This place has cheap seeds and they always germ for me.
www.rareseeds.com

Maureen

tomatogrowers.com in Ft. Myers, Fl. has the seeds you are looking for. You can order a catalog from them when you go online. Have ordered lots of seeds from them and been very pleased with seeds and service.
Barb

Kirk and Barb - thank you both for this info. I'm checking out both places. I've requsted a catalog from tomatoe growers.

We use both Totally Tomatoes:

http://www.totallytomato.com/

and heirloom seeds:

http://www.heirloomseeds.com/tomatoes.htm

Victory Seed Co. has a nice selection and gets good ratings from 'Garden Watchdog'.

Here is a link that might be useful: Victory Seeds

Harvest Moon Farms & Seed has Marianna's Peace Tomato, 100 seeds for $2.25.
-daseedman

Heirloomacresseeds.com is good and the price is right. bill

I bought a Giant Belguim tomatoe plant and wondered (after-the-fact) how it will grow 4-5 lb. tomatoes without snapping the plant in half. I've used baskets, stakes and ties before with 1 lb. toes and still had some branches get bent and "cut-off". Any suggestions?

Jon

There are a couple of ways to support that plant. Personally I prefer a cage made from concrete reinforcing wire. Put the cage around the plant, drive a stout stake into the ground and fasten it on one side of the cage, to keep it from falling over. Then, just let the plant fill the cage. Train branches through the wire and trim off those which get too unruly. I've never had a problem with limbs breaking when I do this.

Regarding where to get heirloom tomato seeds. There are a good number of sources. I'd suggest Sandhill Preservation Center. They have a good selection, even selling some plants by mail order.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sandhill Preservation Center

which ever company is selling the most varieties i want.

Since many of us are only planting 1 or 2 plants of each variety, I can definitely see the benefit of sites like HeirloomSeeds.com.

Tomatofest.com has over 400 varieties

and the price to show for it. $3.95? Maybe for a live plant but not a packet of 30 seeds.

There are other sources that carry around 400 varieties or more, but I'm not surprised at all to see that Gary is the one that makes sure to mention that on his home page.

(Actually he states over 500 varieties for '06)

Sand Hill Preservation carries over 500 varieties of tomato seeds (I counted), which they sell for $1.75 a pack (and no S&H charge unless less than $5 of seeds are ordered, even then it's only $1 ;))

Or 10 packs for $16, or 20 for $30. And I don't think I've ever opened a pack up from them that had less than 50 seeds in it (usually it's closer to 80-100).

Oh, and it looks like Tomato Growers Supply carries around 400 varieties as well.

Victory Seeds is another great place to order from.

So is Seed Savers Exchange.

And as far as Tomatofest goes, I can not and will not recommend them for a variety of reasons.

I bought a Giant Belguim tomatoe plant and wondered (after-the-fact) how it will grow 4-5 lb. tomatoes without snapping the plant in half. I've used baskets, stakes and ties before with 1 lb. toes and still had some branches get bent and "cut-off". Any suggestions?

Don't worry about it Jon b'c that variety has had the same wrong fruit size blurb at almost every place where seeds/plants are sold.

You aren't going to get 4-5 # tomatoes, rather something in the 1-2# range which is standard for many beefsteak varieties.

I'm wondering why folks posting here don't post in the main Growing Tomatoes Forum where heirlooms are discussed in great detail. I'd say 99% of all info for them is over there, and not here.

And I suggest going there b'c that's where you're going to get the greatest input on anything related to heirloom tomatoes at GW.

Carolyn

Sand Hill Preservation Center is my personal vote for tomatoe seeds. Mr. Drowns does not baby his plants and they produce a hardy plant which does very well.

While I have had good blessing with tomatoes, cukes and melons from Baker Creek, their corn seed was like chaff.

Totally Tomatoes raised shipping and did mess up on the wrong seeds once, but their seeds grow well.

The only outlet I would never do business with is that Gary Ibsen of Tomatofest who has expensive seeds and the one's I got did not germinate well and the few which did for paste, one was a big slicing tomatoe.
He would not refund his horrid product so that is why it is best to try someone else as Totally Tomatoes did refund on the wrong packet they sent which is only proper in business.

I have had good luck with: Swallowtail Garden Seeds www. swallowtailgardenseeds.com and Heirloom acres seeds www.heirloomacresseeds.com The Heirloom Acres catalogue is a reference book you will keep for years, full of information on open pollinated varieties, some of which are very rare and endangered. Swallowtail also carries many vegetables, but the tomato list is impressive. Their seeds will come in a cellophane bag, inside a zip-lock tiny bag, inside a seed bag. I started seeds from them this year that were 3 years old!! Happy gardening

I bought a set of six heirloom tomato plants from White Flower Farms in Connecticut. They arrived in May, I immediately planted them and they are doing fine. I can definitely recommend this company for their heirloom tomato plant collection.

I had a fantastic experience with tomatofest. Ibsen says on his website that he keeps careful tabs on all the seeds he has sold and I know folks who've had no problems getting refunds. I had a 100% germination rate and he threw in a couple of packs of extra seeds. I agree with Dr Carolyn, best info on this would be at the tomato forum.

Carolyn P.

You could join Seed Savers Exchange. Their yearbook lists thousands of varieties of heirloom tomatoes and you would be supporting the preservation of these varieties at the same time.

Hmmm...I have used Ibsen seeds with no problems. Also: www.tomatobob.com All heirlooms tomatoes and peppers Marianna's heirlooms http://www.mariseeds.com/ and
Heirloom Tomatoes http://www.heirloomtomatoes.bizland.com/

I have bought from all of these and have never had any complaints at all.

I have ordered from Gary Ibsen numerous times and have had excellent results with his seeds. He has also been very helpful when I have had growing questions. I did not receive an order I'd placed and he quickly arranged to re-send my order. Turns out my hubbs "hid" my seeds!

It would be a good idea to check Heirloom Acres on Davesworld before you buy.

I just received a nice shipment of seeds from Trade Winds Fruit, http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/...I was going down some Google rabbit trail looking for some non-tomato seeds when I came upon this website and noticed all the heirloom varieties it offered. I ordered several short-season Russian and other heirlooms. I just planted them; we'll see how well they do.