To all, This is an old post. I do NOT have any Green Zebra, Old Ivory Egg, or Snow White cherry anymore. I DO have some unknown tomato seeds, unknown variety short orange carrot seeds, parsnip seeds, cherry belle radish seeds, and a few detroit dark red beet seeds. I mostly give away seeds on listia.com now, as they go quick, without me waiting for postage. Listia works on a "credit", points system. There's no cost, except shipping, so it's like a seed exchange, but better. I list seeds, get credits from the winner of my listing, then spend those credits on other seeds I don't have. I got so many seeds doing this, that I don't need any, but I'll consider a trade. You might have something I don't have. If you want to trade, I'm seeking... 1. Alter Communist tomato - 2. Andes Horn Tomato - 3. Aurora Tomato 4. Wisconson 55 GOLD Tomato- 5. Backa Tomato - 6. Banjan Rumi/roomi 7. Barlow Jap - 8. Bedouin Tomato - 9. Angel Heart Tomato (persimmon x) heart tomato 10. Angora Super Sweet Cherry 11. non hybrid broccoli and possibly others. If you want to do SASE, it will be one stamp for tomato, carrot and parsnip seeds, and two stamps for the others, or all the seeds. For 2 stamps, the seeds will be sent in a bubble envelope WITHOUT tracking. If you want tracking, you'll have to send 5 stamps, for 1st class small packet. I had an old email on here, that apparently wasn't working. I changed it, so I should get messages now.

Hi Sue, No, the haircut thing does not help with root development. They need as much green as possible to get the benefit of the light down into the roots. The only time you would reduce the foliage would be if you reduced the roots equally. That is why they are typically cut back at shipping times. There is one hybridizer that did give his plants 'haircuts' and his justification for doing it was due to overhead watering. Don't forget, he's working on a HUGE scale in a greenhouse and he said that the foliage was preventing the water/fertilizer from getting into the containers by diverting it. However, he has also changed his mind on this and I don't think he's doing the haircuts anymore. I gave my first seedlings haircuts too based on what I had read on the internet and because a lot of people were doing it. I don't do it anymore.

Hi, Kelly. I'd be happy to send you a sase or postage and an address label for some of your extras. My e mail is tcmers@yahoo.com (since we have all been having trouble with e mailing through the links lately)

There is a great place called Tomato ville (one word) on the web that details this at great length. Wherever you go, here are some of the most important bits of information. Use a seedling mix to start your seeds, not a soil mix which will be too heavy. Do not bury the seeds too deep! It is OK to have plastic over the soil to get the seeds sprouted but as soon as they sprout, remove the cover. Excess moisture will kill your seedlings faster than anything else. This time of year you are unlikely to have the sun intensity coming thru windows that will give you fat stocky seedlings. Supplement with grow lights. Keep the bulbs very low, just over the top of the seedlings for best results. I move my seedlings outside into a cold frame as soon as they have their first true set of leaves. Bottom water seedlings. Moisture on leaves increases disease. Airflow via a fan in the room or natural air currents helps prevent disease and make stockier stems. Don't fertilize until you have the first set of true leaves and then make it very very weak. If you get stretching due to low light, transplant into deeper containers and carefully bury the step up to just below the top set of leaves. A tall weak seedling is bad. Stocky strong seedlings is what you want. Get the plants into natural light as soon as feasible Plant a few extra for the times you, your pets or your kids kill things accidentally. If everything survives, give the extra plants away! Have fun! You are right, growing from seed is way more rewarding. Plus in doing so, you reduce the chances of bringing diseases into you yard as well as greatly expanding the variety of things you can grow.