It is often said that fruit and vegetables taste so much better when we grow them ourselves. So, it is no surprise to see such an interest in growing everyday items like tomatoes from seed.
The problem is that many people just don’t know where to start.
The idea of growing something edible from seed is intimidating, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible. In fact, you will find that growing tomatoes from tomatoes is easy and rewarding.
Can You Grow Tomato Plants From Tomatoes?
Tomato plants can grow from ripe tomatoes. Simply slice the tomato into 1/4 inch thick slices. Lay these slices down in a pot and lightly cover with potting soil. Water the pot of sliced tomatoes and keep it moist while the seeds germinate within 7-14 days.
You can grow tomato plants from any variety of tomato. So be sure to use your favorite tasting tomato to start your new plants whether it’s a roma, beefsteak, or a cherry tomato.
One thing to keep in mind, you will get a LOT of seedlings from each tomato slice. I recommend using only three to four tomato slices per gallon pot. So be prepared to transplant some seedlings to other pots.
Starting Tomato Seeds From A Tomato
When we say growing tomatoes from tomatoes, we mean precisely that.
Growing tomatoes from seed doesn’t mean that you have to go to a garden center and choose the right variety of seeds in a packet. You can use a store-bought tomato or one from your parent’s garden instead.
As long as you are careful when planting the seeds, find a good location, pot the seedlings on, and provide ongoing care and support, you can get a successful crop.
In this guide, you will find the answers to some of the most important questions about growing tomatoes from seed. This includes topics like:
- Choosing the right variety
- Giving the plant a good home
- Getting the best crop
- How to handle those seeds in the first place
Let’s start with this idea to start seeds directly from a tomato. While it might sound like an extreme lifehack that is unlikely to yield fruit, it can work. There are just a few factors to keep in mind.
Considerations When Growing Tomatoes From Tomatoes
Surprisingly you do not need extensive horticulture experience in order to start tomato plants from a ripe tomato.
Many home-growers will either take a store-bought tomato or one from a friend’s garden and use the seeds for their own plants. This is a great idea because it means you will start a tomato plant that produces tomatoes you like.
If you buy cherry tomatoes regularly at the store, save some money and use one of the fruits to grow a new generation at home. Or, take a specimen of your parents’ prized crop and try and grow some yourself.
Growing directly from the fruit is a fun idea but there are some considerations to keep in mind:
- Store-bought tomatoes may be sterile
- The variety you like might not be able to grow effectively in your home or zone
- You will get a lot of seeds from one single tomato
What Does A Sterile Tomato Mean?
There is a chance that the tomato you love from the store is a modified hybrid bred to be infertile. The fruit might be tasty, but it isn’t going to provide any offspring.
The age and treatment of the fruit may also inhibit the potential of seeds. Garden-grown tomatoes are less likely to have these issues.
What Variety Of Tomato Should You Grow From Seed?
Choosing your favorite type of tomato is a great idea if you want to focus on flavor. However, you will struggle to grow big beef tomatoes on a small windowsill.
Space constraints will play a big role when choosing your plant.
How Many Tomato Plants Do You Actually Want?
This is something you need to ask yourself before using the original tomato in any way.
The next time you prep a tomato for a salad, try counting the seeds. Each fruit is packed with them. So, if each seed germinates, that’s a lot of new plants to deal with. That is why you need to consider how many plants you want.
Those with small apartments may only have room for a couple, so it makes more sense here to clean and prep the seeds to gather an appropriate number.
Growers that have the space to start a large number by seed can pot only the best candidate. You can use a whole slice of a large tomato, some scooped out seeds, or maybe even a whole cherry tomato to see which seedlings look the healthiest.
Planting Your New Tomato Seeds For Optimal Growth
Once you have selected the variety you want and how much of the tomato to use, you need to learn how to start tomato seeds from a tomato. The best process is as follows:
- Get a pot that has a big enough capacity for the seedlings you plan to grow
- Make sure that this pot has enough drainage with drainage holes in the bottom
- Add in some general-purpose soil
- Push the chosen seeds into the soil at an equal distance
- Cover the seeds over with more soil
- Give them some water
That is it for the initial planting process.
You can pretty much leave them to it from there in an area with plenty of sunlight. Just remember to keep the soil moist to give the seeds a better chance.
Also, if you have this pot on a windowsill or balcony, place a dish underneath to catch the water draining out.
Transplanting Your Seedlings Into Their New Home
This first pot is a bit like a nursery for your germinating seeds. Before long, those that are viable will poke their way out of the ground and reach for the sun at a steady pace. Hopefully, you have enough to keep and grow on in a more suitable pot.
Once the seedlings are strong and show signs of little white hairs on the stem, carefully take them out and re-pot them in a new home.
Again, this pot needs to be an adequate size – around 18-24 inches should be fine – with good access to sunlight. This is why tomatoes are such good balcony plants. They enjoy the sunny balcony area and will provide tasty and beautiful produce to enjoy.
A good tip with this process is to plant the new seedlings with some of the stem below the soil.
This might look like you are burying them and stunting their growth. However, this allows those tiny little hairs to turn into roots. The stronger the root system, the better the chances of success.
Taking Care Of Your New Tomato Plants
Congratulations! You are now the proud plant-parent of some young tomatoes from tomatoes.
This alone is a big step and accomplishment because you successfully germinated a new plant from that store-bought or harvested fruit. But, the hard work isn’t over.
Now you need to raise those plants well to get a good crop of your own.
Consider The Following For The Best Results
- Should you stake tomato plants or leave them to grow naturally?
- How will you care for your tomato plants in the colder months?
- Should you use any tomato plant supplements or feeds?
When To Stake Tomato Plants
Most varieties of tomato plants do better when they grow tall and thin. This allows for a good crop of fruits.
However, the weight of the tomatoes drags these plants down and limits productivity. Stakes and cages with ties and supports help you train your plant in the right direction for a better harvest.
The exception to this rule is the cherry tomato. It is possible to get good numbers when the plant grows as a bush. Just make sure to thin it out and remove unnecessary stems so the plant puts its energy into making fruit.
This is a good reason to choose cherry tomatoes if you are short on space and can’t stake a plant on a windowsill.
Caring For Tomato Plants In Winter
You may have read that once your plant provides the last of its fruit in summer, that is it.
That isn’t necessarily the case. It all depends on if your plant is an indeterminate or determinate variety.
- Indeterminate = a plant that can survive for more than one season with the right care.
- Determinate = a plant that is there for one season and won’t flower or bear fruit again.
Unfortunately, if you start seeds from tomatoes from the store, there isn’t really any way to be sure what variety they are and what they will do next.
The best approach is to cover the plants up for the winter or bring them indoors to help protect them from the cold. Create a little tent with a sheet and a stake and put some mulch on top of the soil to trap the heat.
Tomato Plant Supplements And Feeds
Finally, there are specialist tomato plant feeds that you can buy to stimulate growth if you need a helping hand. Some gardeners that prefer purely natural approaches also swear by coffee grounds to create the ideal pH for the soil.
In Summary Growing Tomatoes From Tomatoes
Growing tomatoes from tomatoes is a brilliant way to honor the plant’s lifecycle.
Before long, you will start to see pretty yellow flowers forming on your plants, then little green tomatoes, then juicy ripe red ones.
This is when you can harvest your crop and know that you successfully raised your own tomatoes from tomatoes. With ongoing care, you can enjoy these fruits for a long time to come if you have an indeterminate variety.
As a final note, why not consider giving one of your tomatoes to a friend or relative and encouraging them to use it for seeds? You can start a new chain of tomato growing and appreciation.
Pass on this lesson on how to start tomato seeds from a tomato and bring them joy.
