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Growing Tomatoes

Volunteer tomato plants from the compost bin

10 years ago

Just noticed two small tomato plants in a flower bed I created this year. I used my own compost in the bed and am pretty sure the plants are volunteers from some seeds that didn't come up originally when I started them indoors. (I composted it all.)

It's heartbreaking to think of pulling them up, especially since they are heirloom Costulto seeds from Monticello! (A gift from my sister at Christmas.) But I can't leave them there, and it is probably unrealistic to try to transplant them considering how late in the year it is, but part of me wants to try it. What do you guys think?

I'm in Zone 5A.

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Comments (3)

labradors_gw
10 years ago
Katie,

I'd go for it. Perhaps you could plant them in pots so that you could bring them inside when you get a freeze. At the very least, you'd be able to save some seeds for next year!

Linda
michelliot
10 years ago
I transferred a couple of volunteers from my Sungold onslaught of last year just this past week. Tthey seem to be thriving. Bloomed some flowers as well since the transplant. You should definitely do it. Sungolds are hybrids so these will be a real mystery tomato.

Enjoy..............elliot
robertz6
10 years ago
If you have room, go ahead and transplant. I always have dozens of volunteer toms, not from my compost piles, but just in the garden area. I do not compost weeds or tomato plants.

I often use them to fill in area where a spring tom plant got early blight or something similar.

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