Planned Volunteers?

AlittleSalt · August 4, 2014

This year, in earlier spring, we bought tomato plants and planted them in a row. Same thing we have done for 4 years now. They grew huge and produced a lot of tomatoes.

A month or so after planting store bought plants, we found a lot of volunteer tomato plants coming up here and there. Most of the volunteers grew in the full sun areas, and they grew Celebrity and Porter tomatoes. Cool, Porter tomatoes taste great. (I know, Celebrities are hybrid, but it happened)

Three of the volunteer plants grew in shaded areas along fences, Those tomato plants grew much slower. A few weeks ago, we removed all of the spent bought tomato plants and all of the volunteer plants that grew in full sun. However, the volunteer tomato plants growing in shaded areas are now producing, and the tomatoes being produced taste great. It is like they are producing what the early spring planted tomatoes did a few months back. I know this goes against everything I have read here and I have seen in real life.

I'm just wondering, if maybe, planting seeds late of varieties you hope to come up in off-seasons in shaded areas might be a way of growing ... well, a "Planned Volunteer" crop?

What do you think?

August 4, 2014	#1
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Planned Volunteers? This year, in earlier spring, we bought tomato plants and planted them in a row. Same thing we have done for 4 years now. They grew huge and produced a lot of tomatoes. A month or so after planting store bought plants, we found a lot of volunteer tomato plants coming up here and there. Most of the volunteers grew in the full sun areas, and they grew Celebrity and Porter tomatoes. Cool, Porter tomatoes taste great. (I know, Celebrities are hybrid, but it happened) Three of the volunteer plants grew in shaded areas along fences, Those tomato plants grew much slower. A few weeks ago, we removed all of the spent bought tomato plants and all of the volunteer plants that grew in full sun. However, the volunteer tomato plants growing in shaded areas are now producing, and the tomatoes being produced taste great. It is like they are producing what the early spring planted tomatoes did a few months back. I know this goes against everything I have read here and I have seen in real life. I'm just wondering, if maybe, planting seeds late of varieties you hope to come up in off-seasons in shaded areas might be a way of growing ... well, a "Planned Volunteer" crop? What do you think?