How to Breed Your Own Tomatoes

Select two parent plants from the different variety of tomatoes you are growing. Ideally, both parents will be mature, healthy plants which carry the characteristics you want in your tomato hybrid, such as deep or light colorations, fewer seeds, larger or smaller tomatoes, striped skins, disease resistance or shorter plants.

Wrap a small baggie around one flower from each tomato plant before they open. Loop a twist tie around the stem to hold the bags in place. Remove the baggies once the flowers open.

Look inside the flower of one plant to note the multiple anthers that carry platforms of pollen. Grab the base of an anther with a pair of tweezers and pull it from the flower.

Bring the anther to the center of the flower on your other plant. Rub the pollen-covered tip of the anther over the enlarged cap on the end of the single stigma inside the flower. Replace the plastic baggie over this flower.

Watch for the flower to close and remove the bag once the petals have dropped away within a few days. Keep the twist tie on the stem to mark the growing fruit for you. Allow the fruit to grow and ripen on the vine.

Cut the tomato from the vine and cut it open over a wire mesh strainer. Squeeze the pulp from the tomato into the strainer. Rinse the seeds, pulling away pulp until all you have left are seeds.

Spread the seeds onto a paper plate in a single layer to dry for one to two weeks. Label and envelope with the year and the two types of tomatoes used to form your hybrid. Store your dry seeds in the envelope in a cool, dry place until you're ready to plant them.