Tomato Fest

[elkwc36]

Placed an order Friday and it arrived here in KS today. Everything was there including a free packet. I was very impressed. I had emailed and asked a question which was answered promptly. Very impressed so far. JD

[cecilsgarden1958]

I have never had trouble with their service, although I placed an order this year and it's still not here.

Also: I came across a local family heirloom a few years back and sent it to Gary. It's now available on his site, complete with the history.

CECIL-who now has to check when he placed his order.

[camochef]

I placed an order with Gary the end of Dec. Had an almost immediate acknowledgement, and then a notification that the order had shipped within 6 hours of my placing it!!!
Order arrived within the week, which isn't bad for coast to coast regular mail!
I was extremely pleased with the service and will let you know soon about germination results.
Camo

[guruofgardens]

My order with Gary was placed on 1-1-08 and received within one week. One package only had 6 seeds in it, so I emailed and within 3 days, I had 2 new packages of the same seed.

Also, I petitioned them for 4 different kinds of tomato seeds for our HeadStart garden. Four months later, I received an email saying that my seeds were on their way. This was quite a surprise since I hadn't heard if we were accepted or not for these free seeds. When I opened their envelope, not 4 packages of seeds, but 12! We were very pleased, to say the least.

[elkwc36]

I have always had good results and excellent communication from Gary. This year my German Johnson produced about 50-50 PL-RL's. I emailed him and he said his German Johnson produces both leaf types. But the fruits are the same. I plan on growing one of each to check. But even then I don't feel I have the real German Johnson. So will try to get some seeds from another source for comparison next year.
I took some seeds from the Marizol Red packet I received and sent a few to a member on this site. The member notified me he had both leaf types. I then checked my records on the three I sowed and had 2 RL's and 1 PL. I feel where we have both experienced both leaf types and the way I handle my seeds that there couldn't be a mix up here. I can mix when I sow in a flat but only open one plastic packet at a time and never pick up a dropped seed even if I see it drop. So for the member to experience the same results feel that there is a great possibility that they are either crossed or the seed got mixed. I was hesitant to post this but felt others should at least know my results. I have heard of some other results similar but only comment on my own. Will post his comment when he replies. JD

[Elayne]

Last year I bought Red Brandywine seeds from Tomatofest. The plants were all PL. I had grown Red Brandywine in the past and they were RL. When I emailed Gary, he told me that his strain of Red Brandywine was PL. I have always received good service from Tomatofest, but have also experienced both RL and PL for the same variety, in particular Cherokee Purple that I grew last year. The PL plants produced a pear-shaped black tomato. (?)

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Elayne

Last year I bought Red Brandywine seeds from Tomatofest. The plants were all PL. I had grown Red Brandywine in the past and they were RL. When I emailed Gary, he told me that his strain of Red Brandywine was PL. I have always received good service from Tomatofest, but have also experienced both RL and PL for the same variety, in particular Cherokee Purple that I grew last year. The PL plants produced a pear-shaped black tomato. (?)

True Red Brandywine is RL there is no PL version of true RB.

There is a PL RB and an RL RB that arose at Seeds by Design in CA, a wholesale place, that have been widely distributed, and neother one is true RB.

I'm told by another person here at TV, in a PM, that he also bought the RB seeds on sale at Tomatofest and initially they weren't IDed that they were PL, which should have been a tipoff that they weren't true RB. Subsequently the blurb was later changed to indicate that they were PL, ergo, NOT true RB.

[elkwc36]

Gary replied that he had just finished transplanting his plants and that in his Marizol Red plants he had around 8 PL and tossed them. So he had some also. Besides MR and GJ the rest of his for me was true. He said he put out 40,000 transplants. I'm wondering about the spacing or even a mixed up plant. Just thought. JD

[mtbigfish]

I have used Tomatofest with no mixups and quick excellent service and yes he always seems to add a little pack or 2 in there to try -

[TZ-OH6]

I've bought a couple of dozen varieties from him over 2-3 years, and the service/communication was always good, but the percentage of mixed seeds in the packs along with relatively poor gemination in several packs made me look elsewhere for [cheaper] seeds. It seems that their student employees may not be the most careful people. I did get some very nice tomatoes out of the mixed seed. My feelings on his renaming Rostova[beefsteak] is that it is a mute point since Sunset's Red Horizon is a very different tomato [oxheart], and I think it is wrong for those selling it [SRH]it who have reverted to the Rostova name. I do think he should pull/replace Burracker's Favorite since his is no longer a bicolor.

[mtbigfish]

I used tomatofest for on sale stuff mostly and bought rest from Heirloom Acres, Heirloom Seeds(not impressed) , sandhill , TGS, territorial, Baker and a few others -
Glecklers in the past - glad they are back - still looking for another reliable seed company - has anyone used wildboar farms or sample seeds??

[Lavendulafleur]

mtbigfish:

Both Wild Boar Farms and Sample Seeds have their own respective threads here in Seeds and Plant Sources.

You might take a peek at them and read reviews for each. (Both have positive feedback.)

Good luck!

[mtbigfish]

Does anyone know why TomatoFest is not listed as an approved seed source??

[remy]

MtBigFish,
The thread on the link has a few negatives.
http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=12539
I do know from the Buffalo-Niagara tomato parties that the majority of incorrect varieties brought have come from there unfortunately.
Remy