Vivipary, a Latin term meaning “live birth,” occurs when small sprouts emerge from the seeds inside a sliced tomato. This premature germination happens when the hormones maintaining seed dormancy run out, often because the fruit is overripe or stored in warm, moist conditions. The environment inside the fruit allows the seeds to sprout while still encased. These sprouts can be planted and nurtured to grow into new tomato plants.
Step-by-Step Guide to Planting Sprouted Seeds
Safely extract the delicate sprouts from the fruit pulp using clean tweezers or a small, sterilized tool. Gently lift the sprouts out, being mindful of the tiny root structures that have already formed. If the roots have grown into a clump, carefully tease them apart, handling the sprout only by its seed leaves (cotyledons) to avoid damaging the stem.
Prepare a container filled with a sterile, soilless seed-starting mix that is thoroughly moistened but not saturated. This sterile medium helps prevent fungal diseases that can afflict young seedlings. Plant the individual sprouts relatively deep in the mix.
Tomato seedlings have the ability to grow new roots along any part of the buried stem. For maximum stability and vigor, the sprout should be positioned so that the soil line reaches just below the base of the cotyledon leaves. Gently firm the mix around the stem and water lightly to settle the soil, ensuring good contact between the root and the medium.
Understanding the Genetic Outcome
Growing a plant from a sprouted seed does not guarantee the resulting fruit will match the parent tomato. Most commercially grown tomatoes are F1 Hybrids, the first-generation offspring of a controlled cross between two distinct parent varieties. This cross results in desirable characteristics like uniformity, disease resistance, and high yield (hybrid vigor).
The seeds that sprouted inside your tomato are F2 generation seeds saved from an F1 Hybrid. When planted, F2 seeds will not “come true to type.” Instead, the plants exhibit a wide range of unpredictable traits, potentially reverting to the characteristics of one of the original grandparents.
The outcome is genetically unstable. One plant might produce small, poorly flavored fruit, while another might yield a plant with different growth habits or appearance. This variability differs from Open-Pollinated (OP) or heirloom varieties, whose seeds can be reliably saved and replanted to produce offspring nearly identical to the parent. Planting a sprouted seed is an experiment.
Essential Care for Seedling Success
Once planted, providing immediate and adequate light is important for survival. As soon as the seedlings emerge, place them under a strong light source, such as a dedicated grow light, or in a window receiving at least six to eight hours of direct, intense sunlight. If the light is too weak, the seedlings will quickly stretch, becoming long and spindly.
Keep grow lights two to three inches above the plants and raise them as the seedlings grow to maintain optimal light exposure. Maintaining proper moisture is equally important; the seed-starting mix should be consistently damp, but never waterlogged. Overwatering favors fungal diseases like “damping off,” which causes young stems to rot at the soil line.
Before permanent outdoor transplanting, seedlings require a gradual acclimatization process called “hardening off.” This process toughens the tender indoor-grown plants against direct sun, wind, and temperature fluctuations. Over seven to fourteen days, start by placing the plants outside in a sheltered, shaded location for a couple of hours, progressively increasing the duration and exposure each day.