooms
I grow are from Siberia, and I have one I think is a hybrid called Sub
Arctic. They are very fast maturing.
Dora

Johnny's selected seeds is located in Maine USA.

Bill

--
Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA

Not all who wander are lost.
- J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973)

On Apr 5, 5:06*pm, Charlie wrote:

Johnny's selected seeds is located in Maine USA. *

Bill
Thanks


I'm finding second and third generations of saved seeds haved
localized or sumpthin' and often do better than previous generations.

Charlie- Hide quoted text -


I've heard this elsewhere in reference to the Siberian strains. Dora

I have to do is take one of the eyes and, more importantly, taste. Squeeze some seeds into a paper towel and let them air dry. Then clean they are a little bit, label and store. To do is be my sun light in my home, not great.

This is an heirloom, because it has never deliberately hybrid, and has been stable copies of itself to form a very long time. It is also a potato tomato leaves, so still solancea family, and some of the same flower, the other tomatoes, but the leaf is slightly different.

All I do is yield a acceptable one by eye and added important taste. Squeeze some seeds on to a cardboard anhydrate and and let them air dry. Later on clean them up a little, characterization and store. The do is acceptable did as my sun light is not abundant at my house. I gardened over my dad's next aperture for over 50 years . But things change.