January might not seem like the conventional time to think about tomatoes, but for those with an adventurous spirit and a desire for a fun gardening experiment, now is a fantastic time to delve into the world of seed saving. The next time you slice open a shop-bought tomato for a sandwich or salad, resist the urge to discard the seeds. Instead, scoop them out – pulp and all – and set them aside. This simple act can kickstart a fascinating journey into growing your very own unique tomato plants. January is a good time to start germinating these seeds.
It’s important to set expectations: this isn’t a shortcut to an abundant harvest of perfectly predictable tomatoes. Commercial varieties are often F1 hybrids, meaning their offspring won’t necessarily resemble the parent plant. You might end up with larger, smaller, different-coloured, or even oddly shaped fruits. Some might be incredibly tasty, while others might be a bit of a disappointment. However, that’s precisely where the joy lies! Each seedling that emerges carries the thrill of the unknown, transforming your windowsill into a horticultural lottery.
To prepare the seeds, gently squeeze them onto a piece of kitchen paper. The jelly-like coating surrounding each seed contains germination inhibitors, but simply allowing them to dry on the paper for a few days will often suffice to break this down. Once dry, you can carefully peel them off or, even easier, just tear off sections of the paper with the seeds attached and plant those directly.
Sow your dried seeds in small pots or ready meal trays filled with compost. Lightly cover them with a thin layer of compost and place them in a warm spot, ideally in a heated propagator or on a sunny windowsill above a radiator. Keep the compost consistently moist. Within a week or two, you should see tiny green shoots emerge, signalling the start of your unique tomato adventure. As they grow, prick them out into individual pots. You might discover a new favourite, or at the very least, gain a deeper appreciation for the complex genetics of the humble tomato. Seed sowing is not easy-care gardening, but this is, for sure, a fun way to get into gardening, especially with the kids.
