Seeds

[robo]

I've bought very few seeds this year I've decided to use up some of the stock I seem to have collected , today I realised I was out of sprout seeds , on my way to the plot I called into a local garden centre( for want of a better title) I bought a packet of unwins sprout seeds when I settled in the pollytunnel to plant them I opened the packet to find less than 30 seeds and at £3-99 per packet I find it expensive ,I will not be buying unwins again

[Pawty]

Robo, I wish I'd known.... I seriously have quite a few seed packs(some past the best before date - some free from kg) I'm not going to use and would have happily posted.

There was a seed swap thread a while ago however no one replied .... I still have Christmas stamps leftover and am happy to use them on sending packs of seed I'm not going to use.

I'll need to re look, but lots of cabbage, cucumber, aubergine, etc.. Etc.... If you don't ask, you don't get! And what's the cost in asking??

I'm sure I'm not alone (I am a seedaholic... It is now 17 days since a bought my last pack)

Pawty

[Westi]

You guys bring up a good point here about the seed swap! Maybe we are doing it the wrong way round? We shove out a list, too long & detailed of what we have too much off - maybe the person wanting should just ask before spending the increased prices that are being asked at the Garden Centres? Even if you took some out of date & some 1/2 used packets (you can plant a few more to cover losses) - for the cost of a couple of stamps - bargain! I think the key is ask for a Sprout, not a variety then see what is offered & chose.

Just a thought?
Westi

[Primrose]

I agree with Westi.

I have all the seeds I need to keep me going this year now but why not just post "I need some carrot/sweet corn/courgette...(whatever) .......seeds" and see what offers come up?

Very often only a relatively small number of seeds are required and half a used packet will probably keep somebody happy and save wasting them. I found in the past I don't grow some of the vegetables distributed free with the magazine and usually take them down to our library and distribute them free to anybody who can make use of them.

[robo]

I take your point and do not disagree but I was only short of sprouts ,I'm the same I have loads of packets some half used some I wont ever grow here for the asking

[Shallot Man]

Our local £1 shop. Four packets for a quid. Not a large range. But a carrot is a carrot when cooked.

[oldherbaceous]

Not when my Cook, cooks them, there is a surprise every time......they can range from fresh and crunchy, right through to black and crispy... ...seems like you have been missing out on so much all these years, Shallot Man... ..

[Pa Snip]

Coincidence that this subject should come up. For the last week I had been thinking of conducting a simple survey comparing cost & quantity of seed.

Some of you probably carry out your own survey at the beginning of your own seed ordering season>

No doubt you have your favourite seed suppliers, but do you know which company owns which,
Is that favourite seed supplier of yours in fact owned by a company you don't normally have much success with.

I chose Moneymaker tomato as my small survey sample because it was likely to be available from all the major suppliers.

I make no comment in conclusion so you may draw your own.
I know T& M are part of a group, not sure which. Daresay Marshalls & Johnsons may be as well

.Moneymaker Tomato Seeds
N/s = Not shown

T & M >>>>>>>75 >>>£2.29
Suttons >>>>>>50 >>>£1.99
DT Brown >>>>70>>>> £0.99
Kings >>>>>>>>75 >>> £1.05
Moles >>>>>>1grm >> £2.50
Mr Fothergills > 50 >>> £1.89 > (Part of DT Brown group)
Johnsons >>>>> 50 >>>£2.10
Wilkinsons >>> 100 >>> £0.60 (current online offer 3 for 2)
Marshalls >>>>>>70 >>>£1.95
Unwins >>>>>>>>70 >>>£1.99 >(Part of Suttons Group)
Dobies >>>>>>>> 70 >>>£1.19 > (Part of Suttons Group)
Van Meuwen >>> 50 >>>£1.69 > (Part of DT Brown Group)
Chiltern >>>>>>>N/s > £1.99

[Primrose]

That's interesting Pa. i have always thought T&M were expensive and poor value for money and only buy them if I want a specific variety I can't find anywhere else. I usually have seeds left over from one season to another so usually make do with whoever's leftover seed I have from the previous year for my garden plot needs. But economies of scale when growing on an allotment can mount up.

What we need is a sort of CompareTheSeed.com website for making comparisons on a bigger scale but practically I can see few people ordering the odd packets of special seed from multiple different suppliers just to save a few pence.

So in other words,the suppliers have probably got us over a bit of a barrel because of the way many of us purchase. And possibly some of the seeds are from the same source originally, but just subsequently sold under a different brand. I have only once ordered a single packet of seeds from a supplier over the internet because I couldn't find that variety anywhere in a garden centre locally.