Well, frankly, I have found it a bit discouraging -- people often don't eat a lot of produce, if they do, they want "convenience" of pre-cut, pre-washed, bagged stuff. And, anything exotic often freaks them out.

But, I have had better luck with extra transplants. I often have good luck just putting them out at the end of the driveway in disposable containers, labeled as to what they are, with a big "Free Plants" sign roughly printed on scrap cardboard. Might be worth a try.

Hi greensingh,

What extras do you have? I may be interested in it. Also, all my extras I give it away to local community gardeners.

Thanks
Anna

I give them to coworkers. There are 4 or 5 people I work with who have gardens and are always happy to get whatever extra I have.

denninmi, I did something similar, posting a free plants listing on craigslist. I was disappointed when the person picking up couldn't tell a tomato start from a pepper.

Anna, at this point I have a few eggplants and peppers. I gave away the tomato starts a couple of days ago. The eggplants were started first week of april ( first batch of seeds didn't germinate) and they are now on second and third set of leaves. I have rosa bianca, ping tung, listada gandia and japanese white egg. Let me know if you want any of these. And a few hot peppers.

Susan, I would want to work where you work :)

I also give my extras to the local community garden. I just notify the person who manages it and leave the plants in a shady spot (well-watered) with a sign saying "free plants". I make sure they are all labeled with the variety. It's probably better to leave them on Friday evening or early Saturday since a lot of the gardening gets done on the weekend.

I had a neighbor, an elderly Cambodian gentleman, who used to leave me plants (perennials, not vegetables) in the shade under a tree in my front yard. He knew I liked to garden (he gave me a tour of his beautiful rose garden behind his house). He died last year. I miss him and his surprise gifts.

I do have many friends who're heavy veggie consumers but they live too far. What's funny about coworkers is that those who really like veggie usually grow their own too. I did find out if I provide cooked products (dishes, bread, muffin, desert, etc), they're very popular and gone in seconds.

An older neighbor of mine seems to appreciate my harvest but that's about it. Many folks here converted to the Atkins-ish diet a few years back. One interesting observation is that most neighbors here do not prefer veggies, especially tomato. I was shocked when I first found out because for two decades that's all I grew, and appreciated most. In order to minimize overage, I decided to diversify. The overage of own produce also helps to conver my diet into a much healthier one.

I work in a large office building. Anything left in the community kitchen will disappear within moments.

Ironically, there seems to be some unwritten rule against letting people see you take stuff, because things only vanish when no one is around.

If there is a local 4-H group, or an agricultural class at your local high school, contact the county agricultural agent,or the teacher of the class. Many of the students have their own gardens (at least they do here) and may want the little plants.
How nice of you to give them away rather than just composting your extras!

I have put an ad up on Craigslist to get rid of my volunteer tomato seedlings, but so far no takers.

If I have extra herbs, then I give them to co-workers. Sadly I have talked to many co-workers who have given up vegetable gardening and so no longer want starters. I'll keep trying to give away the seedlings.

If you live in Madison, WI and want some tomato starters, let me know. I've got them! (Shameless plug, I know.)

Thanks for the responses guys!!

Susan that is very touching. Every gardener wishes for a neighbor like that.

Some really good ideas there!! I couldn't find any community gardens close by, but the county extension services should have more info on any 4H or other programs. I work from home so that avenue is also closed.

Totally agree with people more interested in the produce rather than the plants themselves. But I generally have enough tomatoes to share and if they are appreciated, then they get more the next season.

I guess since we spend so much time caring for the starts, we want them to get planted.

I shared mine with three of my neighbors, a lady who home schools her children and uses the garden as study, my garden group, my church group, and a senior citizens center. I have found that many elderly people have a little patch to plant, or a flower bed, and love a couple of tomatoes and maybe a pepper or two. They probably wouldn't have it if it wasn't free, but they ask about them every year, so I know they expect them. Lots of people go there for their noon-time meal so I have them there at that time.

I'm sorry that you are so far away from me. Swapping plants is a great way to get a larger variety.

Senior Center, local gardening club, high school agriculture classes, 4-H, local library....

I would have thought Craigslist, but I had extra pecan trees and placed an ad. I got a dozen people who wanted one and then never showed up. 6 trees went to friends who garden and I have 34 pecan trees for myself. I'm putting a pecan in every empty space I can find. I am NOT throwing away pecan trees!!!!

Oh, just thought. Maybe your local junior college offers gardening classes. Parks and Recreation offers classes and I think I've seen gardening classes offered. If you have a thrift store you like to support, maybe they would take them to try and sell them.

Tons of plants and veggie starts get sold by the local stores, so somebody is growing veg. Do you have a local farmer's market?

Last yr I gave my extra veggies to our small town laundry mat whenever I went to town. Put a sign up that said "free veggies please take". On the way home hours later, I peeked in the door as I drove past it and the box was always gone. You could try that with your extra babies! Or how about donating them to a farmers market.

Take em to the free way and plant them next to the water retention pond, close enough that the mowers don't get em!

I finally got a lot of responses to my Craigslist ad. All my starters will disappear on Friday. Yea!

Hi greensingh,
Thanks for the list. I have all them except japanese white egg. I bought "listada gandia" just last weekend.
Which city do you live in?
Thanks
Anna

If you go to church, there are bound to be senior citizens who would be thrilled with extra veggies and/or plants. Two weeks ago, on a whim, I drove down the street to one of our senior lady's house and planted a flat of impatiens around her birdbath. I noticed that she had several large, empty pots on her back porch, so I ran back home, grabbed a bag of potting soil and two tomoato plants. I moved the pots into the sun and planted the tomatoes in about ten minutes. Every time I see her she reports on her "gorgeous" tomato plants. I know she loves the flowers too, but I rather think she's happier with the tomatoes. It's been a long time since anything so simple made anyone so happy, or that made me feel so good....

Wow, Donnabaskets. That's brilliant!

How inspiring! I love it.

Thanks for the responses guys and tons of great suggestions. In the future I will look around in the local community first before posting an ad online.
Donna, that is truly inspirational.
Anna, I live in Cherry Hill and am in the central jersey (Edison) area occasionally. If you are in the vicinity, we can swap. I grow a bunch of other things in addition to veggies.

On a Saturday morning I attach my "free Tomato plants" sign to the street sign poles at both ends of my street. Then I put a picnic table bench in my driveway with the goods. About noon I put the picnic table bench away cause everything's gone. Some aggressive souls sometimes ring the doorbell and ask for more. I've got this giveaway routine down to a science.
I have maybe 20 tomato starts available this year, but our CA weather has been so cold and rainy that my plants are not of my usual quality. The weather is improving though, so the giveaway may take place in a couple weeks.