I would NOT sell them. You could plant them, only planning on getting side shoots.

Rio: The general public is dumb when it comes to gardening and farming.

The general public would see those plants and say, "ohh those have broccoli starting to grow, those will be good!" Same reason tomatoes with flowers or even small tomatoes will sell faster than a smaller, less stressed plant.

Another example, I was at a big box store and I saw a quart size pot with one onion that had started to bulb in it for $3.54. Talk about highway robbery!

Another example, Bonnie Plants is the worst about this in my opinion. They will sell anything and everything as a transplant. One time I saw carrots, beets, green beans, corn, and radishes in 4 packs. The carrots will never stand the transplanting, nor with the radishes or beets at the size they were. The corn and beans might, but why?

Another example that the general public is dumb, I had a guy come up to me at market yesterday and ask if he has already missed Cantaloupe season. I chuckled, almost said something I shouldn't but informed him the correct information.

It doesn't surprise me, but some people will do anything to make a buck!

Jay

I probably shouldn't have said anything, but I spoke to the lady carrying the flat. Hope she diddnt buy them, but she might of.

I would have said something - I often do. Depends on whether I'm at a big box store or at market (where I might know the vendor) but even then I'll say something like "you know you should pinch off the flowers when you plant that?"

Oh, Jay, have to laugh about the cantaloupe story (onion story is just sad). I had a sign out that said "Tomato Plants" last May, a woman stopped by and asked for tomatoes, I said they're around back, she was surprised and disappointed that they were PLANTS and not ripe tomatoes. I told her unless you have a greenhouse, you're not going to get tomatoes around here that time of year.

Corn and bean do transplant and transplants work well to fill in missed spots, from whatever reason. Also if your ground is too cold, you plant at the same time, but the plants are protected until the ground gets warmer. It can get a head start during these situations. Is it worth it? Not if you plant like we do, but homeowner gardens are usually less than 1/4 # or just a packet and in that case it does work.

I've transplanted beets before with good results. My ground is heavier in most cases, and if the seeds are pre-started, I have a better chance.

I've 'advised' customers in several places, including my local nursery when a employee isn't around, or doesn't know.

We've had people stop in mid-May and ask about Tomatoes and Watermelons.

The public has been lead to believe that produce doesn't have a season any longer. Basically, if you can buy it at the supermarket, WHY CAN'T we have it at the farmers markets?

Oh, we can, just no one would want to pay the price for me to have to heat a greenhouse to have ripe tomatoes in mid-May! I did pass a sign yesterday for another farm that said they had cukes already - but I know they have a greenhouse and tunnel(s). My cukes are just getting their first true leaves.

I've had a lot of parents at school functions this month ask me about how long will it take to get ripe tomatoes if they plant X variety now - unless I know the DTM for that variety (which I tell them is an estimate anyway) I just say 2-3 months. They are amazed that it takes that long (esp. if they bought a plant with flowers or fruit on it already). Even my dad was saying last week "Let's see, that Pink Brandywine you gave me last year had tomatoes in August?" and I had to tell him that he planted a couple weeks earlier last year and it was also very hot (and dry, but he waters daily) so really this year it was going to be September. I also gave him an Independence day (50 DTM determinate) for Mom.

I know everyone says that plants with flowers don't produce any earlier, but in my experience they DO. And the plants with little tomatoes are even earlier. I don't get tomato drop from transplanting them. I get about 1-2 early from blossom only and up to 3-4 weeks early with small tomatoes. Of course the tomato plants are always planted without being root bound, so they have been happy their entire life.

The Amish here are picking greenhouse tomatoes for the last week. Going price at auction was $40 for 20# box.

Some fruits and vegetables are just not able to produce in the northern climates even in a greenhouse.

To sum up: the public is stupid. It just amazes me! We could tell stories for hours I suppose.

I once had a woman come into my store asking for male eggplants (fruits). K explained to her that the fruit if the eggplant is an ovary so if one were to sex eggplant fruits that would all be female but since it is a self pollinator with perfect flowers you really couldn't sex them at all. She got nasty and informed me she had read on the internoodle (where everything is true) that there are male and female eggplants and she need only the male type. Oh and that I couldn't possibly know what I was talking about because I am a dumb farmer

than she wanted to pay me half of what i was asking per pound so i told her to leave.

I wonder if she ever found her male eggplant?

I now know the next time just agree with the customer's ignorance and arrogance and charge them double

I've been told that there is a 'male' and 'female' eggplant. You can tell the difference on the blossom end. One has more seeds than the other.
I don't about the male/female, but the different blossom end did help determine the 'seediness'.

This was from some Iranian people that immigrated here from farming over there. Personally, I didn't know an eggplant from a mango, when I started with this adventure.

what is the difference?

Visually, one has more of a slot versus a hole. I just can't remember which is which. I was shown on a traditional Black Beauty type of eggplant. If I remember right, the slot was the female and the hole was male. It's been awhile since she told me.

I do agree that most customers don't know much, but there a few that do. Those few, after finding out their background, I listen to. Especially with items that I didn't grow up with. My folks, grandparents and great-grandparents, all had huge gardens on this farm, and before that, over in the 'old country.'

I googled it and Marla remembered correctly, the round blossom scar is "male" and the oval or slotted is "female". But different sources disagree with which one has more seeds. Next time just sort them into "boy" and "girl" bins and let the customer decide!

I just try to get nice firm glossy ones, don't care if it's a boy or a girl as long as it's healthy ;-)

The male is round, female long, but it really isn't true. Neither is a sex, BUT there must be some difference and some way to explain it. The moral is, don't buy those fluffy nasty ones at the store. Buy nice young ones from the market and they won't be all seedy nasty inside.