My overall experience with them has been good. I've had one either mix or cross but have with most suppliers. My best luck has been from individuals. This year is like last year 100% true leaf type on those from indiduals. When I get a wrong leaf type I then pull the seeds and sow again in a separate cell to verify if it was possibly a dropped seed by me or if the seeds were from the supplier.
The only real problem I had with TGS seeds this year was with Rostova seeds. And it was a germination issue. Out of two plantings and 28 seeds I had two germinate. When I had an overal germination rate around 90% on around 80 varieties I feel there was an germination issue. The seeds were a year old. I had read last year of a few having the same trouble with this variety from TGS so expected some trouble and one reason the high number being sown. So think it is an issue with this variety only. As their other seeds I've grown have done well. I didn't buy any sees from them this year. So can't say anything about this years seeds but I feel they are a good source. I would contact them and let them know. Jay

Like Jay, my overall experience with their seeds has been good (in fact, very good to excellent), and I have purchased from them for many years.

I had some germination issues with one round of seeds I started this year (from them and other suppliers) but I think I was the one at fault....I was going to wildfires and grass fires daily, was too busy and too distracted, and didn't keep them well watered. I truly believe it was "me" and not them in this particular case, and I'll know for sure in June when I start seeds from those same packets for fall tomatoes.

How many Boxcar Willie plants do you have and do you think all of the plants are cherry tomatoes, or only some of them? I haven't heard of a widespread issue with BCW seeds from TGSC being mislabeled so far this year, but then our growing season is ahead of a lot of other gardeners, so maybe other folks growing BCW from TGSC don't have large enough plants yet to believe there is a problem.

Of course, if you are sure it is their seed and not you (and since you don't like cherry tomatoes, I'm guessing you weren't planting any cherry tomato seeds that could have gotten mixed in with the Box Car Willie seeds), you could call or e-mail customer service, explain what happened, and ask for a replacement packet of BCW that actually is (or should be) Box Car Willie.

Dawn

I started 5 and kept 2 and gave the other 3 away. The other plant hasn't put on any fruit yet so I cant tell for sure but the blossom cluster has 7 blossoms on it that I can see right now so I am guessing it is a cherry like the other. I may give TGS a call but were not talking about a lot of money and there isn't much/anything that can be done at this point. It's just frustrating that you go to the trouble of ordering and starting your own plants and you cant trust that what is ordered is what you will end up with. BUT if this is all I have to worry about, then I'm in pretty good shape. I'll just have to enjoy my other varieties, provided they are what they are supposed to be.

Hiites,

I know it really isn't a money issue, but think that Linda Sapp would appreciate the "heads up" in case she does have mislabeled seed. From a business viewpoint, the sooner she is aware of the situation, the sooner she can figure out what happened. For example, she'll have to figure out if the seed was mislabeled by her company, or if it came from the wholesaler mislabeled, or if it came from the wholesaler as crossed seed.

Is the cluster of seven blossoms the only "clue"? I know that BCW generally produces toms in clusters of 2, 3 or 4 but maybe you just got a really special cluster of 7? Well, OK, not likely. Are you going to grow it out and see what you get? Some of my favorite tomatoes came from accidental crosses or mutations that occurred in someone's garden or field.

Dawn

One of the plants has put on a couple of tomatoes in the cluster and they are perfectly round and look to me like cherry tomatoes, that and the number of blossoms in the cluster just look like a cherry tomato. If both plants appear to be the same, I will grow 1 out and pull the other.
Is Linda Sapp a person at TGS? I will try to call them today and talk about the issue.

Linda is the owner of TGS. Her husband passed away a few years ago if my memory hasn't failed me. I'm sure she will be glad to know and also will try to make it right. I didn't notify her about my germination issue as I waited a year to grow them and then also I read where so reported it last year so sure she knows.
Yes I agree sometimes crosses and wrong plants can be frustrating especially when you get a variety or type you don't like. I'm not a cherry fan either. Growing more this year than I have in years. Not sure why. Hopefully they will be something you really enjoy. I have had some that have turned out to be some of the best I've grown. Jay

I didn't order from them this year either, but consider them one of the better sources.

I have becaome a cherry tomato fan since discovering Sungold. It's a treat.

Hiites, When you call, you probably will not speak with Linda herself but with one of the customer service reps.

Linda and Vince always seemed to pride themselves on quality products AND quality customer service, and I am sure that is one thing that has not changed since Vince's death.

By the way, Vince Sapp introduced one of my all-time favorite tomatoes--Black Cherry--and it was just a year or two before he passed away.

I have always loved cherry tomatoes, both to toss into salads and to eat by the handful while working in the garden (this is possible in my organic garden since I don't spray my plants with chemicals). However, since I started dehydrating them a few years ago for wintertime salads, I have gained a whole new appreciation for the entire category of bite-sized tomatoes, including cherry, grape, small pear and currant-sized ones.

In the beginning of my dehydrating experience, I dried paste tomatoes (often Principe' Borghese) to use in recipes that called for sun-dried tomatoes. Then I dried some cherry types to throw (like raisins) into winter salads and those were fine. THEN, this past winter, I started rehydrating the small tomatoes in water and then eating them......and it was almost like having a tomato fresh from the garden. So, this year I must have lots of cherry, grape, small pear and currant types so I can dehydrate oodles more. And, of course, since dehydrating the small ones is working so well, I want to dehydrate more of the larger ones. It is just that it takes a lot longer to dehydrate larger tomatoes.

Dawn

Here are the tomatoes. What do you think? Definitely not Box Car Willie, right?

Let me try that again.
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They do look suspiciously like cherry tomatoes or, if not cherries, then something that has relatively small fruit in clusters like Fourth of July.

You likely have either crossed seed or mispackaged seed.