Kitchen Garden Forum

Is this an unusual tomato,tea time I cut open a tomato to find it had sprouted inside the outside was perfect no marking on it the only thing was that the end was a bit pointed rather than round .I have been grown tomatoes for years and never seen one like this.
Bren

Dear Bren, i've seen lots of tomatoes with bits growing on the outside, but never anything growing on the inside, most strange!

I have seen this before but it's not common. the slimey bit inside a tomato (the aril) is designed to inhibit germination of the seeds because when you think about it the inside of a tomato provides good conditions for germination! The seeds are meant to germinate when the aril is broken down either by passing through a gut system or by going mouldy. I suppose occassionally the tomato's production system doesn't get the chemical balance right and seeds can start to germinate.

When I save seeds from toms I hook the seeds and aril out from the flesh and drop into a jam jar and let them grow mould for 3 or 4 days then rinse them off in a sieve and dry on a saucer (they don't stick to a saucer) that way I make sure I've got rid of the aril and, hopefully, improve germination. I know many seed savers don't bother with this process but that's the way I find works for me.

MW

That's good seed saving info MW. I've done similar and then spread the seeds out to dry separately spread out on kitchen paper, which I shall then lay in a seed tray to sprout in the spring. Have I done the right thing? How do you actually save your seeds once they're dry?

Hi Diane,

Sounds fine to me. I know of other seed savers who do it that way and get good germination. I drop mine into little round film canisters, they have such a good airtight seal on the lid. Have to ensure they're really dry first though! I'm lucky to have a son who's into 'real' film...

MW