I am growing a tomato plant indoors during the winter. It’s an experiment, just for fun. If it yields some actual tomatoes before Spring, that will be great! We’ll see.
As you can see in the picture above, it’s doing quite well.
Last October I wrote an article titled “How To Save Tomato Seeds For Next Years Garden”. I literally took three seeds from that particular tomato (a delicious Brandywine heirloom) and planted them for this experiment.
Last years tomatoes were ridiculously good. So I figured, wouldn’t it be pretty neat if I could be eating more of these tomatoes fresh off the vine during the winter?
[ Read: Brandywine Tomatoes, Jalapeno’s, and New Ace Bell Pepper Bumper Crop ]
Of those three seeds, two sprouted. Must’ve been end of October. I started them in a small container (3-inch square). After awhile it became quite evident that one of the two seedlings was vigorous compared to the other. So the other was sacrificed to make room for “survival of the fittest”.
The baby Brandywine would sit in a South facing window during the day. I would move it on top of the (warm) hot water heater at night – where I had rigged up a plant light.
During very cloudy overcast days, it would stay under the grow light.
Eventually it got big enough to transplant into its present and final container. I moved it to a bar stool in front of a South facing window. Here it is today, about 12 weeks after sprout:
Pretty soon I’ll have to figure out how I’m going to support it – assuming it continues to grow as tomato plants do…
At this rate, I might have some tomatoes in February! Time will tell.
Anyway, it’s fun to do experiments like this :)
We have tomatoes growing in our garage under “real” grow lights and a heating pads under the trays. All winter, we have had an abundance of various varieties of lettuce. Amazing what a small indoor garden will produce.
In theory you shouldnt have any problem growing indoors, its all about light and nutrients as well as temperature.
one thing that we have found is the hydroponic setups with grow lights do best, with commercial green house varieties out performing heirlooms by far, not sure why other than breeding.
one thing good with the hydro setup is the sterile media they grow in. Less chance of disease.
Nice spotting scope, zero in on the birdies I guess.
Yes, and whatever else may roam out there ;)
If nothing else, you’ll have a three month head start when you plant it out!
usually have a tomato plant spring up from my garden in late July to Aug. I transplant it and bring it in before winter and have tomatoes all winter. There is nothing nicer than a BLT while there is snow on the ground!
looks great ken, good luck.
as far as supporting them, a support hung from the ceiling? maybe.
i would like to know what you come up with.
I was thinking exactly that. Some paracord down from the ceiling. Then tie the main trunk to it as it grows.
Ken, a lot of commercial green house mater growers do something similar, linear support at top linear support at bottom, strings running vertical tied between the two, friend on big island does that prunes off a lot of the suckers, uses clips to hold vine to the strings
Suckers can be rooted for extra tomato plants. I use rooting hormone and or willow twigs in my starting water for 8-10 successful plants per dozen started.
Have you priced the cost of started tomato plants? I wonder what trade value they might have if our new bosses decide that garden seeds are not “essential” like they did in VT for COVID19 and you couldn’t ah buy them? We had a LOT of Vermonters visiting cross boarder for seeds. A fed level decision COVID 20 decision well…
NHM,
have you ever tried grafting them?
know a few people who do, seems like a lot of work but they swear by the practice, i guess in intensive greenhouse production its worth it, but yikes what a lot of work
Why graft them? I know I’ve seen the ketchup and fries grafting from I think Gurneys that grafted a potato to a tomato but why?
Maybe I’m not understanding what your talking about?
NHM
typically they graft a heavy producer resistant variety onto a variety with a strong root system that is resistant to soil borne stuff
A sort of mechanical hybrid then :-) Sounds interesting BUT to be sustainable you’d need to grow BOTH varieties to seed do you’d have graft material year after year. If the resistant root system was heirloom as well as the “Top Producer” that would work.
Seems a lot of work when simply planting more tomatoes plants would give you the same results? A smaller number of plants vs the predations of bugs and in my area VOLES would suffer greater loss than planting a few extra normal tomatoes (OR rooting those suckers?)
Interesting thoughts
NHM
definitely not a good choice for preparedness, these guys order seed or the stock from a wholesaler.
Personally i just grow either heirlooms or a good resistant variety when i have my schitt together, lately only growing a lot of weeds!
For homesteading etc i think open pollenated is the way to go. I do know folks who grow stuff in a greenhouse year round, they use lights and heated mats as well as ambient heaters. They get a steady harvest of lettuce, kale, several tomato and cucumber varieties as well as zucchini and a bunch of herbs.
They are in AZ though.
I really need to get going on my garden again, took a job around may and the whole garden went out the window, guite a waste and quite discouraging actually, but i suppose no time like the present to get rolling on it again
I grew tomatoes in my green house last winter. They did not mature till early summer. I have just planted this years seeds ( only brandy wine this time).
Cut and paste from an Ag site: Even if day-neutral plants like cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce are grown in climate controlled environments with enough heat to grow and produce, they will halt their growth and remain dormant when day length dips below 10 hours. When the 10-hour day returns, plant growth begins again.
I have grown them in my green house year round before,
Defiant PMR from Johnnys, we are lat 20+/- though so days arent too short,
i dont usually because i get lazy and dont want to buy the new grow media.
My pepper plants are still surviving under my care indoors. I had 3 pepper plants in one bucket. I brought them in to extend their season as I had too many peppers still on the plants and didn’t want to lose them. I also use a grow light. I have picked about a dozen peppers and still have another dozen or so maturing on the plants. I think they are actually doing better than when they were outside.
What size pot will the plant stay in?
That’s a great question… Every year I pull the tomato plants out by the roots and dispose of them. So having a general idea of the size of clumpage that comes out, I felt okay with what I had lying around for a container.
This one in the picture above happens to be 8″ square by 11″ tall. I feel that’s big enough for this indoor experiment.
Sure, a 5-gallon bucket with drilled out drainage would be better to ensure even more root growth (and support). But given the aesthetics of being in our living room (at the moment), we settled for the aforementioned pot. We’ll see how it goes.
Ken, theres a ton of minute roots that expand way out past the root ball, up to 4’ in some cases, depends on several factors, but generally has to do with nutrient availability and moisture
Well, maybe my smallish pot will keep the thing from growing 8′ tall in my living room! (grin)
ken,
just remember that at some point you will have to move those monster’s outside. : )
grab the pot and throw the rest over your shoulder? HaHa
good luck with em
look forward to seeing some tomato pictures
Your tomato plant looks great Ken. Started lettuce, spinach, & swiss chard seeds early Dec. under grow lights & have been eating salads since new year. 1st year trying this. So nice to have fresh a couple times a week. May start more shortly so we can have more often. Even if power costs more than buying (don’t know this) it is nice to be that independent.
we have tried growing the Brandywine but its just to hot here in the summer for them. we have mild winters and brutal summers.
we always have the best luck in our area with the big boys or the better boys,
more heat tolerant.
i have always wanted to try the mortgage makers but i can never seem to find seeds or plants.
it’s a big tomato and a heirloom i think.
CID, I tried Mortgage Makers last year and was not impressed. I also planted Amish Paste Roma tomatoes which soared and produced like crazy. In our area, the Amish paste do best for me.