Dunno, probably soon, but didn't see any when I was at one in Milwaukee just a couple hours ago.

If you want some really large Elephant Ear bulbs though, they have those in right now. Wait too long and they start stocking small ones. Right now they are softball sized for, I believe, $6.99 each. They also had 50% off all their fertilizers. Their regular price is sky high so it's not that much of a sale, but some good bargains.

I called the Mequon location. They said 2-3 weeks from today depending on weather and such. So, between the 22nd and 29th if they gave me good information.

thank you!

I was at the Steins in Waukesha last week. They were telling me that some of their plant suppliers are going to be late this year. I guess some of the local ones had difficulties because of the winter. I did not think to ask if they were talking about the flowers or the veggies. Sometimes the Waukesha store "hides" the plants that arrive early in one of the greenhouses behind the store.

Last year we had some cold nights in early May. Steins on 27th street in Milwaukee didn't have a good showing until the 2nd week in May. The tender annuals and veggies didn't come out until then. I remember I went the 1st week in May, but it looked almost bare of annuals and veggies. The way the weather is going now, I wouldn't doubt if they're going to be out later than usual. I've got the week of May 12th off for my gardening. I plan on buying plants the 1st weekend in May. I just hope this weather warms up.

Kat

The one in Appleton said they expect either the last weekend in April or first week in May.

Have you also tried looking for these at Moraine Gardens in Plymouth or Honeymoon Acres in New Holstein? They both seem to carry a large amount of plants, not sure on veggies though since I am usually oggling their annuals and perennials.

I grew up in the Sheboygan area, and still get down there a lot to visit my grandmas.

Please-------- support your local greenhouse growers

Steins is a family owned garden center. We have several family owned garden centers in my area that are really good. Some people aren't so lucky.

Kat

OP here:

my local(private, if that is what you mean) garden center / greenhouse does NOT carry my Heirloom varities. I enjoy going to steins, They have much better prices than my local grower, and they have more than just the normal hybrid tomatoes. I obvisously am not alone buying my plants ar Steins, as whenever i go, there are about 200 other people there besides myself.
if my local greenhouse would offer them i would.
also, the local greenhouse here is mostly flowers and nothing very special at that! :-(

I was impressed by the selection of peppers and heirloom tomatoes at Steins last year. I'll probably go back there this year for some pepper plants, even though it's a bit out of the way (I live in Sheboygan, too) and there's several nice local greenhouses here. They just don't seem to have the selection that Steins has.

Oh, and as for the heirloom tomatoes, I saved seeds from the plants I bought there last year and are starting my own seedlings. ;)

Mike

Hi mike1970, how are you doing?
I am to lazy to start my own seeds.... :( i have tired seeds in the past and i did not have the patience for it.
may i ask what heirloom's you are doing this year?
I am going to 100% pots this year( last year i had a 50/ 50 mix of in ground vrs pots), So my selection will be down farther than last year. I have six 50 gallon pots, and and One 25 gallon - about 1/2 of what i grew last year as far as tomatoes go (3 tomatoes).
I do not mind the drive down to Steins, it is a nice mid morning drive, and well worth it get the palnts i want.

Tina

Hey Tina,

I don't have the list with me, but it includes all the varieties that I picked up from Stein's last year (Caspian Pink, Cherokee Purple, Jubilee) and some that I got from other sources last year which I kept the seeds from (Black Krim, Brandywine, Stupice, Siberian, Czech's Excellent Yellow, Opalka, Italian Heirloom, Persimmon, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Mortgage Lifter, Arkansas Traveller, and Prudence Purple). Plus I picked up about 20 more types of seeds this spring from TomatoFest.com, TotallyTomatoes.com, and the SeedSavers Exchange. I picked up 5-6 types of cherry tomatoes of different colors and types, and some types that were recommended in some of the reading I did, like Dr Lyle, Kellogg's Breakfast, Eva Purple Ball, Black from Tula, Black Prince, and Azolycha. Besides those I just picked a few more that looked or sounded good, like Brandywine Red, Cherokee Brick Red, Abraham Lincoln, and Indian Moon. All together I'm starting 2 each of 36 varieties.

Yeah, I know I have a problem. ;) I'm thinking of building my own 6-ft tomato cages out of fencing this year. Also we're thinking of moving in the next few years so that, in addition to some other reasons, we can garden more.

I'm planning on planting one of each type and having one as a backup. If I have some extra seedlings after I plant around the middle of next month you are welcome to them, if you think you'll have room.

Mike

I went to the Stein's on Hwy 18 in Waukesha over the weekend and they had several varieties of tomato and peppers. They also had cukes, eggplant and squash. I'm not much into growing veggies. Just trying to keep my yard looking good, but I remembered this thread...

I like to grow tomato heirloom varieties (and have bought seeds from Seed Savers in the past.) My favorites have been Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, and a yellow w/red blush type I got from a former neighbor. However, last year during seed starting season I was campaigning for the school board. So I opted to buy plants from my local (very local, just down my street) greenhouse/grower, Wayne's Daughters.

Buying plants for Chicago friends the year before (they said the big box stores by them sold tasteless varieties) I had noted that they carried a huge variety of tomato plants. So I bought Cherokee Purple, some German orange type, some early red type, and "Mr. Stripey" which was supposedly yellow with red stripes. Lucky me, turned out to be exactly the yellow w/red blush that has always been my favorite, which I thought I had to start from seed myself. So this year (campaigning again, won this time) I didn't even worry about starting seeds, I am just buying from Wayne's Daughters. They have SO many green houses, their selection is almost endless. Their prices are good, too, better than what I have seen the few times I wandered around Steins. They have a store in Racine, now, too.

Marcia

Congratulations Marcia! Glad you won. About Wayne's Daughters...I love that place! I started going to the one by you about 10 yrs ago, but since they opened the one on hwy 32, I've been going there. I make a day out of going there and then to Milaeger's. That's my day in 'Heaven'. LOL! I tried 'Brandywine' a few yrs ago and I wasn't that impressed with it. Didn't produce much, and the taste was just ok. I've been buying 'Celebrity' for several yrs cos hubby likes it. But I'm going to try another one this year. Wayne's Daughters has so many different kinds of annuals too and the prices are really great.

Kat

Even with the same name/color I have found that plants vary in taste. Could be the change in soil, but when I lived in northern IL (don't worry, I am an original cheesehead returned to the motherland) I didn't care much for the Purple Cherokee I got from my nice neighbors. But where I am now in SE WI I just LOVE the Purple Cherokee tomatoes that I got from Wayne's Daughters.

I do like Celebrity, which I have grown a few times, mainly because it produced so many lovely tomatoes of exactly the same size in big clumps that I actually took pictures of them. Now I take pictures of tomatoes a lot but I think that was the first time, they were so beautiful. Plus they are medium size, the really big ones tend to split.

Marcia

I tried 'Brandywine' a few yrs ago and I wasn't that impressed with it. Didn't produce much, and the taste was just ok.

I have grown Brandywine (Sudduth) for 6 years now. The first year I grew it I didn't think much of it, but so many raved about it I tried it the second year and it was, hands down, the best tomato I have ever eaten.

I gave some to friends and the praise was universal.

For the past few years it hasn't been as good and while I am on new seeds now, the same pack of seeds was used in the great year and the next, not so great year.

I wish I knew what the variable was that made the difference. I keep growing a couple each year hoping to get another tomato like I got in year 2.

Brandywine has been so-so for me the last three years. I even bought mine from Steins last year for something different from my seeds and it was the same so-so results. The first 4-5 years they were great.

tj

As of last night Steins in Kenosha has their plants in, and of course they are beauties. But "Burr Oaks" in Somers is having a sale this week end. And even if you do not need anything just looking around is fantasic! And my favorite family owned greenhouse, Anton's still has everything you could think of. It's just so busy all the time. I usually go with both of my daughters to help me with my choices in case they spot something I didn't.