How to Grow Grape Tomatoes from a Grape Tomato

Grape tomatoes resemble grapes.

Grape tomatoes are small, flavorful tomatoes similar in size to cherry tomatoes. Growing from seed is time consuming, but reduces your initial cost, and also allows you to control the entire growing process. You can purchase a packet of grape tomato seeds online or at a gardening center, or you can instead harvest the seeds from an existing grape tomato and plant them as you would a store-bought seed.

Things You'll Need

• Knife
• Bowl
• Paper towel
• Plate or dish
• Sandwich bag
• Soil
• Tomato fertilizer
• Mulch

Instructions

1. Slice open a non-hybrid grape tomato using a sharp knife. Squeeze the tomato's innards into a bowl. Scrape any remaining seeds from the fruit into the bowl.

2. Place the bowl in a sunny outdoors location, such as a deck rail, and allow the bowl to sit until a white film appears on its surface.

3. Scoop the white material off the bowl's surface and wash it down the drain or add it to your compost. Fill the bowl with fresh water and stir it around a bit, then let it sit until the seeds settle. Some seeds may remain floating on the water's surface; these are bad seeds.

4. Pour out the water and bad seeds, being careful to keep the good seeds inside the container. Repeat this process until no more seeds float.

5. Pour the remaining seeds onto a paper towel and pat them dry. Sprinkle the seeds onto a plate or dish and set them out in the sun and allow to dry completely. The seeds can be placed indoors if the weather isn't cooperative.

6. Place the seeds onto a moist paper towel. Fold the paper towel, then place it in a plastic sandwich bag. Put the bag in a warm location, such as on top of a TV.

7. Moisten the paper towel using a spray bottle when necessary. The seeds will sprout (germinate) within four weeks. You will see a small green or white plant poking from the seed when it sprouts.

8. Place the seed in a small pot with potting soil. A biodegradable pot that can be transplanted directly into the ground, such as a peat pot, is ideal, but a plastic or terra cotta pot will also work. Fertilize the plant with tomato fertilizer.

9. Transplant the grape tomato plant into your garden once its stem is firm enough to withstand wind without breaking. Cover the surrounding soil with mulch to inhibit weed growth.

References

• University of Maryland: Tomatoes
• Sunset: How to Harvest Heirloom Tomato Seeds
• YouTube: Germinating Seeds in Paper Towels