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femmocrat

(28,394 posts)
Sat Jun 1, 2013, 11:47 AM Jun 2013

Tomatoes. A rant. Longish.

I just went out looking for tomato plants for my garden. Do you know that you can't find the little six-packs of tomatoes anymore? The stores want 3.49 for ONE plant in a pot!

This is kind of a long story, so you can quit here if you want. LOL

The past few years I have started my own tomatoes from seed. I always ended up with way too many plants because I had to plant just about every seedling. Well, last year Gurney's had a really good deal on heirloom plants. Maybe 6 plants for 5.99 or something like that. They were really huge and yummy, so I planned to just buy them again. However, they did not repeat this offer this year for whatever reason. And their plants were expensive.

In the middle of the pre-season, I ended up in the hospital with a long recovery afterwards. Now it is June and here I am without one lousy tomato plant.

I am ready to pull my hair out at this point. I am thinking if i wait a few weeks, the stores might mark down those individually potted plants. At least I hope so!

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hollysmom

(5,946 posts)
1. The garden stores and the Kmart still sell tomato packs.
Sat Jun 1, 2013, 11:49 AM
Jun 2013

mostly though my tomato plants seed themselves, every spring I see plants spring up from before.

femmocrat

(28,394 posts)
2. I was at K-Mart this morning. They only had grape tomatoes left in 6-packs.
Sat Jun 1, 2013, 11:54 AM
Jun 2013

We are in PA and can't plant until Memorial Day, so it's not really too late for us. I will try some of the smaller places next. There are a couple of hardware stores on the outskirts that might still have plants.

I never have luck with volunteers getting fruit.

NRaleighLiberal

(60,504 posts)
3. Hey - interesting post from someone who sells plants in 3 inch pots for three dollars....
Sat Jun 1, 2013, 12:09 PM
Jun 2013

Labor, effort, materials, and knowledge. I agree with you that paying over 3.00 for a single tomato plant from a box store is hard to swallow (and something I would never do).....there are simply too many ways that issues can arise (seed source, accuracy of variety, potential diseases in the seed or soil, or poor treatment by the box store). Yet....they clearly are successful at it, because they are at all the box stores.

I've been starting from seed for decades and am a history accuracy stickler - and am also aware, after purchasing the pots, labels, soilless mix and spending countless hours transplanting - that for a small producer that can be trusted, 3.00 is a good price for a plant - especially when it will produce 15-20 pounds or more of tomatoes. Think about the math. Think about the price of a perennial - 5 - 10 dollars - for something that will bloom for a week or two - and compare it to a veggie plant - pepper, tomato, eggplant - that will feed you for months.

So there are many sides to this most interesting topic! And if anyone thinks that there is not dirt in gardening (so to speak - even beyond controversy - there is envy, jealousy, lying, misrepresentation, gouging, soap opera battles, etc) - you are fooling yourself!





mopinko

(71,823 posts)
4. agree with craig.
Sat Jun 1, 2013, 12:26 PM
Jun 2013

thanks to craig, i have been doing a lot of seedlings the last 3 years. this is the first year i went out of my way to grow extra to sell. i don't think i made any money at $3 per, but i did break even, had all the plants i needed, and was able to donate to a lot of good causes.

look around for little farms in your area, or big community gardens. lots of times seedling sales are a big part of their revenue, and they likely have some more interesting varieties than the big boxes. i know we sure did.

femmocrat

(28,394 posts)
6. I would happily spend $3 for one of your tomatoes, NRL!
Sat Jun 1, 2013, 04:36 PM
Jun 2013

I just don't want to spend it on Bonnie plants! A couple of years ago they were responsible for the blight that wiped out tomato plants in PA.

Like I said, as soon as I'm able, I will check out some of the smaller guys around here. Two of my local greenhouses have shut down in the past few years so I have to travel further afield.

lpbk2713

(43,201 posts)
5. I got a pack of nine Better Boys from Lowe's a couple of weeks ago.
Sat Jun 1, 2013, 12:45 PM
Jun 2013



But I agree, the multi-packs are hard to find over the past couple of years.
I found it's better to start my own from seed, that way I know I get the
varieties that I really want.

femmocrat

(28,394 posts)
7. No Lowe's nearby.
Sat Jun 1, 2013, 04:37 PM
Jun 2013

You were lucky to find those... several weeks ago. The selection isn't very good this late. But then again, we had frost just one week ago!

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
8. In my area of PA, plants go on sale around Father's Day
Sat Jun 1, 2013, 05:19 PM
Jun 2013

so you just have a few weeks to wait. I don't know how many plants you want, but if it is not many and the plants are in really good condition, I wouldn't be opposed to paying $3 or so for a plant. Here in PA, you usually want to have that size of plant by this time of year anyways, since we can't put them in too early.

I wish you luck finding all that you want at a great price.

femmocrat

(28,394 posts)
9. Thanks. We usually put in about two dozen (or more).
Sat Jun 1, 2013, 05:29 PM
Jun 2013

When I start them from seeds I always have too many! I can't give away the seedlings!

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
10. Well, that would be a bit costly.
Sat Jun 1, 2013, 05:33 PM
Jun 2013

I do the same thing when I start from seeds....hundreds of babies. I have put them out in front of the house with a sign that says "free tomato plants" because I just cannot plant them all, and I can't waste them.

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