Question
Hi Mike! I live in Dallas, Texas and I have 2 quick tomato questions I was hoping you could help me with.

1. This weekend, I purchased the best tasting, best looking beefsteak tomatoes from our Dallas Farmer's Market. I know the tomatoes were grown in East Texas, about 2 hours from me. I was wondering if I save the seeds from some of them, can I plant them directly in the soil next spring, or do I have to let them ferment in a jar first? (I have never done this, but heard it smells terrible)

Planting them directly or fermenting them first, can you explain the best way to get the seeds ready for planting next year?

2. We had the hottest September on record here and I have 2 "Patio" tomato plants in pots that still have 4-5 tomatoes on each plant. They get 8-10 hours of sun each day, but will not turn red and rippen. They have been green for 3 weeks with no change in size or color. Any ideas why this is happening?

Also I plan on bringing them inside over the winter and putting them in a sunny window. Is there any pruning or special preparations I should make before bringing them in, or will they be ok and ready to bloom again next spring?

Thanks so much for your time and advice! :)


Answer
Cynthia, you could save the seeds and plant them next fall, but be advised that the beefsteak tomato you purchased is most likely a hybrid.  Seeds from hybrids almost never produce an exact replicate of the parent vegetable.  The only seeds that produce exactly the same traits as the original come from heirloom vegetables and flowers.

If you choose to save the seeds and experiment next year, all you need to do is remove the seeds, wash them under cool water, and allow them to dry for 48 hours.  You should then place them in a ziplock bag which should in turn be placed in a sealed tupperware container.  Store the container in the back of the refrigerator over the winter to emulate a dormant condition.  Then next spring, you can start the seeds indoors and then transplant them into the garden after the last frost.

In regard to the patio tomatoes, they should turn red once the weather cools.  Tomatoes are very sensitive to extreme weather.  They ripen best when the temperatures stay between 70 and 80 degrees.  They also need consistent watering.  But be patient, and they will turn in short order.

Finally, you can bring them indoors for an extended harvest, but most tomatoes produce poorly, if at all, the second year.  They are considered annual vegetables, which means they produce for one year and then go to seed as part of their natural life cycle.  You would be much better off planting new tomatoes next year for optimum results.

I hope this answered your questions.  Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike