I've been saving a small surprise, hopefully, that will be a carry-over from last year's Ragtag Garden.
Just before the hard frosts hit at the beginning of winter, I managed to snare four green tomatoes. I was hoping they'd ripen enough on their own to provide a few seeds. The two largest have been sitting on my counter ever since. The two smallest just dried up. The largest one gradually started turning red about three weeks ago. The next smallest followed about two weeks behind. (Apologies for the blurry pics. My camera hates close ups.)
I know the paper bag method is faster, but I figured longer was better in this situation - to give the seeds the most time to mature.
Like I said, it's about the seeds, not the meat. I know... yuck!
The smaller one was too little to even have seeds, plus it was very dry to boot.
The larger one, though, looked more promising.
I used the tip of the knife to separate out as many seeds as I could find. Not as numerous as I'd hoped, but still a respectable amount.
The final count after they'd dried and I got a good look, was an even dozen.
I have no idea if they'll germinate, but the parent plant produced some of the prettiest tomatoes I've ever grown. I just had to take the chance and save some seeds. They're tucked away until a bit later, when we'll see if this experiment works out!
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Revved Up Ragtag, Part 1
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Revved Up Ragtag, Part 3
Revved Up Ragtag, Part 4
Revved Up Ragtag, Part 5
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Revved Up Ragtag, Part 8
Revved Up Ragtag, Part 9
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Crossing my fingers these babies germinate for you! I pickled the last green ones of the year only to find out they were not the last and now I have a ton more tomatoes, but I will ripen and can those :)
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Thanks, hon! I think they're going to need all the good wishes they can soak up.
Oh my, on the 'second-wind' production. What a great surprise and I hope they taste twice as good!
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My husband has successfully saved tomato seeds in the past, but not from last-of-the-season tomatoes. I hope they grow!!
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Thanks! Fingers crossed for this batch and I'll have to be a little quicker this season if they do germinate.
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I have a feeling they will germinate! Fingers crossed.
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Thanks! With all these good wishes headed their way, they wouldn't dare NOT to germinate. ;~P
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Hahahaha, can you imagine the cheek!
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I hope it works out for you. Reuse and recycle is the way to go.
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Thanks! I need all the positive mojo I can gather...Lol!
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Good luck. It'll be interesting to see if they do germinate. I've only ever saved from really ripe tomatoes.
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Thanks and fingers crossed... The only alternative is to hope the place I got my seedling last year, carries this variety next spring.
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Hard to believe when it is 10F, but Spring will be here before you know it.
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That's so smart of you. I didn't even think to try to save some of the seeds from my tomatoes. I hope you get them to germinate.
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For once it didn't get away from me. Almost though, but thankfully the frost warnings were enough in advance that I snagged 'em in time. Thanks for the cheers! It's bound to help!
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It is the gamble we all go thru, I hope they germinate for you!
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Thanks! I've never saved a seed in my life, so I'm hoping for beginner's luck. ;~D
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Wow! Those had to have smelt bad.
I usual just stick with store bought seeds. Then again I’m lucky the tomato plant is still alive and thriving. It’s under a blanket right now outside. Hoping it does not freeze might have bring it indoors.
I hope it works out!
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Funnily enough, they didn't. I think because they were starting to dry out. (Subzero temps here sucks up all the humidity, even inside.)
I've always used seedlings for my starts. This one was exceptional, hence the seed hunt. Maybe I'll try a similar version from bought seed & see which does better. Would be a fun experiment! Thanks for the comment and support!
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Ooh! I am so excited to see if they germinate and yield like their parent plant! Your rag tag garden posts are seriously some of my favorites, it's like tuning into an episode of my favorite gardening show:o)
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Wow, thanks for the great compliment! I do hope this works, too, for hubby's sake. (He eats 'em, I don't.) He really enjoyed having fresh picked ones, instead of store bought.
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You are most welcome!
I wouldn't touch a raw tomato as a kid, but then I grew my own and YUM! I pretty much live on homemade pico de gallo in the summer, lol!
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that must be quite a snack, sorry about that
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Lol! Hopefully, in a few months they'll provide some edible versions.
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That’s a good start for the spring. Anything that does well is worth saving. We had a loner tomatoe that popped up and was a couple of feet tall but after the freeze tonight I am sure it will be no more. 🐓🐓
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That's the plan & here's hoping they cooperate! The volunteer veggies are cool to see show up. It's like they were so happy in that spot, they just had to stick around. Bummer about the freeze, but nice it survived 'til now. I know temps have been dipping for y'all a bit more than normal. Stay cozy!
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"Organic food", which was once only available in private markets and in a few markets, is now sold in the majority of markets. When you go to big markets today, for example, you can find the organic one besides the handmade grown by traditional methods.
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The term 'organic' has gotten so blurred these days, it's hard to tell if it really is - especially in the big markets. Homegrown is ideal, locally grown is good and mainstream grocers are the last resort. Thanks for dropping in!
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Thank you so much me too. :)
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Garden area shaping up. Raised beds are nice..
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Slowly, but surely... Lol! Fingers crossed I can rescue the back two this year and the front one has some output. I missed having them producing the last several years.
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