2021 Sell and Grow List

ScottinAtlanta · January 3, 2021

Folks, I am going to sell seedlings this year after the huge demand last year by our local gardeners. My inventory of my seeds also discovered that I have a large number of ageing seeds that I have to plant or lose. Hence, my list of sale plants and my own garden plants are below. It is a long list - I know! - but I plan to set up some more large containers to handle the volume. Any thoughts on the sell list? I want to sell plants that are easy for the novice gardener, do well in the hot and humid Atlanta season, and are in a variety of sizes. Thanks, Scott

PaulF · January 3, 2021

Excellent way to divest yourself of the aging varieties. As I and lots of my seeds are getting past the sell by date I think I will do much the same. There is plenty of space in the basement to grow more seedlings and what is grown in my own garden is less than half what it used to be.

Rather than sell seedlings I will give away as many as possible by taking them to our local Post Office in styro cups; maybe even post on Facebook Marketplace free tomato seedlings to get rid of old product.

Thanks for getting the gray cells working and good luck with your sales.

bjbebs · January 3, 2021

Most of what you're selling is not available at nurseries or big box stores. That could be a good thing. Honey Delight does well in my brother's garden in town. You might consider dropping Egg Yolk for Honey D. I think Egg Yolk is an acquired taste.

Where would you be selling these? Just a thought, Dekalb Farmers Market might be receptive to a small stand. I've seen tables of plants there before, but could have been a fundraiser. How about the Ponce market next to the Kroger. Lots of walking and bike traffic.

With so many young people now calling Atlanta home, balcony and patio gardeners are a good target group.

agee12 · January 3, 2021

Good luck!

Are there not Pink or Bicolor tomatoes that you are in a position to sell?

Did you develop Scott's Yellow Cherry?

Fred Hempel · January 4, 2021

Wow. Quite a list. Will be interested to see how your trialing goes.

One potential mis-grouping. The Cosmonaut Volkov I grew was red or pink. Territorial's description is red, but their photo looks pink.

ScottinAtlanta · January 5, 2021

Quote:

Originally Posted by agee12

Good luck!

Are there not Pink or Bicolor tomatoes that you are in a position to sell?

Did you develop Scott's Yellow Cherry?

I have not had good luck with pink or bicolor tomatoes, and I won't sell to local gardeners unless I have had good results with that variety previously.

I did develop Scott's Yellow Cherry from a volunteer that I found about 7 years ago. No idea of its parentage, but it is a large, pale yellow cherry that is very productive, and our local gardeners love it.

ScottinAtlanta · January 5, 2021

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjbebs

Most of what you're selling is not available at nurseries or big box stores. That could be a good thing. Honey Delight does well in my brother's garden in town. You might consider dropping Egg Yolk for Honey D. I think Egg Yolk is an acquired taste.

Where would you be selling these? Just a thought, Dekalb Farmers Market might be receptive to a small stand. I've seen tables of plants there before, but could have been a fundraiser. How about the Ponce market next to the Kroger. Lots of walking and bike traffic.

With so many young people now calling Atlanta home, balcony and patio gardeners are a good target group.

I have large front gardens and we will set up tables there - that way, I don't need to ask permission.

LindyAdele · February 4, 2021

What a beautiful looking list!

I tried Isis Candy a couple years in a row, it was so flavorless for me! Climate makes a big difference on that one I think.
Looks like you are growing a lot of black tomatoes for your home trials - I'd be really interested to hear what you like the best, and what does well for you!! Black/Purple are my favourite.
Will you update us at the end of the season as to what sold well and what you enjoyed yourself?

friedgreen51 · February 6, 2021

Scott,
Just curious as I plan to grow some plants to sell also. You said you have a large front garden. Do you just put the same price on all tomatoes and use the honor system?
I wanted to see if this would work.

ScottinAtlanta · February 7, 2021

No. I partner with another gardener selling house plants, and we set up tables on a Sat morning and each plant is priced and paid for with Paypal, Venmo, or cash.

gssgarden · February 7, 2021

I see you have Creole going. Haven't grown it in a couple years but it made the list this year again. Good tomato!

friedgreen51 · February 7, 2021

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

No. I partner with another gardener selling house plants, and we set up tables on a Sat morning and each plant is priced and paid for with Paypal, Venmo, or cash.

Thanks, that was helpful.

Wi-sunflower · February 7, 2021

If you are on Facebook, use the Marketplace to advertise your sales. Also see what "buy-sell" groups are in your area and join them for additional postings.

Last fall I did that to sell my winter squash. We were happily surprised with the response and sold more bags of squash right out of our driveway than we ever sold at the farmers markets.

Carol

Barb_FL · February 7, 2021

I'm small scale, but last year pre-covid, I would hold a 1-1.5 hour table / garage sale of just tomatoes and did the same for a plant sale.

This season, starting late in September I sold plants and advertised on Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor, and a couple of times craigslist.

I was going to do an experiment with Better Boy (Dave Freeman - the tomato guy), so I had a lot of BB plants. What I found out is that people like to buy what they have heard of.

I sold all my plants for the same price $5 in a 4" square container. When the plant was too large for the 4" square, I transplanted to a 6" round container, but that required more potting mix, etc and me holding the plant longer.

What really works well in November is selling plants where the people can taste the tomatoes as-in SunGold, and the rest of the cherries.

January 3, 2021	#2
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,294	Excellent way to divest yourself of the aging varieties. As I and lots of my seeds are getting past the sell by date I think I will do much the same. There is plenty of space in the basement to grow more seedlings and what is grown in my own garden is less than half what it used to be. Rather than sell seedlings I will give away as many as possible by taking them to our local Post Office in styro cups; maybe even post on Facebook Marketplace free tomato seedlings to get rid of old product. Thanks for getting the gray cells working and good luck with your sales. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

January 4, 2021	#5
Fred Hempel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sunol, CA Posts: 2,723	Wow. Quite a list. Will be interested to see how your trialing goes. One potential mis-grouping. The Cosmonaut Volkov I grew was red or pink. Territorial's description is red, but their photo looks pink. __________________ Artisan Seeds -- www.growartisan.com

January 3, 2021	#3
bjbebs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: illinois Posts: 281	Most of what you're selling is not available at nurseries or big box stores. That could be a good thing. Honey Delight does well in my brother's garden in town. You might consider dropping Egg Yolk for Honey D. I think Egg Yolk is an acquired taste. Where would you be selling these? Just a thought, Dekalb Farmers Market might be receptive to a small stand. I've seen tables of plants there before, but could have been a fundraiser. How about the Ponce market next to the Kroger. Lots of walking and bike traffic. With so many young people now calling Atlanta home, balcony and patio gardeners are a good target group.

January 3, 2021	#4
agee12 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Georgia Posts: 196	Good luck! Are there not Pink or Bicolor tomatoes that you are in a position to sell? Did you develop Scott's Yellow Cherry?

February 4, 2021	#8
LindyAdele Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 323	What a beautiful looking list! I tried Isis Candy a couple years in a row, it was so flavorless for me! Climate makes a big difference on that one I think. Looks like you are growing a lot of black tomatoes for your home trials - I'd be really interested to hear what you like the best, and what does well for you!! Black/Purple are my favourite. Will you update us at the end of the season as to what sold well and what you enjoyed yourself?

February 6, 2021	#9
friedgreen51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: North Carolina Posts: 159	Scott, Just curious as I plan to grow some plants to sell also. You said you have a large front garden. Do you just put the same price on all tomatoes and use the honor system? I wanted to see if this would work.

February 7, 2021	#10
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	No. I partner with another gardener selling house plants, and we set up tables on a Sat morning and each plant is priced and paid for with Paypal, Venmo, or cash.

February 7, 2021	#11
gssgarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: N.C. Posts: 1,827	I see you have Creole going. Haven't grown it in a couple years but it made the list this year again. Good tomato!

February 7, 2021	#13
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	If you are on Facebook, use the Marketplace to advertise your sales. Also see what "buy-sell" groups are in your area and join them for additional postings. Last fall I did that to sell my winter squash. We were happily surprised with the response and sold more bags of squash right out of our driveway than we ever sold at the farmers markets. Carol

February 7, 2021	#14
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 2,000	I'm small scale, but last year pre-covid, I would hold a 1-1.5 hour table / garage sale of just tomatoes and did the same for a plant sale. This season, starting late in September I sold plants and advertised on Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor, and a couple of times craigslist. I was going to do an experiment with Better Boy (Dave Freeman - the tomato guy), so I had a lot of BB plants. What I found out is that people like to buy what they have heard of. I sold all my plants for the same price $5 in a 4" square container. When the plant was too large for the 4" square, I transplanted to a 6" round container, but that required more potting mix, etc and me holding the plant longer. What really works well in November is selling plants where the people can taste the tomatoes as-in SunGold, and the rest of the cherries.