Rating the seed companies

[Granny]

I've used Plants of Distinction for the last 2 years and am also very impressed with them.
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Granny

[WestHamRon]

I think if these tests were conducted under "normal" growing conditions this year then they should do them again in a more "normal" year.

Everyone knows that some years are good for one thing and rubbish for another, it happens.

All it means to me is that my policy of mostly using seeds from Seeds of Italy means even if I DO (and it's never happened yet) get a 90% germination failure, the 10% that grows is still more than I get in packets of seeds from elsewhere. I may have stocked up on Kings seeds from the bootfair (10p a packet) but I'll still be sowing SoI in tandem.

Rather than open a new thread, I thought my question may as well be here.
Are any of you able to give a reasonable rating of this company ? I've always believed that when something looks too good to be true, it usually is. The huge number of seeds they seem to offer per £ fits into "looks too good to be true".
Thanks for any information.

[alan refail]

Ron

I'm sure other users of Seeds of Italy will come along to back me up on this. It is not "too good to be true".
Seeds of Italy sell Sementi Franchi, who like all Italian (and for that matter French and Dutch) seed companies sell in large packets at a low price.
When you buy from (greedy?) UK companies (and I name no names, but I bet someone else will) a great proportion of the cost is for packaging and marketing including glossy brochures. With most seeds once you've paid for this you can have plenty of seed for little, if any, extra cost.

Alan

[Chantal]

Hi Ron

I rate Seeds of Italy above every other seed company from which I have bought seeds.

They have a great range, masses of seeds for your money, good germination rates and what's more, good company ethics (see their website).

I love them and everyone I've introduced to them loves them too. If I could only buy from one seed company ever again it would be Seeds of Italy.

Alan is right though, it's really only UK companies that offer so little seed for so much money. When in Italy I bought packets of seeds from Italian and other european companies and all had masses of seeds.

[WestHamRon]

Thanks Alan and Chantal. It looks as though I shall at last be spending euros in the UK.

[Shallot Man]

I am rather puzzled by the Telegraphs correspondent saying buy seeds from a reputable merchant, I was under the impression that the six dogs mentioned were reputable. shallotman

[cevenol jardin]

I too think Seeds of Italy are reliable and good value are up there in my top 3 suppliers. Their seeds ALWAYS come true and have a good germination rate.
Just a thought but Parsnip and Spring onions are not a a very common crop for Italian veg growers so i wonder if that weighed against them. I find both those two things pretty much the hardest to grow. I've had no germination for parsnips 3 years in a row even with several sowings each year the seeds i used came from Yr1. T&M yr2. T&M Yr3. Local French Yr4.Tuckers when i finally got a crop this year.

I couldn't actually see what the rating of each company was and who did badly. I am suprised to hear that Seeds Of Italy may have been one that did badly.

[Chantal]

Thanks Alan and Chantal. It looks as though I shall at last be spending euros in the UK.

You buy them from London so your euros are safe

www.seedsofitaly.com