On 01/20/2011 09:39 AM, Mulcher25 wrote:
I like to wait and get the actual plants from Lowes. You get them a
little later but it always seemed to be the safer route because I can't
get the seeds to grow sometimes.

There are difficult-to-evaluate risks either way.

Some years we've had disappointing results with homegrown "starts."

Some years the Big Box retailers (including Lowe's) sold seedlings which
were (unknown to them) infected with Late Blight. Google on "tomato
late blight big box" to read lots of details.

You could hedge your bets by doing both -- DIY starts and purchased
seedlings.

We like to plant several varieties of tomato on the (optimistic)
principle that a pathogen which destroys one cultivar may spare another.

We've found the prized heirloom varieties to be more susceptible to
disease than modern hybrids. YMMV.

Daniel B. Martin