How To Save Tomato Seeds You Can Grow In The Future | Garden Season Guide

Have you ever chopped a plump tomato and wondered if you can save tomato seeds to grow later? Thankfully, tomatoes are one of those foods you can regrow from scraps. Learn how you can save tomato seeds from which you can grow more tomatoes with this easy guide!

Save Tomato Seeds And Grow More Tomatoes For Free

Buying seeds can really be a pricey part of gardening, and it's ironic when you want to grow your own food to somehow save on your food expense. Fortunately, you can grow fruits and vegetables from the seeds you've been discarding all along. And that includes tomatoes, which is practically a staple in every home. I, myself, have grown tomatoes from the seeds of store-bought ones with success. Every now and then, I'd come across heirloom tomato varieties and I just have to grow them, so I save the seeds. Saving tomato seeds is just as easy as growing tomatoes and you can find out how as you read through.

 

Let's Get Started!

What You Need To Save Tomato Seeds:

  • Your choice of healthy organic tomatoes
  • Knife and chopping board
  • A cup
  • Water
  • Strainer
  • Paper towel

How To Save Tomato Seeds In 7 Easy Step

We will be using the fermentation process in saving tomato seeds. Apparently, fermentation is a great method for saving tomato seeds as it increases viability by removing any germination inhibitors. Read on for the step-by-step guide:

Step 1. Pick And Slice Tomatoes

You can save and grow tomato seeds from the ones you bought from the store as long as they've been grown organically, but you can always do an experiment of just about any tomato. Pick a ripe tomato variety of your choice to get started.

Step 2. Collecting Tomato Seeds


Take out a chopping board, a knife, and a drinking cup, then prepare your tomato. Slice the tomato in half then squeeze the pulp out into the cup. Add about an inch of room temperature water into the cup with the tomato seeds.

Step 3. Fermenting Tomato Seeds

 

Take out a paper towel and cover the rim of the cup with it. Put a rubber band around the cup to secure the paper towel cover. This will ferment in three days to a week, depending on how warm your room temperature can get.

Step 4. Tomato Seeds Fermentation Process


You can check your solution after three days, especially if your temperature during these days was around 70 degrees. Check if your solution smells funky or sour, similar to that of yogurt. Check for white fungus growing on the surface of the liquid.

Step 5. Rinsing Fermented Tomato Seeds

 

Once you find all these signs you can now separate the liquid from the seeds. Add some water to the cup, then pour the liquid out, and the viable seeds will remain at the bottom. You will see the white fungus and mold draining from the cup. Repeat this process at least twice to completely take out the mold and fungus.

Step 6. Collecting Viable Tomato Seeds


After rinsing the seeds, the viable ones will be left at the bottom of the cup. Add some water to the cup and pour all the contents of the cup into a fine sieve. Give the seeds in the sieve a quick rinse and pour them onto a plate covered with a sheet of wax paper.

Step 7. Dry And Store Tomato Seeds


Let your tomato seeds air dry at room temperature. After your seeds have dried out, you can take them out and put them in paper envelopes. Store the seeds in a cool and dark place and they will be viable for up to six years. Now you can try and grow more tomatoes every growing season.

 

You can check the step-by-step guide on saving tomato seeds in this video:

Now, wasn't this guide to saving tomato seeds super easy? Saving tomato seeds could be but the start for you to grow more vegetables and even fruits. You can also take these great tips for growing tomatoes. So what are you waiting for? Save tomatoes now and grow more tomatoes from them!

Tried saving your tomato seeds before? How are your tomato plants from these seeds? I'd be delighted to hear all about it in the comments section below!

Grow a salsa garden with tomatoes, onions, and peppers! Find out how to grow bell peppers in containers here.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter for more smart gardening ideas!

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in May 2016 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

 

Feature image source via Country Trading

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