LDeV – Berkeley, CA – Ohlone Territory
Tomato seeds (summer 2024).
I received a number of packets and planted them in starter containers, but very few came up. The only ones that really were viable were labelled “mystery tomato seed” and they seem to be doing very well.
I made little labels when I first planted them but they were soon washed out or lost. Consequently, as volunteer tomatoes show up all over my yard in the summer, I am now not sure which ones were actually from the ‘mystery tomato’ seed packets, and which are simply a result of that other mysterious thing in nature where seeds appear from humans, squirrels and birds and take root.
I live in a climate where many plants re-seed themselves but some appear in areas of the garden where I have to assume the seed could only have been carried by birds or squirrels. This is especially true with tomatoes, a plant native to the Americas.
Every summer I find some of these plants nestled near the steps of my studio, a tiny spot where I never either water or plant. For the first time this year, I found a spare little tomato plant right under my garden hose, another in a cactus garden and most recently one is peeking out from beneath some squash leaves struggling for sun. I tend to favor these plants because they come as gifts. They also remind me that while California is a very dry climate, tomato’s ability to so easily propagate is a testament to how little water they actually need.