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Heirloom Tomato Seed Exchange

Who plants 30 of the same tomato variety when there are hundreds to choose from? Personally, I have over 30 varieties of heirloom tomato seeds in my seed bin, which adds up to about 600 heirloom tomato seeds in my stock pile! I don't have the space to plant all those, or the inclination to plant all the same varieties over and over again even if I had the space to plant them all in! Hence, the idea for this seed swap - To increase the diversity in everyone's stock pile of heirloom tomato seeds!

For each packet of five seeds of one variety, I will send back one packet of five seeds of another variety from me or someone else. Since I have over 30 different varieties of Heirloom Tomato Seeds, each person can send me up to 15 different kinds of tomato seeds and recieve different ones in return. If this becomes successful, I can raise the minimum number up from 15 seed packets to a higher number.

Remember that this is a blind trade which makes it a bit of an adventure. I don't know what you're sending me and you don't know what I'm sending you, so we're taking the same risk/reward. The best way to make sure that you don't recieve something you already own is to send me one packet of each variety you own! This will also help insure that there are enough varieties to continue this swap - and hopefully I'll get a few new varieties myself that will make hosting this swap worth it!

Heirloom Tomato Seed Swap Rules:

1. You'll recieve the same amount you send in! Each person will recieve the same number of seed packets that they send to me and each packet sent in return will be of a different variety even if all the seed packets sent to me contain the exact same seeds. Of course, I'd prefer to recieve lots of varieties of tomato seeds, but for right now, sending me multiple packets of the same variety can be sustained.* This rule may change in the future if people don't send me many new varieties to add to my stock and my stock of varieties becomes too depleted to sustain sending each person 15 different varieties.*
2. Maximum Limit Per Person: Limit of 15 seed packets (of 5 seeds each) per person. Since I have over 30 varieties, this insures that you will recieve different seeds than you send to me. This rule may also change in the future. It may change to a higher number of packets per person if my stock of varieties becomes higher, or to fewer packets per person if my stock of varieties becomes lower.*
3. Minimum amount: Each seed packet must contain 5 seeds of the same variety. You may send in only one packet of seeds if you only like to take very low risks!
4. Labeling: Seed packets need to be labeled with the name of the tomato variety, the year that the seed was originally packaged for, and your own Gardenweb name and email address (for communication of thanks, praises, discussion of solutions/problems). Additional information would be very appreciated but is not required: determinate/indeterminate, color, days to maturity, etc.
5. Age of seeds: Seeds may not be more than four years old. Five year old seeds have a 50% germination rate. This is so that seeds traded now can be planted next spring with at least a 50% germination rate.
6. Shipping: Seeds should be sent in a bubble wrap envelope to protect the seeds. If you have another method of shipping seeds, please include that information in your email so that we may discuss it. Please include the same amount of stamps that it took to mail your seeds to me (since I will be sending back the same number of seeds the same distance!) You do not need to include another envelope with the package. Also include your return address when you send me the seeds! (I feel silly mentioning it, but you'd feel sillier if you forgot to include your address!)
7. Continental US please. This seed swap is only for addresses in the continental US! Unless you really want to trade and you're willing to pay for postage both ways!
8. The Exception to the Rules (also known as The Generosity Rule): This "exception rule" applies to only the most generous traders and was created because of a very generous person who has offered to send me 50 different varieties of heirloom tomato seeds in exchange for just a few certain specific varieties. I do not take requests for varieties except in this circumstance, when someone is contributing far more seeds to the Swap than they are recieving in return. This is a kind of reward for those who are contributing more than others. If you would like to be an Exception to the Rules, please send me an email with the details of your seed offers and requests and we can discuss it!
9. Deadlines! Round One will end on April 25. Seeds must be recieved by that date!

If you are interested, please send me an email and I will respond with my mailing address, information, and answers to questions!

* For example, if someone sent me 15 packets of all the same varieties, hopefully I could distribute out 14 of the those packets to 14 other people and keep one for myself. However, if 15 different people each sent me 15 packets of the exact same variety, then there won't be enough diversity in the varieties I have to pass back around! (An unlikely scenario certainly, but it illustrates the point.) For this reason, rules may change depending on how people respond (respond = send in seeds) to this swap idea. Not to worry, I am a very fair minded person and if you email me for my mailing address, I will bear in mind under what set of rules you've agreed to abide. There will be no changing of the rules while "seeds are in the mail".

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About Me:

I inherited the gardening bug from my mother who has an amazing green thumb. Myself, I'm a fairly new (although enthusiastic!) gardener.

This year I'm trying drip irrigation and landscaping for the first time, as well as strawberries.

My main interests are in heirloom gardening, asian vegetables, melons and fruits, and edible landscaping.

I have four spots where I "garden".

First, I'm working on landscaping the yard around the house we just bought. I'm entirely new to this and I'm sure that I'm making a lot of mistakes!

Second, I have two plots in the downtown community garden. I haven't planted anything there yet this year, so I'd better get cracking! I think I'm going to mainly use those plots for greens and lettuces since last year I had a few thieves. I want to keep the thieving down this year! I've decided to also plant tomatoes there, even though they get stolen. I always have more tomatoes than I can eat and I suspect some of the theives are some of the downtown homeless.

Third, I have a friend who is starting a new community garden and he has generously given me a LOT of space to plant. That's where I'll be planting my melons under plastic with drip irrigation. I'll be planting a few pumpkins and squash and watermelons with them. Strawberries are going in there too. That's also where I'll be planting the things most fun to steal: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, summer squashes, zucchini, beans, etc.

Fourth, I like to begin transplants under grow lights in my bedroom. I've got melons, tomatoes, coleus, pansies, amaranth, malabar spinach, huckleberries, ground cherries, and edible Chinese lanterns there right now. I NEED to start peppers and more tomato and melon seeds NOW.