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I ordered several types of tomato seeds. The seeds arrived in about a week and a half. I planted a few seeds from one of the tomato types and they started to come up within a week. The germination rate was good. I planted roughly 15 tomato seeds and have had 12 come up so far. I did not order any plants but would certainly order seeds again.
2009 is my second time ordering from this company. Fast delivery and complete, correct order. Will add to this review later regarding germination / seed quality. Last time had excellent germination and unused seeds kept for two more years of successful tomato and pepper starts. Nice catalog, great variety, but packet prices are the highest I pay anywhere. I wouldn't hesitate to make larger seed orders from this company if prices were more competitive. Free trial packets are nice and fun to try.
I ordered about 15 varieties of tomatoes in 2008. I was pleased with the transaction. Note to others the Microtom tomatoes are a novelty but not the tastiest.
I ordered from Totally Tomato last year and was pleased, so I ordered again this year. The order came promptly. It is too early here to plant the totmatoes. I will do that in about two weeks. I am starting the pepper seeds now. I will post again later to list germination rate.
If you want the best selection of tomoates or peppers anywhere, this is the company for you!! I have ordered from them before and there seeds are always the best!!! I placed several orders for seeds from different companies via the internet one snowy day and recieved them all within a day or two of each other. This company also included free packs of trial seeds which is always a great thing in my opinion!!
I started to wait on leaving feedback until I was sure seeds would germinate, but since we're smack dab in the middle of winter, I suspect if I were to wait the almost two months it would take to see if the seeds do right then unless germination rates were horrible I might completely forget to leave feedback.
Anyway, I received my order in just under two weeks, which I find to be fairly fast. The one downside was that the box arrived with the top part completely cut off, still everything I ordered was in the box and undamaged, so no big.
I also counted the number of seeds in each pack (I'm anal that way) and I wasn't short-changed. I bought four packs of Tom seeds, and one of those even had a few more seeds than stated.
The tomato spirals (4) look to be of good quailty, and were much cheaper than I would have been able to get locally. No scuff marks on them from the damaged box either.
I also got two packs of free seeds - I checked the website, they are "new" from the company. One was tomato seeds and the other pepper - I'm always willing to try tomatoes, but I'm not much of a pepper person, even the so-called mildly hot peppers (I usually find even them to hot). On the other hand, at least two people have all ready requested that when the time comes I plant at least a couple plants each for them, so even those free pepper seeds won't go to waste.
So, I'm very pleased, and like I say unless the germination rates aren't up to snuff then I'll have no complaints.
On March 29th, 2009, ConGar added the following:
Okay, I've started the tomato seeds purchased from TT, and while I did not even come close to planting all the seeds, I can say that every seed I did plant from the TT packets have sprouted. Good thing I only tried to start what I needed and not add a few extra in case of failure cause if I had I'd have WAY to many tomato plants coming up now.
(The one lone freebie tomato seed I planted has sprouted, as well. Yes, they sent me more than one, but I'm all ready worried that I'll have more tomatoes than even three of me could eat so I decided to only plant one of the freebies.)
I haven't tried to start any of the free pepper seeds yet, but because of the smashing success with the tomato seeds I truly believe the pepper seeds will come up fine, as well. And if they don't, well, they were freebies.
On Jan 15, 2009, whitie Baker City, OR (Zone 5b) wrote:
I have ordered my tomato and pepper seeds from Totally Tomatoes for several years now. This year is no exception. I placed an order in Dec. 2008 and had my order within 2 weeks. As usual they included free seeds. I usually have my garden planned out before ordering but I always find room to plant a few of the freebies they send me and never have a problem giving away plants from the seed I have sown. Last year I had a combined germination rate of 99%+. All the seeds I received this year are packed for 2009. They also offer a large selection of pepper and tomato varieties at prices cheaper than other specialty catalogs that I have seen.
I had a really good experience with them. No problems whatsoever.
Both varieties of tomatoes I ordered germinated very well. Between my fat hands and my tremor, I'm very clumsy, so I usually end up with five seeds per peat pot or more, and I swear every one came up. Lots of thinning to do! But I'm used to that, always order extra seed cause I'm such a klutz when it comes to starting seeds.
The pepper seeds were also great! Both varieties I ordered came up nicely, but due to a ridiculously late snowstorm (ok, more like sleet, enough to kill the plants but not enough to stick) only one survived to maturity. The one that did survive was very vigorous, not only lived through the sleet but also through a very hungry tomato hornworm. Still got loads of Sweet Banana peppers.
I was ecstatic to find my fave tomato there at such a good price. Usually Pineapple tomato seeds are quite costly, but they had them very affordably. I also loved the huge selection.
The cilantro, well, I never got around to planting it, so I'll be putting it in pots this year. The lettuce mix I used as a science project for a friend's kids. (I occasionally spend time with friend's kids since I don't have any of my own) We did "indoor salad gardens" in old oatmeal tubs like my mom used to do with me. One kid grew carrots and the other two did the lettuce mix from Totally Tomatoes--the kids loved it! And the lettuce was sooooo good!
The only things from them that didn't do well for me were the Ground Cherries and the freebie pepper seeds they sent me. Poor germination rate on the ground cherries, only one came up, and it was sickly. I didn't like the fact that the freebie peppers were treated seed, but planted a few anyway. Decent germination rate, had three good plants. Gave two away to friends cause I only wanted one, the third died in the previously mentioned snowstorm. But I can't complain too much about them cause they were free.
Loved getting the bonus seeds with my order! The kids I gave the pink tree tomatoes to (didn't have room for a twelve foot tall tomato plant!) were really excited!
Not sure if I'll order from them this year, maybe just two or three things if I do. Trying to keep my garden "small", which for me just means fewer things I have to start indoors. So mostly squash and beans, but I am planning on a few tomatoes and peppers. I definitley want to order from them in the future, but don't know if it'll be this season or next.
Recently ordered several varieties of tomato seeds and they arrived in just about a week of the ordering. Have just finished testing the germination rates and am extremely satisfied. Yes, I will order again in the future.
I have purchased seeds and other products for years from Totally Tomatoes. I've always had good luck and believe the descriptions in their catalog are pretty accurate.
Great People, Great Company , Great Seeds.
Thank you, keep up the great work. Always get the great catalogue along with great seeds and products.
Thank you, Roy. U Cushing
Have been ordering seeds from TT for 5 years. Never had a problem. They are cheaper than Johnny's who I order most of my seeds from. I believe it's unwise and wasteful to order plants from any company. One gets much better plants when planting seed yourself.
This is my first year ordering from TT. I am giving a neutral rating right now. Here is why. I ordered several tomato and pepper seeds from TT along with other seeds that can not be planted yet (hence the rating). The germination rate on the peppers was outstanding. Not so with the tomatoes save one.. I planted Big Zac had great germination. The rest Abe Lincoln, Country Taste, and Italian Giant Beefsteak had very poor germination (about 10% but not more than 15%) I am not saying I will not oder again out of fairness cuz all seeds are not planted. But would like the ones in question to be replaced.
Kevin Lorentz
On April 6th, 2008, klorentz changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following:
Changing my rating.to positive. The seeds in question have been replaced and will be replanted.On Apr 1, 2008, Totally Tomatoes responded with:
"
On Apr 2, 2008 9:31 AM, Totally Tomatoes added:
Hi Kevin,
We are sorry to hear you had germination problems with some of our seeds. I checked our germination rates on the three in questions and none of them were under 80%, all packets were also overfilled by 10%-20% to compensate our customers.
I have requested replacement seeds be sent out today for you. You should have them soon.
Thanks for including your name so I could find the correct order information for the replacements. It really helps us take care of any problems quicker.
Please, feel free to contact our company by phone or email if you experience any problems at all.
On Apr 1, 2008, cfarres Deering, NH (Zone 4b) wrote:
I ordered seeds a couple of months ago and they arived in decent time (around 10 days).
I put them in the fridge until I planted them on March 22-23. All of the tomatoes came up within 5 days and almost all of the peppers have sprouted as of today (4/1/08). Peppers can take up to a couple of weeks, so I am not concerned and am sure the rest of the peppers will sprout soon.
The order arrived in decent time, the order was correct when I recieved it and the germination rate was good (obviously fresh seed) - I'm happy with my dealings with Totally Tomatoes.
I order from TT for the first time about two weeks ago. Even though I ordered during the 'rush' season, my order arrived within two weeks of my order date. The seeds look great - I've already started planting some of them.
Have used TT for two years now and the orders have all been complete and shipped quickly. They have a large selection and the information on each selection is very helpful in choosing what I am looking for. The germination rate is excellent on what I have received.
I have used TT for the bulk of my seed ordering of a number of years. They have a great selection of pepper and tomato seeds. I do order early so I get what I want. The seeds germinate great. Better than other brands of seeds that I have started.
Like others have said, I don't order seedlings because they have to come in the mail and how knows how long they are going to sit in some hot truck. To get the plants here in a hurry, the shipping would blow my budget. It's just not worth it to me. I use my local garden center for my seedling needs.
On Feb 14, 2008, shamrock_farms Abbeville, SC wrote:
I have used TT for several years well over 20 orders and NEVER had any problems. they have always shipped in a reasonable fashion, however as with most any seed company there are busy times so if ordering in "peak season" most companies will have a delay.. NOT THAT I HAVE EVER HAD THIS WITH TT.
Either way the most important thing is this one fact out of all the seed companies I have used for our organic farm (I won't bother listing them all but enough to say its mostly the big guys you all know)
TT seeds have a much higher germination rate than the others in my case I use their heirloom seeds and I get 95-100% germination consistantly
The other seed suppliers at best I see 70% but they avg under 50%
This says one thing to me, if I need 500 plants I can buy that amount of seeds not twice that much this saves me money, space neeeded for trays of "bad"seeds,nutrients and my time... With that in mind even if I had a minor problem with delays I would still use them I would just order earlier..
Overall I highly reccomend them and would say try it my way order your seeds in nov-jan the slow season.
hope this helps other growers like us
This was my first order from Totally Tomatoes. I've been ordering from Jung for years and have never been disappointed so I thought I'd give TT a try. I especially appreciate the fact that TT provides information regarding tomato disease resistance and tolerance. I'm new to gardening in the mid South and find that diseases and pests are far more of an issue here than they were in my previous location.
My order was filled accurately and quickly. If seed germination rates are satisfactory I will deffinately order again.
On Jan 29, 2008, bsetiawan Corryton, TN (Zone 6b) wrote:
I have already placed 4 orders with TT this winter...spending a nice sum of money in total. I try to order all my seeds in Nov, Dec and Jan when the order houses are not so busy. Then I know I'll have what I want by planting time. However I had two packs of seeds on back order and one pack arrived by itself when they got it in. I am waiting on several packages of seeds from TT now. I'm sure they'll arrive in the next day or so because when I click on my account with them it tells me that my order has been processed a few days ago. I am a little concerned that I still haven't seen my pepperocini seeds that are back ordered and charged for according to my receipts...from my first order a while back. I don't know how they keep up with their back orders. We'll have to wait and see. It'll be simple. If by some chance I don't recieve my orders I'll let my credit card company deal with it and...I'll find another company to spend my money with next year. So far I am very pleased with TT and have no reason to complain.
On Jan 8, 2008, Farmerdill Augusta, GA (Zone 8a) wrote:
I was a long time and happy customer of Totally Tomatoes before the Jung acquisition. This is my first order since. Arrived promptly with no problems whatsover. I miss the huge selections of the old company, but apparently the new owners have shaken out the moving bugs and are now paying attention to business.
On Jan 8, 2008, dreaves Hutto, TX (Zone 8b) wrote:
I ordered about 15 different packets of seeds (tomato and peppers) using the online ordering over the weekend after Christmas. The order arrived today, January 7th, and was exactly correct. The e-mail confirmation and the online order information are very helpful. If the seeds germinate well and produce true-to-type, I will be ordering again.
Totally Tomatoes, I would like to commend you and your customer service associates for the easy on-line ordering, very prompt delivery ( both times). Also for addressing my feedback about some of the seed packets being short a few seed... I only ask for replacement of missing seed... they sent me entire replacement packages... The CSR was very polite on the phone and promised prompt replacement of missing seed... I got them 2 DAYS later rush mail!... For those of you posting negetive experience. I think understanding that we are all human and not infalaible and w/ a little patience and understanding ( not yelling and screaming) we can correct problems w/ calm concise civil communication.... Thanks again Totally Tomatoes! Pennygrinder
This past spring (2007) I ordered and received live tomato and pepper plants. They looked horrible. I thought for sure they would die, but I gave them a chance. Good thing I did. In a day or two the plants regained an alive look. Fast forward.... The plants I received from TT out performed all the plants I grew from seed, obtained locally, or ordered elsewhere. I will order from TT again.
On Jul 5, 2007, pooklette Janesville, WI (Zone 5a) wrote:
I ordered from TT in February of 2007. The seeds took 10-14 days to arrive and were well packaged. Two free packets of seeds were included with the order too, which is always fun.
All of the seeds germinted very quickly and thus far, the plants look true to type. Overall, the packets had an average number of seeds compared to other suppliers, the packet prices were lower than many other vendors', they arrived within 2 weeks and they had wonderful germination. I will definitely order from TT again next year.
Have been ordering seeds from this company for several years. I always order early to be sure I have my seeds before the ordering rush occurs. The germination rate has been fantastic. The selection is great.
On March 19th, 2008, Buddy44 added the following:
Another wonderful ordering experience with quick shipping.On April 20th, 2009, Buddy44 added the following:
Thanks for another flawless ordering and delivery experience.
On Apr 16, 2007, Eric_OH Columbus, OH (Zone 6a) wrote:
My order (mostly ornamental pepper seeds) was received promptly and germination has been good. I received free bonus seeds. Prices for the items I ordered were on average somewhat cheaper than competing companies.
Interesting to see that of the recent negative comments about this firm, most have concerned live plant orders.
I have ordered from Totally Tomatoes for the past couple of years and have been impressed with their selection and service. The seeds I ordered came very quickly and in the past have had a good germination rate. Looking forward to trying some of their new selections this year and hopefully will continue to have success in the garden with them.
On Feb 24, 2007, sureisshirl Richland Springs, TX (Zone 8a) wrote:
I recently ordered several pkts of seed by mail and was very surprised by the speed in which my order arrived. Fair prices, great selection, fast shipping, wasn't shortchanged on the seed count and I have 100% germination. I can't ask for more except a ripe tomato right now... (:
On Feb 14, 2007, mojogardener Salina, KS (Zone 5b) wrote:
I've got to say that my experience with this company has been good so far. My order of seed arrived quickly. It's too early in my zone to start my seeds yet, but I'm getting very anxious! I expect a high germination rate based on reviews by others which is why I ordered from this company in the first place. As to the negative feedback from PLANTS being shipped through the mail, I've seen how items come through the mail system and wouldn't trust ANY shipping company to take care of my order!! They are based on a bottom line, and NOT the condition of your package.
On Jan 24, 2007, Whitewidower Greensboro, AL wrote:
I have never had any problems with this company. I will not order plants from any company because of the postal service. I found it a great deal better to raise your plants, when possible from seed, that way your plants are less likely to have a desease.This is my first post on this board and am looking forward to learning all I can.
On Jan 21, 2007, ctryrazorback Texarkana, TX wrote:
I have ordered from Totally Tomatoes for several years. I have always had the correct order delivered in an acceptable time. I have never ordered the plants from them, but the seed have a high germanation rate and produce a good crop. I am very pleased with this company.
On Jan 10, 2007, lafko06 Brimfield, MA (Zone 5a) wrote:
This is my first time ordering here. I placed an on line order on 12/19. I called today to check the status as I have not received the items. The first lady, "Lisa" told me I did not have an order with them and that their computers are very accurate. I did not have a confirmation number for her, but I still hoped they could help me out. After I hung up, I decided to place the order that I supposedly didn't make. BUT, while re-doing my order on their website, I found my confirmation number!!!! I called them back and got a different person and I gave her the confirmation number and the first thing she said was "Your order will not show up for the first 24 hours after placing an on line order." I explained that I placed the order on 12/19 to which she said "oh, that is on backorder until sometime in February." This is the first company I have ordered seeds from for 2007 to have backordered items. Both people I spoke with were courteous.
On September 2nd, 2007, lafko06 changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following:
My germination rate was exceptional and I was very pleased with the outcome of my plants from my seed order. In fact, I have since placed another order here and I will continue to use this company as a source for seeds in the future.
I have delt with Totally Tomatoes for 8 years. I started out ordering seed for a small garden. Two yearts ago I purchased a 30ft X 48ft greenhouse and began ordering enough seed for my own use and growing plants for selling. I have never had any problems with my orders and the germination rate for my seed has been at least 98%. I sell produce at a farmers market and depend on these seed to produce a good quantity as well as quality of tomatoes. Most of the negative comments I have seen have come from people who have ordered plants. Plants are very difficult to ship and how fast they are planted has a great deal to do with their survival rate. I plan to continue to use this company in the future.
On Oct 19, 2005, LeekQueen Warsaw, MO (Zone 5b) wrote:
I have been ordering pepper and tomato seeds from this company for 7 or 8 years and have never had a problem with my order. Germination rates are excellent and the selection of varieties enables us to try two or three new ones each year. We especially like the heirloom selections. Another plus is the free packs with each order of $5 or so. We have found some of our favorite varieties that way and have ordered seed in succeeding years.
On Mar 7, 2005, Drew_N_Corinn Pleasant Grove, UT (Zone 6b) wrote:
I ordered about $100 worth of seed this year from them... Seems they misshipped one packet and germination rate seems a little low but that may be me... It all came within 5 days of ordering and I am on the other side of the country...
