cheap veg seeds

parsonswife8

trudij wrote: »

if you are growing peas in baskets, beware of pigeons - they love snuggling in baskets at the best of times, and with their favourite food in as well.....

great plan though - i have tomatoes and salads in mine to keep them away from mice and slugs....

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We've got 3 fat pigeons that snuggle in our tubs of pansies and spinach.
I am always having to clap my hands and chase them. If it was peas they'd be quids in.

qwenduk

I really like the real seed Catalogue at www.realseeds.co.uk , they grow their own plants for seed and grow for reliability, taste and volume.:D

RAS

trudij wrote: »

if you are growing peas in baskets, beware of pigeons - they love snuggling in baskets at the best of times, and with their favourite food in as well.....

great plan though - i have tomatoes and salads in mine to keep them away from mice and slugs....

Hi I am suggesting using the hanging baskets inside the greenhouse. peas planted in beds or pots will not survive mice in winter.

chilligirl

Thanks for the link to Alan Roman.

We have an allotment so buy a fair few seeds. We're on Thompson and Morgan's mailing list so get end of season offers - stocked up on loads at the end of the summer, eg three packets of different beetroot seeds, 250 seeds in each, for 80p.

Would recommend Nickys Nursery http://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/seeds/catalog/b.htm they are good quality, very fast service and masses of choice.

RAS

Giving this a bump. This lists most of the companies I buy from even occasionally. Many are small family run businesses.

My biggest money saving seed tips are:

1. You do not need to sow the whole packet. Most seeds stay viable for 2 or 3 years and some for 5 years. Grow what you need and your seed packet will last you several years.

2. Save your own seed. It costs you nothing. This works best for tomatoes, French beans and peas. You can hand-pollinate squashes and melons. Most other things cross with other varieties.

My other recommendation is that if price is a serious issue, you make up your seed list and then check out different suppliers. For example, Tucker’s are cheaper than Simpson’s for the turnips costed below but Simpson’s are cheaper for other things. Get together with a friend and you can split your order between suppliers to get the best deals or divide packets between you.

Commercial seeds

Lidl - 29-39p for basic packets, very limited range but a few unusual ones because they are continental. Cheapest source of peas and beans- 79-99p. Low seed count per packet but great if you are only growing small quantities.

www.alanromans.com - 50p per foil for a small range. Cultural information is all web-based. Some more expensive packs at 80p. This makes them a marginally better than Wilkos below.
Romans is the main man behind a number of Potato Days where you can buy very small quantities of seed potatoes, priced per tuber.

Wilkinson's the basics are 49p but their more expensive packets are 89-99p. A small range including some peas and beans which are a bit more expensive than Lidl but I think the pack size is larger.

King's allotment deal - a 16 page catalogue offered through various allotment and garden societies. Wide range with packets starting at 50p, lots more in the 55-75p range. F1 hybrids are more expensive. If you live near a society, then this is a good deal.

Simpson's seeds
Started as tomato and pepper/chilli specialists and have branched out. Most packets priced at £1.10, including things that you will not get or would be more expensive elsewhere.

Tucker’s – have a shop where visit family. Prices are comparable with other main suppliers. Again, they have some unusual stuff, some of which may grow best in the South-west.

Realseeds Not the cheapest small supplier but offer things that they have grown themselves in less favourable growing conditions, which can make their selection useful.

Thompson and Morgan. Big catalogue and web-site. Their end of season deals are excellent but they are amongst the more expensive suppliers.

Romans 1650 seeds for 50p
Kings 850-900 seeds for 55p (normal price £1.00)
Tucker’s 1500 seeds for 95p
Simpsons Seeds 500 seeds for 90p
Seedsdirect 400 seeds for 95p

As a contrast

Realseeds 2grammes for £1.33
T&M 1750 seeds for £1.49

RAS

Another bump.

RAS

RAS wrote: »

Giving this a bump.

Lidl - 29-39p for basic packets, very limited range but a few unusual ones because they are continental.

Cheapest source of peas and beans- 49p. Low seed count per packet but great if you are only growing small quantities.


Bumping this because I checked the price of Lidl beans and peas and it is 49p now.

Other commerical suppliers tend to be £1.50-£2, although the seed count on the dwarf French beans is 2 or 3 times higher.

But do you have space for 150 bean plants? if not Lidl packets of c 50 seeds are fine.

Primrose

If you're worried about the cost of seeds, my experience is that if you store your surplus seeds correctly, they will almost always keep for another year. If they're in the little foil packets, squeeze out all the air after use and roll the top over. Store the seed packets in a sealed plastic container in a cool dry place like shed or garage. Stored this way I've found that even parsnips which are recommended to be sown fresh every year will keep for a couple of years. . To check whether parsnip seed is still viable, sprinkle some on wet tissue paper in a suacer and keep moist for about 10 days when tiny little white shoots appear. Many people like me will probably only have a small vegetable patch so storing seed from year to year can be a big saving. Tomato, pepper and chilli seeds will keep for several years if stored correctly. Even better, collect and dry your own. It's simple and costs you nothing.

mamabear09

hi everyone. i need to find some seeds for my garden. it isnt huge but i dont have a lot of money. i have £8 to get some seeds and try and save money on growing my own. can anyone a good place online that is cheap. i would like to grow things like beans, carrots, onions, etc. im completely new at growing veg so please help. :eek:

Raspberry_Swirl

If you have a Wilkinsons near you I would get them there rather than buying online. They're the cheapest around that I've found for a small garden.