Can I Plant a Sprouting Tomato? A Guide to Growing Tomatoes from Sprouted Seeds
As an avid home gardener, I often find myself with an abundance of ripe tomatoes come late summer. It’s a wonderful problem to have! But occasionally when slicing into a tomato, I discover something unusual – little white sprouts emerging from the seeds inside. At first this phenomenon seemed bizarre, but I’ve since learned it’s a natural occurrence called vivipary or “live birth.”
Though strange, these sprouting seeds present a unique gardening opportunity. With proper care, the sprouts can be planted and grown into brand new tomato plants! In this article, I’ll share my tips for successfully planting and growing tomatoes from sprouts found inside ripe fruits.
What Causes Seeds to Sprout Inside Tomatoes?
Vivipary happens when the gel sacs surrounding the seeds break down usually due to overripeness. This allows the seeds to germinate prematurely while still inside the tomato. It’s most common in tomatoes left on the vine too long, but can occur in other fruits as well.
The key to success is selecting seeds with small, young sprouts just beginning to emerge. Mature sprouts with long tails have often already depleted their stored food reserves. Optimal sprouts are no more than 1/4 inch long. Gently remove the gel sac with sprout intact for planting.
Step-by-Step Guide to Planting Sprouted Tomato Seeds
With care and optimal conditions, sprouted tomato seeds can grow into robust, fruiting plants. Follow these steps:
- Extract and Dry the Seeds
Carefully scoop out sprouted seeds and surrounding gel. Place on paper towels to dry for 2-3 days.
- Prepare Seed Trays
Fill trays or pots with seed starting mix. Moisten soil prior to planting. Peat pots work well.
- Sow Seeds Close to Surface
Gently place sprouted seeds on soil, sprouts facing up. Cover with just 1/4 inch of mix or less.
- Provide Warmth and Moisture
Keep planted seeds around 70°F – 80°F with bright, indirect light. Keep soil evenly moist but not saturated.
- Transplant Seedlings Outdoors
Harden off transplants for 7-10 days before moving into garden after all frost danger has passed.
Caring for Tomato Transplants in the Garden
With attentive care, tomatoes grown from sprouted seeds can flourish just like those from unsprouted seeds. Here are some key tips:
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Bury leggy seedlings deeper to establish the root system.
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Use stakes or cages to support plants as they grow. Prune suckers for best results.
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Water at base, avoid wetting leaves. Apply organic mulch to retain moisture.
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Fertilize according to variety needs, avoiding excess nitrogen.
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Harvest when fruits reach mature size and color for that variety.
The Takeaway on Planting Sprouting Tomatoes
Discovering seeds sprouting inside ripe tomatoes may seem peculiar, but it offers resourceful gardeners a fun propagating challenge. With careful selection of young sprouts and proper planting methods, those seeds can grow into productive tomato plants. It’s a great way to expand your garden variety! Just be sure to discard overripe fruits with extensive sprouting rather than eating them.
So next time you slice into a too-ripe tomato, don’t discard those sprouts. Give them a chance to flourish and enjoy homegrown tomatoes from accidental beginnings!
Conditions for Germinating Tomato Seed
No heat mat? No problem. Find a warm spot to germinate tomato seeds. Pictured here: Germinating a flat of tomato seeds beside a heat duct near the basement ceiling — a warm location. (The wine is unrelated…I didn’t have a lot of space in that house!)
Room temperature is fine for germinating tomato seeds, but you can speed up seed germination if the temperature is warmer.
Here are ways to give your seeds warmer conditions:
- Place them on a heated floor
- Set them on top of a hot-water radiator
- The fluorescent fixtures in my light tray give off heat, so if I put seed containers on the rack above
- Some appliances give off heat – check to see if the top of your fridge is warm
- Or get a heat mat (a water-resistant heating pad for plants)
Once a half to three quarters of the seeds are up, I remove the container from the heat.
As a seed germinates, it needs moist surroundings until it grows roots and can take up water on its own. If it dries out at this vulnerable stage, it’s game over.
But the air in centrally heated homes over the winter is often quite dry.
You can keep the humidity higher right around the seeds by covering them.
- I use the clear plastic domes designed to go over top of plant trays.
- Or, cover a tray with a sheet of glass or plastic; or cover an individual pot with a plastic bag.
- Another option is to use plastic cling wrap
Remove once the seeds emerge.
Don’t worry about light for tomato seed germination. Some types of seed need light to germinate; not tomatoes.
The seedlings on the left are uncovered, to get air circulation. The seeds on the right are covered with a plastic cover to keep the humidity high during germination.
So in summary, as you’re getting your tomato seeds to germinate, think warm and humid. (In a previous house, I’d germinate my seeds atop a shelf in the basement, near the heat duct at ceiling level, where it was nice and warm.)
Containers for Starting Tomato Seeds
You can buy purpose-made containers for starting seeds. Or you might already have things you can reuse for seed-starting. (Horticulture creates a lot of plastic waste…and a bit of creativity with seed-starting containers is a great way to generate less waste.)
Here are ideas for seed-starting containers for tomatoes:
Plug trays are an option if you want to start lots of seeds.
- Cell packs. These are the plastic containers with multiple holes, often used for bedding plants – a good option if you’re growing a lot of seedlings.
- Plug trays. Plastic trays with a number of smaller holes, more commonly used in commercial greenhouses.
- Pots.
- Crates. I’ve used wooden mandarin orange crates.
- Newspaper pots. Remember that paper pots wick moisture and dry quickly, so adjust your watering accordingly.
- Egg cartons. Like egg shells, below, too small for growing tomato plants to the final transplanting size, but if it’s all you have, they’re OK for getting seeds started before transplanting into a bigger pot.
- Egg shells? Don’t bother. There are lots of cutesy pictures online of seeds growing in egg shells. My suggestion is don’t bother, they’re impractical.
Newspaper pots are easy to make. They can be planted directly into the garden as the roots grow right through the newspaper.
If you’re using biodegradable, natural-fibre pots (peat pots are common, and I’ve even seen pots made from cow manure) a word of caution: Bury the entire pot when planting in the garden, or the whole thing is a wick, wicking water away from plant roots.
Easily Propagate Tomatoes |3 Simple Steps|
FAQ
How to plant a germinated tomato seed?
- Thoroughly moisten the seed-starting mix, and then fill the containers to within 1/2″ of the top. …
- Place two or three seeds into each small container or each cell of a seed starter. …
- Water to ensure good seed-to-mix contact. …
- Place the pots in a warm spot or on top of a heat mat.
How to grow tomatoes from Vivipary?
Plant it in a pot and wait till the seedlings are big enough to separate and put them outside when it’s warm enough. It won’t be the same as the parent tomato plant because they won’t be a clone but you’ll still have delicious tomatoes soon.