Tomato with sprouts. Photo credit: Mary Salinas, UF/IFAS Extension.
What in the world is happening to the tomato in this photograph? Are those hostile parasitic plants taking over the tomato?
No, nothing so sinister. You are just seeing anxious new tomato plants sprouting from the seeds inside the tomato.
A naturally-occurring plant hormone normally prevents seed inside of fruit from sprouting too soon. But sometimes the piece of fruit is hanging around a bit longer than nature planned and the hormone that prevents the seed sprouting is depleted. So, the seeds start to sprout and look like squiggly white worms inside the tomato. With enough time, they pop through the skin and emerge as little tomato plants.
Halved tomato with interior sprouts. Photo credit: Mary Salinas, UF/IFAS Extension.
This phenomenon also commonly happens in pepper, citrus, apple, jackfruit, avocado and pear.
Yes, you can separate the little plants and plant them on their own if you would like.
For more information on growing tomatoes:
Tomatoes in the Florida Garden
Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide
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