Tomatoes: When are they done fermenting?

I have some tomato seeds fermenting, and I discovered that I don't know when they are done. Can anyone clue me in? These have been *doing their thing* for 7 days now and all the seeds have sunk to the bottom. There's not really any mold or anything on top though, it's just really cloudy.

If all the seeds have sunk, then they're ready. Usually, this time of year, it only takes about 5 days for most tomato seed to ferment.

There is no danger in overfermenting, though. Only thing that happens is that the seed darkens. This doesn't affect germination, though, so not to worry.

But I would get it rinsed and dried if I were you.

Mold doesn't always form, so that's not a problem, either.

I agree. I ferment mine for 5 days, then add lots of water, stir, let settle and then decant off the debris. Then add lots more water and do the same thing....repeat this until the water is clear. Dry on styrofoam plates for at least two weeks, and then put in paper envelope and store in dry, dark, cool place.

Then in the spring....throw them all in the trash and buy some fresh seeds:)

Owen

LOL!!! sounds like what I'll do! I am saving (correctly) Green Zebra, Black from Tula, Uncle Marks and one really really good red that was mis ID'ed but good enough to keep for us.

Thank you! I will get them rinsed and started drying today. I've got a piece of window screen that I'm going to use for the drying part.

keep them warm when drying, but not in direct sunlight....and don't throw them away in the spring. LOL

LOL Owen. I don't plan to, but I know that I will want to try lots of new tomatoes next spring too. There's so many varieties out there and I want to try them all.

>There's so many varieties out there and I want to try them all. <

But lookee here, Joan. Now you'll have seed to trade with, making it easier to try some of those new ones.

Keep in mind, too, that Melody probably will run her Round
Robin again this year. That's one of the more fun ways to sample new varieties.

Good point Brook! I'll watch for Melody's round robin. I can see more and more of my veggie garden becoming tomato patches.

Joan....e-mail me if you want a few seeds of my favorites:)

Owen

The RR is in the planning stages...I fully intend to do it again. Most likely will wait till about the end of Sept. How's that sound?

What tomatoes are you saving seeds from Joan? I'm curious as to what succeeded for you.

Melody, so far I'm getting quite a few Juane Flamme and Tip Top. If the frost holds off for quite a while yet, I should have some more types too.

Owen, I'll email you! Thanks!

Wooo hooo gal! Proud that some of the maters made it.Both are really good too.

Got some seeds earmarked for you this season too. Next season will be grand!

Are you putting a South facing window in that new house of yours?? Or some grow shelves in your utility room?

By the way...my grow shelves in my utility room are cheap and multi use for times I'm not starting plants. I'll send you pics if you want.

I have a growlight stand that we built from PVC pipe, and it has three shelves that will each hold two of the 72 starter trays. This is what I started my plants on last spring. That will go in the part of the basement that's gonna be heated, and I have plans to build another one too. I'd love to see a picture of the shelves you have in your utility room though. I might be able to do something similar in mine to give me more planting room.

More seeds earmarked for me Mel? Yippee! Thank you!

We have a huge bay window on the south side of the house, but the brugs already have that spot spoken for. LOL! Then there's the patio door, but that's on the north side of the house.

You'll be surprised at how much you can cram in that window..hehehe

Hey ho...

Don't you dare over-ferment your tomatoes.

Ferment 'em for more than eight days and they'll germinate and grow little tails and before you know it, they'll be growing out of your tubs, hydroponically.

And they'll be useless, to dry for seed.

I jest not. I've just been fermenting 220 tubs of heirloom tomatoes. And I left some too long. I could tell that, because they were germinating.

A little white shoot - only microscopically apparent - comes out the top of the seed.

Moral: ferment your tomatoes no more than for some five days, in warmth. Sometimes you get a slab of mould on top, sometimes you get no apparent mould at all.

Either way, sluice them out!

John

I agree. I ferment mine for 5 days and then add water and wash and dry them.