thankyou in anticipation of many Sweet Pea success and failure stories !
Sweet Peas
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
Hi all, Giulia again with allotment stores manager's cap on... I'd welcome any advice on the best source of Sweet Pea seeds, the supplier I had in mind has been poo-pooed by older, wiser, more experienced sweet-pea growers than I, but they cannot agree who's the best. More views would be helpful.
thankyou in anticipation of many Sweet Pea success and failure stories !
thankyou in anticipation of many Sweet Pea success and failure stories !
Hi GIULIA,
I can recommend Moles Seeds as a very reliable source of Sweet Pea seeds. They have a very good selection and being a commercial seedhouse they are very competitive.
Colchester 01206 213213
Email sales@molesseed.co.uk
www.molesseeds.co.uk
Hope you find what you are after.
JB.
I can recommend Moles Seeds as a very reliable source of Sweet Pea seeds. They have a very good selection and being a commercial seedhouse they are very competitive.
Colchester 01206 213213
Email sales@molesseed.co.uk
www.molesseeds.co.uk
Hope you find what you are after.
JB.
Two excellent websites I hadn't known of before, thank you both very much for the information. I'll have to balance quality against price here but the Matthewman's look good for exhibitors.
Was pleased to find that Moles do bulk seed, handy for green manures and the like. I was toying with the idea of getting a bulk pack of soup celery, which I gather Irish farmers grow to suck excess water out of soggy soil, I think I saw it on TV years ago and was reminded of it gazing at the lively brook running down our main path the other day.
Was pleased to find that Moles do bulk seed, handy for green manures and the like. I was toying with the idea of getting a bulk pack of soup celery, which I gather Irish farmers grow to suck excess water out of soggy soil, I think I saw it on TV years ago and was reminded of it gazing at the lively brook running down our main path the other day.
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RAREBREDCHICK
- KG Regular
- Posts: 88
- Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2006 4:19 pm
I have always had excellent results with sweetpeas and in recent years have used eitheh my own saved seeds or the mixed ones from Lidl!
This year (well last autumn) I bought alot of seeds from Kings who are supposed to be specialists. I have had very poor results with their seeds. Although the remainder of an opened Lidl pack and the few I saved from last year saved the day. They were all grown under the same conditions at the same time. So I wasted alot of money going for the more expensive specialist option. Hope this helps
This year (well last autumn) I bought alot of seeds from Kings who are supposed to be specialists. I have had very poor results with their seeds. Although the remainder of an opened Lidl pack and the few I saved from last year saved the day. They were all grown under the same conditions at the same time. So I wasted alot of money going for the more expensive specialist option. Hope this helps
My only prejudice is prejudice
Hi Rarebredchick,
I hope that you have informed King's Seeds that you are to say the least disappointed with the results of your purchase.
I have never dealt with King's for flower seed so can make no comparison. On the other hand I used to grow seeds from D T Brown (Commercial) and when they were bought out by Moles I used them for flower seed. I used to grow Sweet Peas on a commercial scale both for plant sales and for bunched flowers and I have always had excellent results. What is more people came back year after year demanding them.
Giulia is the buyer for an allotment and is looking to buy in bulk and price very much comes into the equation. The large commercial seed houses supply growers who in turn sell plants and bunched flowers to the nation Lidl's do not. Now you may buy good seeds from Lidl's but do you know what you are buying? This I doubt.
Giulia's best bet is with the commercial seed house who offer first class seed at reasonable prices.
Because of a bad showing from King's seed are you prepared to condemn them all.
I hope that you have informed King's Seeds that you are to say the least disappointed with the results of your purchase.
I have never dealt with King's for flower seed so can make no comparison. On the other hand I used to grow seeds from D T Brown (Commercial) and when they were bought out by Moles I used them for flower seed. I used to grow Sweet Peas on a commercial scale both for plant sales and for bunched flowers and I have always had excellent results. What is more people came back year after year demanding them.
Giulia is the buyer for an allotment and is looking to buy in bulk and price very much comes into the equation. The large commercial seed houses supply growers who in turn sell plants and bunched flowers to the nation Lidl's do not. Now you may buy good seeds from Lidl's but do you know what you are buying? This I doubt.
Giulia's best bet is with the commercial seed house who offer first class seed at reasonable prices.
Because of a bad showing from King's seed are you prepared to condemn them all.
Just to add to rarebredchick's comments, I also purchased lots of pea and sweet pea seeds from Kings and mine also fared really badly. I posted a question about this in April.
The fact someone else has had problems has made me think it could be worth contacting them. They are a good supplier I think generally so would not condemn them for one poor purchase.
JB, would appreciate your opinion, is it ever worth buying named individual variety seeds if you just want a good general display or are the mixtures just as good? I seem to do both on an alternating year basis and can never decide! I am very tempted by the ones on Moles site.
June
The fact someone else has had problems has made me think it could be worth contacting them. They are a good supplier I think generally so would not condemn them for one poor purchase.
JB, would appreciate your opinion, is it ever worth buying named individual variety seeds if you just want a good general display or are the mixtures just as good? I seem to do both on an alternating year basis and can never decide! I am very tempted by the ones on Moles site.
June
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strawberry tart
- KG Regular
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 10:37 pm
Both Matthewman and Kings seeds are on the national sweetpea society website links http://www.sweetpeas.org.uk/
When I grew bedding plants and veg plants for sale I always found Moles an excellant company to deal with.Strawberry Tart.
p.s. I see Unwins who were once renown for sweetpeas are not on the sweetpea society list, are they still going?
When I grew bedding plants and veg plants for sale I always found Moles an excellant company to deal with.Strawberry Tart.
p.s. I see Unwins who were once renown for sweetpeas are not on the sweetpea society list, are they still going?
Oh deary me. Have just ordered a supply from Kings (well they did offer me a 35% discount)- somebody tell me something good about them please!
We used to buy veg seed from Kings and it was rubbish apparently - we even got empty packets in one consignment. I learned all this too late. The road to ruin is paved with attractive discounts.
We used to buy veg seed from Kings and it was rubbish apparently - we even got empty packets in one consignment. I learned all this too late. The road to ruin is paved with attractive discounts.
Hi Giulia,
I'm afraid that I cannot accept that King's Vegetable seeds were rubbish. I have dealt with King's (Commercial) for vegetable seeds for many many years and I have never had any cause to complain.
My entire stock was from Moles, Kings and Tuckers commercial catalogues. All three have never let me down. I grew only vegetable plants for the last 8 years prior to retiring and closing my nursery.
The Area Representatives of Moles and King's called regularly to make sure that I had everything I needed. I used to grow for commercial growers, retail outlets and mail order and to give you an indication as to the scale I could grow up to 750,000 brassicas at one sowing and several sowings each year.
As regards flower seed I only ever dealt with D T Brown and then Moles and again never had any difficulty. Don't worry Giulia they will be just fine.
JB.
Hi June,
I used to do both Spencer Waved Mixture and the whole range of individual Colours.
JB.
I'm afraid that I cannot accept that King's Vegetable seeds were rubbish. I have dealt with King's (Commercial) for vegetable seeds for many many years and I have never had any cause to complain.
My entire stock was from Moles, Kings and Tuckers commercial catalogues. All three have never let me down. I grew only vegetable plants for the last 8 years prior to retiring and closing my nursery.
The Area Representatives of Moles and King's called regularly to make sure that I had everything I needed. I used to grow for commercial growers, retail outlets and mail order and to give you an indication as to the scale I could grow up to 750,000 brassicas at one sowing and several sowings each year.
As regards flower seed I only ever dealt with D T Brown and then Moles and again never had any difficulty. Don't worry Giulia they will be just fine.
JB.
Hi June,
I used to do both Spencer Waved Mixture and the whole range of individual Colours.
JB.
Hi to all,
I have dealt with Kings for ten plus years, Firstly as a site secretary and presently as a life member of N.S.A.L.G, I have only once in all this time ever had reason to raise a problem with them, This was dealt with in a first class manner, but as johnboy says if you do not tell them you have a problem it will never be put right.
Best Wishes & Kind Regards
Kevin
I have dealt with Kings for ten plus years, Firstly as a site secretary and presently as a life member of N.S.A.L.G, I have only once in all this time ever had reason to raise a problem with them, This was dealt with in a first class manner, but as johnboy says if you do not tell them you have a problem it will never be put right.
Best Wishes & Kind Regards
Kevin
That's comforting to hear. I've ordered quite a lot of seed and I just hope it sells! We've not done sweet pea seeds in the allotment shop before but most people seem to grow them, so here's hoping for brisk trade!