UPDATE April 2014: Due to the high demand and ungratefulness of some, I will no longer be offering free seeds. I spent hours of my own time and took food out of my family’s mouth (literally), only to have people bitch and complain about the speed of my free service. No more. I will be offering them for sale in the future, once I catch up with the outstanding requests. Until then, my family will be enjoying the fruits of my labors, not the ungrateful masses that feel entitled. To the folks that truly showed their thanks, I appreciate you, but the few bad apples have spoiled it for the rest.
July 29, 2013 UPDATE: I am recovering from a couple of windstorms that have done some nasty damage to my tomato plants, so I currently have a two week (or more) backlog. As soon as I get my plants back up and producing again, I’ll be shipping out as I have tomatoes left over from our consumption. Like everything, it is feast or famine! Keep in mind that I will be sending out seeds in roughly the order I receive SASEs, so send them in, I’ll send them out…as son as I can. Sorry for the delay, db.
Back in April, I started offering free Everglades tomato seeds. Over the last few months, I’ve been packing up and shipping out thousands of Everglades tomato seeds (ok, I’m just packing up the tomatoes themselves in paper towels, then packed into ziplock bags and shipping them,
but you get my meaning) to folks all over the country. I haven’t asked for anything in return, other than you send in a self addressed stamped envelope, referred to as a “SASE“.
A few responders have included things for my efforts, and I appreciate everything. Some folks have sent me cash (Thanks, appreciated, but not needed). Some folks have sent me other plant seeds (also appreciated, but not needed), some of the seeds being VERY obscure..and cool. I think my favorite seeds were the long necked bottle gourds, suitable for making gourd banjos.
But my favorite item to receive (again, NOT NEEDED) is simply a note of thanks, and even better, a little background story.
I’ve sent seeds to a few clergy, lots of single mothers, and several military vets. Other folks simply send me the SASE, nothing more, and that is fine, it was all that I requested.
But now I’ve just about had enough of this mostly one-sided transaction. From now on, I will not only require a SASE, but also…. I ask that you subscribe to my blog. That’s it. As a bonus, you could tell your friends about me. My goal by the end of the year is to double my readership. The more folks I have reading, the more I’m driven to write good content. (Yes, I realize some of my stuff is low grade manure at best).
I have subscribers to help pay the bills (got visit them, please!), so I’m not looking to make any money from these seeds directly. My plants produce far more than I can manage to eat. I recently had one of my larger plants finally die back, only to be replaced with several offspring.
These tomatoes are the dandelion of the tomato world! Since they thrive on neglect, they should do well just about anywhere with only a little bit of effort. I would expect them to even do well as a houseplant.
But be warned. Be sure to plant them somewhere where you WANT tomatoes for years to come. These little flavor bombs are very adept at self-seeding.
Not that this is a bad thing 🙂
If you would like to get your own packet of Everglades tomatoes for seeds, please subscribe, and then email me (at db at floridahillbilly dot com) a request for my mailing address. No contact information of any kind will ever be sold, promise. Look at it this way, when you subscribe and email me for my mailing address, you’ll have my contact information as well. Call this a mutual trust.
Peace,
db
As always, please “like” FloridaHillbilly on Facebook, subscribe to my feed, follow me on Twitter, add it to Google+, Pinterest, Linkdn, Digg, and/or tell your friends! The more folks that start growing their own tomatoes, the weaker that Monsanto’s grip on our lives becomes.
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Thank goodness they are a native plant. It sounds like you are turning into Johnny Tomatoe Seed 😉 I can’t wait till mine get here. In the mean time, I will keep spreading the word about your blog. Keep it up and thanks again for the daily smile.
I wish my family would eat them, they look gorgeous and you are doing such a wonderful thing by sharing the seeds of such a plant.
In defense of your manure like posts I believe that they were on the subject of rabbit manure as fertilizer.
VERY well played, my friend!
Hi
Just wanted to say thanks for your great posts and seed give away(expect my sase soon). I will be telling my fellow growing friends about you!also plan on giving them some of my seeds if they need them.
Take care and keep up the good work!
Tim huff
As my private email to you stated, I”m currently waiting for my tomato plants to recover from the abuse dished out from a couple windstorms and my sprinkler breakdown. I should be sending tomatoes out again sometime in September.
As a recap, I”m currently waiting on my tomato plants to recover from a couple nasty windstorms and my irrigation system breaking down.
I should be sending out tomatoes again my the end of September.
im tryin to see if i could get some of those tomatoes when you get a chance thanks
Shoot me an email at the email listed in the article, and I’ll send you my mailing address. I don’t want to post it here for the whole world to see….
Read about you and tomato seeds in sun-sentinel today. Fantastic! Never heard of these type of tomatoes..I grow tomatoes every year, eat them, can these in various ways, and give away..gave my last 6 cases to a local food pantry. I am so impressed these grow thru the year..the longest I have had tomatoes to last was first week of July.
I am curious, where does the “hillbilly” come from?
Thanks, Susan
Read here for the explanation of the “Hillbilly” in me.
http://floridahillbilly.com/my-story/
Finally ate my first two Everglades Tomatoes yesterday. Not great, but that could be because they have been growing through the 40s and 50s we had last couple weeks.
I planted while it was hot and they just sat in the pot soil until it cooled sufficiently (October I think). I look forward to seeing how they fare this summer in Collier County.
Any more comment placed here with “give me your address” will be deleted and permanently forgotten. HUNDREDS of folks have successfully contacted me, requested seeds, and received them…by reading the article.
I bust my ass learning and writing this stuff, AND offer free seeds. If you want some of those seeds, the least you can do is read the damned article. Everything you need to find me is in there. If you can’t find it, I’m not helping you.
I appreciate all of the interest, however, I’m not wasting any more of MY time on folks that will not put forth a little effort on their part.
For those who have requested seeds since February 2014, expect up to a month delay, as I’ve received several hundred requests.
If you do not wish to wait, they can be purchased here:
http://www.localharvest.org/native-florida-wild-everglades-tomato-seeds-C19069
They are the original source for my plants, and very nice folks…tell them Floridahillbilly sent you!
I’m new at this blog business but old at tomato gardening; have house in Everglades with resident panthers, deer and bears. Our citrus, grapefruits, oranges and calamondins do much better there than at our other home in Wilton Manors–guess sprinkler water twice weekly to keep beds healthy too much; veggies, including potted Sweet 100’s do well so would love to try the Everglades variety in WM and also in Golden Gate. I, too, save my seeds on paper napkins from year to year and just plant the paper along with saved seeds enabling me to get head start each fall.
I followed the blog and emailed @ the address given back in late October but never got a reply with info on where to send the SASE. I thought maybe the offer had expired. It sounds like you’re about burnt out but if you are still sending seeds I’d love to get on the list. I’ve been anxious to try this variety.
Thanks,
Eddie
I don’t delete any emails (even the spam). I have no record of your request. Please resend and I’ll be happy to oblige.
1. I only have one area that I can use for Everglades tomatoes. The area
is sunny only until approx 1PM. Will they still grow?
2. You said if the area is on timed sprinklers there could be problems.
What do you mean by that?
Thanks much – Bob
1. Shouldn’t be any problem. I have several rogue plants growing the shaded areas just fine.
2. Did you see the video of the single plant that ATE two 4 foot by 8 foot raised beds? By “problems” I mean the plants may take over your yard…
🙂
mine is climbing through a pomegranite bush and into our mango tree
Careful…it may eat your entire yard!
🙂