Tomato Plant Ripoff.

[Worth1]

I have been debating to express my feelings about this for about 3 weeks now.
But here goes nothing.

In both Big Box stores here in town they are selling Bonnie seedlings in a quart size(?) peat container that aren't any bigger than the ones that I am getting at HEB for less money.
The ones I am getting are in a 3 inch square container for $1.50.
The Big box store ones cost $3.50 I think.
It seems as thought the plants in these larger containers are getting smaller and smaller and it is almost impossible to find the 6 packs anymore.

So if you go to HD or Lowes you are doomed to buy a small plant in a big peat container.

Worth

[AlittleSalt]

I saw the Gypsy pepper at HEB the other day. Same here $1.50. It looks like a good pepper to grow. They had several varieties I'm growing including Sungold.

The only 6 packs I've seen so far this year are that Mom & Pop shop in town. They get their plants from somewhere in East Texas.

[luigiwu]

You are lucky, we have no HEB around me. And that's how much plants are usually including from indie nurseries. I've never ever seen a 6-pack except in fall...

[Leastbay]

I bought the 6 packs from a local nursery. Bonnie brand. They had 2 in each cell so a total of 12 for about $3.90. Better boy variety.

[joseph]

Around here, 6 pack tomatoes are very popular in the real nurseries. Big box stores need not apply for use of the "real nursery" label.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by joseph

Around here, 6 pack tomatoes are very popular in the real nurseries. Big box stores need not apply for use of the "real nursery" label.

The real nursery is a 40 mile round trip for me.
I try to stay away from the place due to my addictive nature and buying plants.
They have a variety of cactus and a few other desert plants I want.
My front yard is starting to look like a botanical garden.

Worth

[Zana]

We don't have HEB around here...but the big box stores are overpriced for what you get here too. Only 6 packs (if you search through everything) are the annual flowers.

But thankfully there are lots of good nurseries around here...plus the Farmer's Market. There is one old Italian guy at the market who usually carries at least 10 heirloom maters, 5 or more hot peppers, 5 or more sweet peppers (quite of few of the peppers are Italian varieties), at least 4 to 6 kinds of basil!!!, lots more herbs, at least 5 kinds of eggplant. If you want to spend $5 on a plant you get a quart pot with a 1ft high plant. And for $8-10 you get one that could be 1.5-2.5ft high!

I swapped some seeds with him a few years ago. Gave him some heirloom Italian varieties (he was tickled pink (...or was it purple or bi-coloured?). But when I need bushel baskets of maters or cukes for canning/pickling, he's my guy.

I dread the day he wants to retire....sighhhh....as he's got to be pushing 70. And the bonus for me is I get to practice my Italian with him....and he just chuckles at my mistakes and corrects me. (Reminds me of the late father of one of my best friends growing up....who told me if you're going to hang around in his house, you've got to learn Italian properly...not just all the dialects flying around. I miss those days.....it was his sister that taught my friend and I to cook Italian...or should I say Sicilian? LOL I can just hear them now....Mangia! Mangia! ) And he and his wife and I trade recipes too. Good all around....that reminds me...going to have to call him and put my order in for some of his stuff.

[Sun City Linda]

I think that the Bonne plants are priced to go on sale. Both Home Depot and Lowes by me carry them and fairly often during the Spring run pretty good sales, like 5 for 10.00 bucks. Although not cheap, a lot better that the 3.50 or so they are marked.

[MacDuff]

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

I think that the Bonne plants are priced to go on sale. Both Home Depot and Lowes by me carry them and fairly often during the Spring run pretty good sales, like 5 for 10.00 bucks. Although not cheap, a lot better that the 3.50 or so they are marked.

If you look closely you will find that a lot of the pots have two plants in them - an even bigger bargain.

[MikeInCypress]

We have at least 2 places in Houston that sell plants that they have started themselves - Wabash Feed and Another Place in Time. They average $2-$3 a 4" container. Nice plants. APIT had a lot of the heirlooms and new hybrids from Totally Tomatoes. Both places had over 40 varieties.

MikeInCypress

[ContainerTed]

I buy a few plants at the local flea market each year. They are always large mature plants that guarantee me early tomatoes. They usually sell for about $2.50 each and are often about 18" to 24" tall. They will be blooming and/or have small tomatoes already set. Everything else is from seed that I germinate.

In the last 7 years, I have purchased one Bonnie Plants tomato plant. It was a Big Boy and came with a bonus of Bacterial Spec. Don't ask me about Bonnie Plants. No matter who sells them, it is my considered opinion, based on my personal experience, that they are always bad news. I only wish we could litigate the situation when suppliers send us things that destroy all of our hard work.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

I buy a few plants at the local flea market each year. They are always large mature plants that guarantee me early tomatoes. They usually sell for about $2.50 each and are often about 18" to 24" tall. They will be blooming and/or have small tomatoes already set. Everything else is from seed that I germinate.

In the last 7 years, I have purchased one Bonnie Plants tomato plant. It was a Big Boy and came with a bonus of Bacterial Spec. Don't ask me about Bonnie Plants. No matter who sells them, it is my considered opinion, based on my personal experience, that they are always bad news. I only wish we could litigate the situation when suppliers send us things that destroy all of our hard work.

Wasn't Bonnie plants where the bad outbreak of late blight from a few years ago come from?

[heirloomtomaguy]

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

I buy a few plants at the local flea market each year. They are always large mature plants that guarantee me early tomatoes. They usually sell for about $2.50 each and are often about 18" to 24" tall. They will be blooming and/or have small tomatoes already set. Everything else is from seed that I germinate.

In the last 7 years, I have purchased one Bonnie Plants tomato plant. It was a Big Boy and came with a bonus of Bacterial Spec. Don't ask me about Bonnie Plants. No matter who sells them, it is my considered opinion, based on my personal experience, that they are always bad news. I only wish we could litigate the situation when suppliers send us things that destroy all of our hard work.

Bonnie has several sub contracted growers that plaster a bonnie name on and ship them to all the local big box stores. Here in the area i live a large commercial nursery named Colorama grows most of what bonnie has to offer. I dont like introducing foreign plants into my garden either and grow everything from seed. Better to be safe than sorry.

[budfaux]

I gotta admit that I purchased two single Big Beef plants in peat pots at Home Depot yesterday. All the talk on this forum about Big Beef twisted my arm to my wallet.
Rare is the day that I purchase single and/or 4-6 packs of tomato plants.

If the plants deliver as some of the forum members have desribed, it will be money well spent. I'll purchase seed for next year.
But Worth, you are correct in my book... these small plants in large containers seem a bit pricey.

[Ed of Somis]

I have a weak spot for ice cream. All my life the containers were 1/2 gallon. Now they are smaller...for more money. Coffee was always in 1 pound/3 pound cans....ahh man, you get the point.