Saving Tomato Seed

As Summer is winding down, I start preparing for next year’s vegetable garden especially my tomato grow list. Anyone that is serious about growing tomatoes acknowledges that saving your own seed is essential in being able to plant your favorite tomatoes. Spectacular heirloom plants are difficult to find and some are challenging to just locate the seed. There is also the cost of plants and seed. If you save your own tomato seed you guarantee having those treasured varieties and save money too.

Saving tomato seed is unique compared to other vegetable seed. Tomatoes produce an enzyme in the jell coating around the seed that prevent the seed from sprouting. Think about it. You slice open a tomato and sprouting seed roots are running throughout the tomato-that would be disgusting! Because of this coating, something has to be done to remove it from the seed in order for them to sprout. For over 100 years fermentation has been the primary method used to remove the enzyme coating. You slice open the tomato in wedges, rake or squeeze seed, jell and juice into a cup and add water. You would then place something breathable over the top of the cup like cheese cloth and wait for it to ferment. This can take from 3-7 days. During this process the smell is most unpleasant. After fermentation is complete a frothy layer of slime develops on top of the liquid in the cup. You scrape off slime then dump contents of cup into a hand strainer and rinse until seed are clean of junk, then you place seed on coffee filters or paper towels to dry. This is the old way, I have discovered a much fast and easier method.

Preparation is the same with removing seed, jell and juice and placing in a cup. Fill with water until approximately 75% full. I then add 1 tablespoon of Oxi Clean laundry detergent/stain remover to cup and stir. In 30 minutes the Oxi Clean will remove the enzyme coating from the seed. Stir cup and pour into hand strainer. I wash off the gunk and dump into a coffee filter. This is super fast with no smell. You haven’t lived until you’ve smelled 15 cups of tomato seed fermenting at the same time. The Oxi Clean method eliminates this nightmare. It then takes 2-3 weeks for seed to dry. I then dump into coin envelopes. OxI Clean is sodium carbonate peroxhydrate which is basically sodium carbonate mixed with hydrogen peroxide. I have been cleaning seed for over 15 years using this method with great results.

When I explain this method to garden clubs, I always get asked the following questions. 1) If the seeds need the enzyme removed in order to sprout, why do I get volunteer seedlings each year? A ripe or over overripe tomato that falls off the plant onto the ground will naturally ferment as it rots which cleans the coating from the seed allowing some to sprout the following year. 2) I don’t clean my tomato seed so how am I getting some to germinate each year. This is possible but the germination rate will usually be very low. Some varieties of tomato have a much thinner coating and the location of the seed within the tomato may result in them not having any coating.

Here are some seed saving tips. 1) always label cup that you’re putting seed into, I use sharpies. 2)Always label coffee filters or paper towels that you dump seed onto, I use sharpies. 3) Keep seed somewhere dry, moisture can cause seed to rot or sprout prematurely. 4)Don’t expose seed to any sunlight, this is why I use coin envelopes and not small clear ziplock bags. I had a bad experience once with seed in a zip lock bag laying on a desk next to a window. 5) Always date envelope with year seed were saved. This way you can use the older seed first and not have any confusion after you have been saving seed for multiple years.

I regularly germinate 5 year old seed with 90% plus germination. Normally after 3-4 years the % germination will start to decline but I have had good success with 10 year old seed. Tomato seed stay viable much longer than other vegetable seed. Good luck! Any questions, email me at geraldandhenrysplant@gmail.com