Just how weird is this?

instar8 · February 18, 2014

A professional gardener-type friend of mine recently posted a pic of sprouting seed inside a supermarket tomato she'd just bought, today I see a photo of a whole, non-rotten tomato with seedlings growing out of it...seems really strange to me.

instar8 · February 18, 2014

I should add that I personally know the poster of the first pic, but the second is floating around on FB, so I make no claims as to the provenance!

Lynn

Doug9345 · February 18, 2014

It looks like it could be a mutation where the growth inhibitors in the gel don't work.

travis · February 18, 2014

To me it looks like the "rin" gene has strongly prolonged ripe fruit stage but not retarded seed germination.

Worth1 · February 18, 2014

It is due to the large amount of smart phones we have these days.

Never get around your plants with a smart phone.

worth

**carolyn137** · February 18, 2014

There are two situations I know of that allow for seeds to germinate in the flesh of the tomato.

The first is the one you show and it's been attributed to shipping and storing fruits at low temps for long periodns of time.

The second is with soft fleshed varieties, mainly the Gold/red bicolors.

Bill, all I can say is that rin mutant I sent to Mark M never could have sprouted seeds that would show on the outside b'c truly, I had to break open the fruits with a hammer to get at the seeds and they were just fine. I SSE listed it for several yars hoping that someone would use it in crosses to somehow save the most beautiful colors I've ever seen on the exterior of a tomato.

The name of it is Dourne D Hivre, and it was one that I got from Norbert in France, who now posts here from time to time, in 1992 that several of us participated in. Off hand I don't know about any alleles for rin, so it's possible with delayed ripening that what you referred to could happen.

Carolyn

instar8 · February 18, 2014

So these poor tomatoes, in addition to being genetically tasteless, have also been... stratified? Probably double or triple stratified. Though I wouldn't rule out the smartphones! ;~)

RJGlew · February 18, 2014

I had the same sprouting situation (picture 1) in some "on sale" GH tomatoes I purchased last year. I would think that Carolyn's suggestion that long storage & low temps being the culprits is likely the case. My wife & kids were not impressed, but I ate them all - seemingly without issue :-) I recall the sprouts added some texture, and I was surprised they were showing some green colour while still inside the fruit.

instar8 · February 19, 2014

The first thing i said was how healthy those sprouts looked! here's another one I found...https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

Hopefully that will work, it's from FB. How are they so darned stocky and green? you'd think they'd be pale and etiolated?

nickbolk · February 20, 2014

I have had this happen to store bought tomatoes a few times over the past couple years.
Here in BC, the most plentiful tomatoes year round are greenhouse grown "beefsteak" or "tomato on the vine" as they market them, under two or three brand names
http://www.bchothouse.com/products-tom-tov.html
http://www.houwelings.ca/files-2/tom...n-the-vine.php
Im not sure of the lineage of their variety of choice (which is also grown in the US propagation) but I know that they graft, and they are certified non-gmo... still curious about their seeds being so excited that they cant wait to germinate

Hermitian · February 20, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by instar8

A professional gardener-type friend of mine recently posted a pic of sprouting seed inside a supermarket tomato she'd just bought, today I see a photo of a whole, non-rotten tomato with seedlings growing out of it...seems really strange to me.

Supermarket tomatoes. Here I'm not including the locally grown fresh market tomatoes I can find in some local supermarkets on an display island separate from the "commodity" tomatoes. The commodity tomatoes are picked nearly green and shipped by the truckload to refrigerated distribution centers where they are gassed for a number of purposes. It is no surprise if some of these sprout plants -- because on average a few of them were ripe to begin with.

epsilon · February 21, 2014

to add an additional note to this list?:

Last year I found that a few of my granny smith apples had sprouted while I was cutting them up for a snack. 0_o weird nature.

February 18, 2014	#6
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	There are two situations I know of that allow for seeds to germinate in the flesh of the tomato. The first is the one you show and it's been attributed to shipping and storing fruits at low temps for long periodns of time. The second is with soft fleshed varieties, mainly the Gold/red bicolors. Bill, all I can say is that rin mutant I sent to Mark M never could have sprouted seeds that would show on the outside b'c truly, I had to break open the fruits with a hammer to get at the seeds and they were just fine. I SSE listed it for several yars hoping that someone would use it in crosses to somehow save the most beautiful colors I've ever seen on the exterior of a tomato. The name of it is Dourne D Hivre, and it was one that I got from Norbert in France, who now posts here from time to time, in 1992 that several of us participated in. Off hand I don't know about any alleles for rin, so it's possible with delayed ripening that what you referred to could happen. Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

February 18, 2014	#2
instar8 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: N. Indiana Posts: 48	I should add that I personally know the poster of the first pic, but the second is floating around on FB, so I make no claims as to the provenance! Lynn

February 18, 2014	#3
Doug9345 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Durhamville,NY Posts: 2,706	It looks like it could be a mutation where the growth inhibitors in the gel don't work.

February 18, 2014	#4
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	To me it looks like the "rin" gene has strongly prolonged ripe fruit stage but not retarded seed germination.

February 18, 2014	#5
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	It is due to the large amount of smart phones we have these days. Never get around your plants with a smart phone. worth

February 18, 2014	#8
RJGlew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 646	I had the same sprouting situation (picture 1) in some "on sale" GH tomatoes I purchased last year. I would think that Carolyn's suggestion that long storage & low temps being the culprits is likely the case. My wife & kids were not impressed, but I ate them all - seemingly without issue :-) I recall the sprouts added some texture, and I was surprised they were showing some green colour while still inside the fruit.

February 19, 2014	#9
instar8 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: N. Indiana Posts: 48	The first thing i said was how healthy those sprouts looked! here's another one I found...https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater Hopefully that will work, it's from FB. How are they so darned stocky and green? you'd think they'd be pale and etiolated?

February 20, 2014	#10
nickbolk Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Squamish, BC Canada Posts: 33	I have had this happen to store bought tomatoes a few times over the past couple years. Here in BC, the most plentiful tomatoes year round are greenhouse grown "beefsteak" or "tomato on the vine" as they market them, under two or three brand names http://www.bchothouse.com/products-tom-tov.html http://www.houwelings.ca/files-2/tom...n-the-vine.php Im not sure of the lineage of their variety of choice (which is also grown in the US propagation) but I know that they graft, and they are certified non-gmo... still curious about their seeds being so excited that they cant wait to germinate

February 21, 2014	#12
epsilon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Desert CA Posts: 400	to add an additional note to this list?: Last year I found that a few of my granny smith apples had sprouted while I was cutting them up for a snack. 0_o weird nature.