The plant appeared out of nowhere, and a rub of the serrated, furry leaves, gave the plant away. That smell that all gardeners know, or anyone that has had the pleasure, of enjoying farm fresh tomatoes!
The diminutive tomato, was cherry in size, which also gave way to what I now call the “double header”, the “miniature big boy” aka heirloom tomato, and not to be out done the “pearl” tomato. It seemed that the plants just kept giving more, and more; and, with every harvest, a different tomato seemed to pop out of the same plant.
Which ultimately, one plant, turned into at least ten plants; as with every harvest, the seeds were given back to the earth.
The fact that the first plant, was what I would call “wild”, makes it even more of a happy occurrence. Intuitively, I had to save the seeds, if I did that in my childhood garden; where, my “Big Boy” tomatoes were so proliferous, my neighbors always got to enjoy huge baskets.
I squished the tomato seeds, into a jar (that has a wide opening) to fit my hand into. The deeper the jar the better, but trust me, you will get splashed with seeds! Next, let the jar sit for about a week; by then the seeds have separated into a liquid, which stays at the top of the jar, the seeds will float to the bottom.
Please do not put the seed jar, in a hot place, nor direct sunlight; other wise you will have a rather explosive situation, literally, & it does smell nasty!
I’m not in a hurry, so to be honest, it could be more than a weeks time, but so we could have a time-guide, we’ll use a week. The seeds that are good, float to the bottom, and the ones that float at the top are not good for planting; you can add water, a few drops of dishwashing liquid, and shake in the jar, once the fermentation is done.
Sitting in it’s own brine, if you will, allows to rid any disease-causing microbes (bacteria, viruses, protozoa or fungi) from going to the next generation of plants. To begin with, I did not use any plant food, nor fertilizer on the plants, or soil.
Since, these are organic, hardy, very low maintenance (if any), and deliciously-easy to grow I would love for everyone to enjoy fresh tomatoes for the meals, salads, & more!
You can use containers, or tomato cages, or quite fun just let them grow on the ground; they will sprawl to quite a large diameter. I would love to try these tomato plants in the upside down planter, so I think I will!
All I know is, I’ve never seen such hardy plants, with almost zero maintenance. What I would suggest is, getting seeds that are organic, and once you have your first crop, save the seeds; and just keep planting.
I hope you enjoy gardening, remember to try new recipes, share with your friends, and family, or even sell at your local green markets. It will be worth it!
Please feel free to comment, and let me know , if you decide to plant tomatoes? Send some pictures, please!
Quotes About Gardens:
What is a weed? A weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Personal Notes:
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) foods, are not the way to nurture ourselves, families, or friends. What is known as Non-GMO foods, which are preferably Organic, have only what nature intended you to have. How to tell if fruits, vegetables, and other products are Non-GMO:
I used fresh garden tomatoes, and added green peppers.
More Helpful Info About Tomatoes:
What Is Meant By Open Pollination
How To Make Your Own Tomato Juice
Canning Tomatoes For Beginners
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