What do you do with your over abundance?

[HotPepperQueen]

Today I spent 5 hours transplanting my tomato and pepper plants that I have WAY TOO MANY OF! I alway buy too much seed, plant way too much, and end up with a huge abundance of plants. I somehow manage to use everything produced by the plants, but man is it a ton of work. This year I plan on selling my excess plants to friends/family and on craigslist for $1 a piece. I know it's not much, and it's worth more because of all the work- but i'm not in this to make money. I just want all these plants to get put to good use! How do you get rid of all your extras?

 

[dickiebird]

I take my extras down to a local flea mkt type place and sell a few but I trade more than I sell. There's always some vendor that has tools or other junk I just can't live without!!!
I still usually have 70 to 100 extras and I donate them to a local pantry that provides the less fortunate with food and other necessities. They give some out to their clients but most go to the volunteers working there.
As long as they get planted I'm happy.

THANX RICH

 

[hoodat]

I just set my extra seeedlings on a post at the corner of my fence with a free sign on them to encourage peopele in my neighborhood to start gardens. My surplus produce goes to my neighbors who are mostly Mexican and know how to cook from scratch. In return many of them bring me Mexican food now and then which I greatly enjoy.

 

[momofdrew]

Last year I had some volunteer tomatoes, in my raised bed, that I potted up in paper cups and set up a table in my front yard with a sign and a cup for the money $.50 each also had some extra rhubarb which I sold for 10 cents a stalk.

 

[curly_kate]

I'm planning on selling mine this year at a farmer's market. I usually give them away, but money's tight right now, so if I can make some extra $$ on it, it's worth the effort.

 

[digitS']

Just like an over abundance of produce later in the season,

plant starts in excess of what is needed in the garden, go off to the farmers' market.

I also give them away to my neighbors - 3, have been recipients on a regular basis for years.

Steve

 

[Detlor Poultry]

We try to only plant what we have space for (= we only plant species we're familiar enough with to know how much room they need) We try not to waste anything, but what we don't need we save for another year ~ seeds = more seedings. We sell excess produce at Pioneer Day.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I give them away. Mostly to my brother. This year I am planning on taking my herbs to our statewide staff meeting on Wed. so I can rid myself of some of this sage. I also have extra oregano that I am going to take. I always have a couple dozen extra tomatoes and sometimes peppers. This year I am not going to have extra peppers. I only have about a dozen total. I had read a book that said not to plant extra seed because it was a waste of the seeds. So I only planted siingles this year instead of doubles. I was concerned but then after some thought I realized that it was enough for what we actually ues. I will still be able to dry some and I am still looking for a good recipe to can them. Hint, Hint.

 

[so lucky]

I'm trying to give my extra veggie plants away without much success. I can always pot them up and set them on a table by the roadside with a "FREE" sign, but that uses potting soil, which is not cheap. We are planning a big garage sale in about a month, so I guess I could sell them then, if I go ahead and plan for longer-term potting.

 

[cityfarmer]

I gave my extra tomato plants last year to the assisted living facility where my mom lives. I also give some to my father-in-law most years since he always wants some.