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Siwsan

(26,178 posts)
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 08:34 PM Jul 2020

I can't help but be impressed by the tenacity of the tomato plant

I use landscaping fabric in my veg garden, to cut down on the need to weed. Tonight I spotted this tiny 'volunteer' tomato plant that has managed to sprout up through a landscaping PIN HOLE, in the fabric.

It doubtful I'll be able to relocate it, but I will try to carefully pull it out through that hole and give it someplace where it can grow.

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Ohiogal

(31,671 posts)
1. That sure is a tenacious tomato!
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 08:39 PM
Jul 2020

Kind of like a bonus when that happens! Nature is amazing.

Amazingly, we discovered lettuce in or garden this spring that came up from last year ... after wintering over (in NE Ohio) ... and after my husband tilled everything under in the fall! He transplanted it and now I’ve got about 5 clumps of nice leaf lettuce out there!

dawg day

(7,947 posts)
4. I had a tree come down in a storm, and the stump cut off--
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 08:42 PM
Jul 2020

And two years later, there's another tree (of another species!) growing out of the stump. It's almost 20 feet high suddenly, and this spring it flowered (it's a flowering dogwood).

When I think of how much I've spent planting trees from a nursery... and here one grows up FREE in the old-fashioned way....

TubbersUK

(1,439 posts)
3. I grew this season's tomato plants from 10 year old seed
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 08:42 PM
Jul 2020

Couldn't get fresh seed because of the Covid lockdown so I thought I'd try a half-used packet I found in the shed - the germination rate was about 75% and the plants are bursting with health.


Laelth

(32,017 posts)
5. It's subtropical.
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 08:44 PM
Jul 2020

It’s designed to grow on rock and on sand (very nutrient-poor soils) with minimal water. It wants dry conditions, punctuated by intermittent heavy dousing of water. It’s a tough plant. Its leaves are poisonous. What’s not to love?



-Laelth

Siwsan

(26,178 posts)
7. I just can't belive the odds of a seed germinating right where a small hole was present
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 08:52 PM
Jul 2020

I mean, the ideal, VERY small, spot, and that there was enough light getting through that tiny hole. The placement was ideal.

This year I started most of my tomato crop from seed because I was worried about the shut down keeping the plant nurseries closed. I started Roma, Black Krim and Golden Jubilee. Unfortunately, the writing on the popsicle sticks didn't survive so now I have to wait and see what the plants produce!

I kind of suspect this new surprise might be a grape tomato because it showed up in the part of the garden where I planted those, last year. This year I rotated the peppers into that area.

Laelth

(32,017 posts)
8. Peppers are great where there's a bunch of water.
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 08:56 PM
Jul 2020

They’re thirsty plants, and they can be fickle about soil conditions.

But tomatoes? No. Those are some badass plants from the desert. They actually thrive in harsh conditions with little or no attention. That seed just got lucky and found a little hole.



-Laelth

P.S. I can grow Roma quite nicely where I am at the moment. I love those tomatoes—good for everything and not too heavy to bend and destroy the vine.

MyOwnPeace

(16,888 posts)
6. You GO, you!!!!!!
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 08:48 PM
Jul 2020

I always let a volunteer or 2 go every year, but just the other day I got really pizzed because the &%#$@! deer found my raised bed and had a buffet.

On the good side, I'd let some lettuce go crazy last summer and this summer I've got some beautiful volunteer Romaine coming up that helps fill in the "growth" times of the stuff I've planted.

Yeah, you give a little, you get a little.....

Siwsan

(26,178 posts)
10. The first full summer I was here, all of the tomatoes were 'volunteer' from the previous year
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 08:57 PM
Jul 2020

I inherited this house and property from my aunt and uncle, and my uncle always had a massive garden full of all kinds of tomatoes and he didn't put down the fabric. I had NO idea how to do any of this kind of gardening so I just let things go nuts. It was a MOST interesting year. Some of those tomatoes were the size of grapefruit.

I was worried about deer, this year, because there were hoof prints in the garden, this Spring. Now that the traffic has picked up, again, they seem to have stopped their neighborhood wanderings. That being said, every single morning I do a quick check to make sure.

Girard442

(6,059 posts)
9. When I was a kid, my mom planted yellow cherry tomatoes.
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 08:56 PM
Jul 2020

They came up volunteer every year after that and were so prolific we all got sick of them after a while.

global1

(25,169 posts)
12. Instead Of Pulling It Through Couldn't A Small....
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 09:26 PM
Jul 2020

X snip cut with the intersection of the X being the current hole work for you?

Siwsan

(26,178 posts)
15. It's way too close to the peppers to stay there, but I can try cutting the fabric and digging it up
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 10:31 PM
Jul 2020

I've already got a whole lot of plants going, but this one is so determined, it seems a sin to not rescue and relocate it.

Ahpook

(2,747 posts)
14. Wish fruit was that easy to grow
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 10:16 PM
Jul 2020

Growing watermelon and cantaloupe seem to be more involved? I can't seem to get these plants to fruit

I LOVED on one small watermelon for weeks. Their was determination, care and lots of time and we only had one small watermelon out of numerous plants.

We do fine with veggies!

My aloe plants bloomed again, though. I've had these for years and they do it from time to time. Love seeing it

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