I buy my seeds at local nurseries, save seeds from my crops, and also occasionally order online. Tomatoes are very easy to grow from seed, and it is also easy to save seeds for the next season. I have a few trusted varieties that I keep growing from saved seeds. Altai and Kahuku Gold are two examples. I start them in clear plastic egg crates that my Costco eggs come in: make a cut in the bottom of each well of the crate for drainage, fill with potting soil, stick a couple of seeds in each well, and close the top (it works like a mini-greenhouse 
). When the seeds sprout, I thin them out to one per well, open the top, and let them grow a bit. I them transplant the seedlings into bigger pots and keep them indoors on the kitchen counter until it is safe to plant outside. This strategy does require a transplanting exercise, but I donāt mind: this way, I minimize the time my kitchen is completely occupied by those lager pots. Plus I also start other veggies in crates that can be moved outside without intermediate transplanting, and that frees up the space for more tomato pots. 
My seed starting obsession.
Itās the only thing that keeps me sane in winter.
I have three of these 6-foot/48-inch-wide shelving units lining the bedroom ā¦ I think you can see the room from the space station with all the lights 
I start so many varieties that you simply cannot get started plants of - the tomato varieties alone are phenomenal.
Re: seed starting - Iāve purchased seeds before from www.rareseeds.org and from
Native Seeds/SEARCH.
When did you start them and when can you plant in your area?? So impressive!
Thank you!!
When you start depends on your last frost date, and the plant itself. And you count backward in weeks from those dates.
Some cannot be put out until the temperature is reliably in the 50s at night, like peppers and tomatoes. Others, like, snap peas and radishes, donāt mind a couple of light frosts, so they can go out/are sown very early.
My average last frost is May 7, and so I count backwards from that, look at the seed packet (tomatoes are meant to be started indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost, e.g.), and start the seeds somewhere around that time.
I usually am fighting myself not to start a bunch of seeds in February - itās way too early for most, except, like, onions, celery, leeks.
But every year I push it, and every year Iāve got full-fledged plants fighting for space in the bedroom, lol, and every year Iām shuttling trays of plants out to the deck to harden off in the day and shuttling them back inside at night because itās too early/cold to plant them out.
Well I know all that info! Regarding frost dates, counting backwards etc
But your plants look ready to go. Are those past or current photos? Cause they look ready to plant soon! (Which is why I asked your location!)
I bought <$5 of large cherry tomato seeds last year. Spent way more on seedling pots and grow lights. Repotted after needed. Gave most of them to friends.
I learned my lesson 2022 when I over planted tomatoes. 2023 I spaced them out and planted companion plants in my raised bed. This has been a weird year here. Still getting tomatoes!
Oh Iām sorry, lol. These are old pix. I havenāt even dragged out the shelving units from the shed yet.
Iāll take some of your extra - this is time of year in the midwest where tomatoes donāt resemble anything real!!!
I refuse to buy tomatoes from the store anymore. Iāve gotten so spoiled with the taste off the vine. You are so right: store tomatoes donāt resemble real food.
The ONLY tomatoes I will buy all year around (when local garden tomatoes are not available) are these that I buy at Costco. They actually are quite flavorful and get even more so after sitting on the counter a few days. I slice and salt them just a bit with coarse salt before eating or putting on a salad or whatever and they are GOOD!
Plus one to these! Others - not so much.
Yes, they are good all year round, but just after the holidays there has been a sign at the local grocery store, not available due to growing conditions.
12 degrees (first day above zero in a while) today and the seed aisle was packed with women looking at seeds, potting soil and seed starter kits in Menards.
Haha, yes, Iāll be in the stores soon! I like to check out Dollar Tree, believe it or not - they have 4/$1 seeds and if youāre just looking for basics like herbs itās a great deal.
For the exotic and rare seeds, however, hubby got me Christmas gift cards to my favorite online seed purveyors and Iāve just blown $200 without even trying.
If anyoneās interested Iāll post my list. Itās light on tomatoes and peppers because I have SO many left over.
I would read that list! 
Brace yourself, lol (some are all caps because I usually type lists that way so I can read them when I canāt find my glasses)
ORDERED
True Leaf Market:
Albino beet
Lettuce leaf basil
Lemon basil
Premium late flat dutch cabbage
Merlot lettuce
Iceberg lettuce
Little Gem lettuce
Heatwave lettuce
Crisphead lettuce
Parsnip Harris
Peas early frosty
Malabar spinach
Acorn squash table king
Calendula Solar flashback mix
Butternut squash Waltham
Turnip Golden ball
Tomato great white
Tomato Triple L Crop
Pepper Keystone Resistant Giant
Cantaloupe Hales best jumbo
Thyme winter
Sunflower velvet queen
Sunflower ring of fire
Sunflower goldie
Sunflower earthwalker
Cabbage: purple savoy
Cabbage: Brunswick
Cabbage: mammoth red rock
Carrots: rainbow blend
Collards Georgia southern
Cucumbers Parisian pickle
Eggplant Long purple
Red onion sets Karmen red
Farmacie Isolde order:
āVITā MACHE
GELTOWER GROUND CHERRY
MĆ©rida Market Tomatillo
OPAL CREEK SNAP PEA
GRONINGER BRUSSELS SPROUT SEEDS
ACORAZONADO TOMATILLO
LUCIEāS BIG GOLDENBERRY SEEDS
SCHOENBRUNN GOLDENBERRY SEEDS
EARLY MOONBEAM WATERMELON SEEDS
GELBER ENGLISCHER SQUASH
BAKER CREEK ordered:
Blauhilde bean
Alabama blackeye butter bean
Hidatsa red indian bean
Filderkraut
Nasturtium Phoenix
Purple hull pinkeye bean
Alabama red okra
Nadapeno
Craigs grande
Brown jalapeno
Habanada
Sweet passion melon
Marion rutabaga
Patisson golden marbre scallop squash
Etuida pepper
Chupon de malinalcol
Early girl melon
Kaho melon
Silver yamato
Peppermint stick zinnia
Queen lime blush zinnia
Queen lime red zinnia
Queen lemon peach zinnia
Wow thatās crazy lots!! I hope youāll share some updates along the way!
What are golden berries?
No clue yet! Like a ground cherry but not.
My husband makes killer jams from ground cherries and huckleberries so I figured this was worth a try.
Link
I had decent luck with seeds from Renaissance Farms a couple of years ago, so will be shopping again for my heirloom tomatoes.