DESCRIPTION
This is an evolving mix of cherry tomatoes and standard-size tomatoes. They are probably all indeterminate varieties. We call it “Serendipity” because the seed has been collected only from “volunteer” tomato plants that reseeding themselves in gardens of OSS members. This means the seed is well adapted to growing in our area and thriving without much human intervention.
PROVENANCE
Celia Sawicki coined the name “Serendipity” when the idea for this mix came up in conversation. Contributors to the current mix include Julia Chybowski and Ethan Keller. We invite gardeners in our region to contribute seed collected from any tomatoes that reseeded themselves from a previous season’s planting.
GROWING RECOMMENDATIONS
In our area, gardeners usually start indoors in early April for late May/early June transplanting. Since seeds need warmth to germinate, a grow light and possibly a heat mat would be helpful. Harden off transplants gradually, exposing them to outdoor sunlight and wind a few hour at a time before transplanting into the garden. Plant deeply in soil, covering all stem up to first side shoots, and maybe (especially if the indoor-grown plant has become long and spindly) pinching off bottom shoots to cover more stem with soil. Roots will form along the stem planted under soil. Mulch before watering transplants, taking care not to splash soil up onto plants (to mitigate against spreading soil-borne disease).
Alternatively, if one would like to experiment with direct sowing tomato seed, this mix would be good seed to use because the seed came from tomatoes that seeded themselves.
SEED SAVING
Since this is an evolving mix of unknown varieties, we let cross pollination happen without isolation. If saving for use within a year or two, simply spreading seeds on newspaper/paper towel/brown paper bag to dry will work. For seed sharing and longer-term storage, it is best to ferment the seeds to remove pulp which has sugars that could mold. After fermenting them, wash, strain and let dry on paper. Clean and dry tomato seeds can be sealed and stored in the freezer for many years.
PRESERVING THE HARVEST
Tomatoes can be frozen raw or cooked, canned, or dried.