Will Tomatoes Grow From Last Year's Plant?

Overwintering

• The answer is maybe. In their native subtropical habitat, tomatoes are perennial plants. In U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 2 through 10, however, tomatoes are considered "tender perennials" and grown as annuals. Unless you live in the southern-most zones, take extraordinary measures to keep your tomatoes warm all winter, or bring potted specimens indoors, your tomato plants will die when the weather gets cold, and you will not get tomatoes from last year's plant. One bit of good news, however: If you leave a few tomatoes to decompose into the garden soil, you'll often get new plants from the seeds of your old ones.

Determinate Varieties

• Another consideration when attempting to overwinter a tomato plant is the variety you choose. Tomatoes can be divided into two groups: determinate and indeterminate. Determinate tomatoes — also known as bush tomatoes — bear all their fruit at once. These compact varieties grow to 3 feet to 4 feet and stop growing when the top bud of the plant sets fruit. The fruit all matures and ripens within a one- to two-week period, and then the plant completes its life cycle and dies. Gardeners who grow tomatoes for canning often choose determinate tomatoes, but have no hope of preserving the plant for another year's harvest.

Indeterminate Varieties

• Those who are looking for continuous harvests for slicing or salads might want to choose indeterminate varieties, which have no predetermined lifespan and produce tomatoes all season long. Indeterminate, or "vining," tomatoes can grow 6 to 10 feet tall. They will continue to grow, bloom and produce fruit until they are killed by a frost. If you container garden and bring the plant inside to overwinter or if you live in an appropriate USDA hardiness zone, indeterminate tomatoes might reward you with fruit the next year.

Growing Tomatoes

• Tomatoes love heat, so plant them in a spot that gets full sun – at least six hours a day. Before you put your tomato transplants in the ground, mix rich compost into your soil. Dig your planting hole deep enough so that the first set of leaves is below ground level. Stake or cage your tomato plants right away, so that you don't damage the roots later. When plants are young, water enough so that their roots don’t dry out and keep the soil moist but not soggy. As plants grow, soak your tomato bed once a week or every five days when it's really hot. Water directly on the soil, not on the leaves.