So many tomato varieties

BarryMaj

My first year growing tomatoes, and no surprise I'm using red cherry (free with the mag.) Several people on here are growing several different varieties. Are they buying several different seed packs or buying a few plants of each variety? Thanks for any responses Barry 

Perki

I personally buy packets of seeds it work out cheaper if you want a lot of plants and you can grow strange / interesting new and old variety's you can't find at the garden centre. I'd assume most on the forum are growing from seed   

Sheps

Garden Centre bought ones for me, I just don't have the time to invest in growing toms from seed, I wish I could as there are so many different varieties I would like to try that aren't available in the GC.

I did drop on lucky this year and found a variety called Amish Gold in one of the local GC, apparently it's a great big orange coloured beefsteak variety, so hopefully it will be a good one.

purplerallim

I tend to try out a variety by buying a couple the first year, then if I like it I buy seed. Like Tigerella,  @BarryMaj this year. I wanted Yellow Pear, but was unable to get seed this year, the GC plants are all Red Pear. My only diversion from this is trying Pomodoro from seed as there wasn't a variety of tomato plant at the GC I wanted to try.

Fairygirl

I used to just buy a few plants as @Sheps describes @BarryMaj , until I got this garden sorted out, and had somewhere undercover for them. I then started growing from seed - mainly cherry/plum types as I only have room for a few plants, and that's what we like eating. Tomato seeds last a very long time, so, although they can be quite expensive now, they keep for a long time, so buying several packets will work out economically over time.
I usually have Sungold, and I'm also growing from toms bought in the supermarket, which can work quite well too, and is a good way to experiment, although they won't always be like the parent plant/tomato. 

It mainly comes down to whether you feel it's worth it to grow from seed, or whether it's easier to just pick up a few little plants. 

Janie B

We grow from seed for the sheer joy of watching them grow and nurturing them to fruition. Not sure I'll ever tire of growing (not just tomatoes) from seed!

Pete.8

I grow from seed every year too.
Over many years I've experimented with many different varieties.
For my uses and taste I grow Rosella, Shirley and Rose de Berne (my fave!)
If I go the the Tomato seed section on Simpson's Seeds website I sometimes try a new variety. That's how I discovered Rose de Berne.
If I grow heirloom varieties I save seed from 1 year to the next as they will come true.

Joyce Goldenlily

I grow from seed. I always read the sellers description of the fruit as I dislike really sweet tomatoes. I prefer ones with a sharper, more acidic flavour.
I am growing Cocktail Crush and Big Mama this year, gave up on Gardeners  Delight as it seems to have deteriorated during the last few yew years.

JennyJ

I grow from seed too. As @Fairygirl said, a packet can last years as long as it's not a variety/seed company where you only get a few in the packet. When I run out of a variety I might by a new packet if I liked it, or something different if I fancy a change.

This year I have Rosella, Blue Bayou, Yellow Pear, Gardeners' Delight and a mystery one that grew in the compost of a houseplant. Given up on Sungold (unless that's what the mystery one is!) because although it's a nice looking little tom, it's just too bland-sweet for my taste no matter how I grow it. Over several years I tried more feeding, less feeding, more water, less water with no success.

kippsattacks

I also grow from seed. Each year I'm trying a few new varieties and save seeds from the most liked. This year trying latah, tigrella, eternal, marglobe and a couple of new cherry types, plus marmande and primora from saved seeds. 

philippasmith2

@JennyJ I'm surprised at your Sungold as I've never found them sweet/bland.  So many commercial tom growers seem to go for "sweet" over anything else .  If it's round, red and sweet enough to make your tongue curl, it's a favourite in their eyes.  
Admittedly tho, taste is very subjective so it can be a battle to find a tom which does well for you and also suits your palate.
If I'm picking to eat fresh, the tanginess is more vital.  If I'm using to make sauce or to freeze for later use,  it doesn't matter so much as I always add plenty of various seasoning to suit.