Why are 'volunteer' tomato seedlings better than deliberately sown?

[pg]

Got some tomato seedling coming up in my home compost (guess the temp didn't get up high enough to kill them in the heap) and they are looking far healthier than my deliberately sown tomatoes.

Anyone got any suggestions about why this might be?

[pg]

[chriscross1966]

Because the handful that will have made it are super tough....

[pigeonseed]

And had a very early start, in a warm damp place?

[goodlife]

Perharps their roots have had 'free run' and grown bigger to start with..and they've not been checked by pricking out etc.

[pg]

Great theories.

Has anyone had successful tomatoes (plants &/or crop) from these 'volunteers'?

[antipodes]

Has anyone had successful tomatoes (plants &/or crop) from these 'volunteers'?

Yes they usually grow fine: however in the end, they usually give no more (but no less) than your mollycoddled ones! As often they finish earlier in the season...  However I have often had one or two "wild" ones come up, I plant them in a suitable place if necessary and I find them to be very tough and just as productive as others.  Tigerella are very prone to this, I have found. Their seeds must be tough!