Kitchen Garden Forum

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm just unlucky or losing my touch!

I know one should be grateful for the free packets of seeds we get with the magazine but just recently I seem to be getting a lot of seed failures from them. . I,ve had only one successful germination from the packet of squash we received and several other packets, including basil and others which I can,t immediately remember in detail now, have given the same dismal results.

Are these packets a way of suppliers getting rid of older or inferior seed, or could it possibly be my compost which is at fault? Other things I,ve sown have generally germinated ok.

I'm glad you brought this up Primrose!

I have now sown Basil 3 times from the free seeds & not a show. I'm not sure it is the suppliers getting rid of old stock, but the mag has plastic around it & travels in warm conditions so I wonder if that affects the seeds? But actually this is the first year I have had really, really bad (read 0%) germination so you could be right Primrose! It is not the compost or the soil as a viable seed will still show even if not flourish, not slimy things in my case as not evidence to support that, had a mice problem but they wouldn't find a tiny basil seed.

It will be interesting to see if anyone else has had the same problem!

I've never had any trouble with free seeds. Is the basil you are talking about the 'Classic Italian'? I sowed a pot of this on 16th June and it won't be long before it is usable size.

I notice some hit and misses with seed and not just those with the magazine, some suppliers seed is less reliable, of that I'm sure, there are some I no longer buy, especially ones in food shops/supermarkets.