Introduction

Are volunteer tomatoes good to plant? This is a common question among gardeners who wish to improve their soil's health and yield. Volunteer tomatoes, also known as self-seeding tomatoes, refer to plants that emerge from seeds left behind in the previous season's crop. Tomato plants are known for their ability to self-seed, which could either be a blessing or a curse. In this article, we will delve deeper to find out if it’s a good idea to plant volunteer tomatoes in your garden.

Benefits of planting volunteer tomatoes

One of the advantages of planting volunteer tomatoes is that they can improve your soil's nutrient content. Self-seeding tomatoes can increase the organic matter in the soil as they decompose, which enriches the soil with nutrients. They are also well adapted to the growing conditions of your garden as they have already grown there before. You can monitor their growth and reap the benefits of having a lower maintenance garden.

Issues with planting volunteer tomatoes

One of the major issues with planting volunteer tomatoes is that you cannot guarantee that you will get the same quality of fruit as the original plant from which the seeds came from. Tomato plants are heterozygous, meaning that each seed carries a unique genetic code that determines the plant's characteristics. Therefore, the plant that emerges from self-seeded tomatoes may have weaker growth or produce smaller fruit than the parent plant. This can be frustrating for gardeners who want to maintain a specific variety in their garden.

Another issue with volunteer tomatoes: disease

Volunteer tomatoes can also harbor disease in the soil, which can easily spread to other plants. For example, if the parent plant suffered from tomato blight, the disease can linger in the soil and infect the next generation of plants. The danger of disease spreading is particularly high if the original plant was grown from non-organic seed or was sprayed with synthetic pesticides. It’s best to avoid planting volunteer tomatoes in the same area for more than two growing seasons to minimize disease spread.

Conclusion

In conclusion, planting volunteer tomatoes could be a great way to enhance your soil's nutrient content and give you a low-maintenance garden. However, it’s important to keep in mind the potential issues that come with planting self-seeding tomatoes, such as unpredictable fruit quality and the risk of disease. If you do decide to plant volunteer tomatoes, make sure you rotate crops regularly, test soil regularly and grow only from organic seed if possible to minimize the risk of disease. At the end of the day, the decision of whether or not to grow volunteer tomatoes is yours.