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Seeds for next years crops

Xander RanderXander Rander Posts: 70
in Fruit & veg
Hello,

So I've finally managed to get my hands on my first allotment and got 1/4 of the site prepped (hopefully) for planting in Spring..



I was curious to find out where you growers get your seeds for veg etc from? (other than your own crops as I have to start from fresh). I know there are a couple of brands out there but are they any good and reliable? Also I was hoping to also try and grow from heritage seeds (once I get the hang of things) but not sure how to obtain these?! 

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Posts

  • treehugger80treehugger80 Posts: 1,923
    usually I get pea and bean seed on allotments from neighbouring plot holders, the rest I get online from seed catalogue people (DT's, Sutton's, Fothergills's etc) but only once i've asked the neighbouring plot holders what grows well on the site, as every site is different.
  • barry islandbarry island Posts: 1,847
    edited October 2018
    No need to pay a lot for seed, lidl or wilkos do cheap packets, also some garden centres do a mass clear out of this years seed packs at this time of year you may be lucky and have one near to you. I've bought seed in this way before and never had any problems. Good job on the digging by the way it looks good.
  • Xander RanderXander Rander Posts: 70
    treehugger80 said:
    usually I get pea and bean seed on allotments from neighbouring plot holders, the rest I get online from seed catalogue people (DT's, Sutton's, Fothergills's etc) but only once i've asked the neighbouring plot holders what grows well on the site, as every site is different.
    Well I was told by my allotment neighbour that we can grow pretty much anything we like on our site because the soil is really good so that's a promising start!

    barry island said:
    No need to pay a lot for seed, lidl or wilkos do cheap packets, also some garden centres do a mass clear out of this years seed packs at this time of year you may be lucky and have one near to you. I've bought seed in this way before and never had any problems. Good job on the digging by the way it looks good.
    Funnily enough I was at a Garden Centre yesterday and they had a basket of out of date seed packets for around 50p each. Stupidly, it seems now, I snubbed them thinking they wouldn't grow; amateurs right? :smile:

    And thank you for the dig compliment. Not going to lie it was a hard task but thoroughly enjoyable. I'm itching already to go back and put another shift in somewhere!
  • barry islandbarry island Posts: 1,847
    I don't know that the packs that I bought were out of date more like coming to the end of their date, it also introduced me to some veg that I wouldn't have gone for if they hadn't been in the bargain bin, such as the taste of italy range or welsh onions.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    edited October 2018
    Some seed will keep for years (tomatoes are a good example).
    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/propagation/seeds/planting-old-seeds.htm . It's worth a try with the sale seeds if they're pennies per packet.  Keep them in a cool dark place until sowing time next spring.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Xander RanderXander Rander Posts: 70
    I will for sure pick some up the next time I see them.

    On the heritage side of seeds are they easy to locate or do you have to know someone who knows something about a dog....you know where this going!

    Also am I right to assume that heritage seeds are seeds from long ago that haven't been tampered with (engineered so to speak)?
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    edited October 2018
    There is no actual definition of "heritage" seed, mostly it's simply open pollinated rather than a cross. there are NO GMO veg (courgette being the exception) and no gmo seed of any type is available to buy for the home gardener. Most catalogs give a little blerb on the seed which often says if it is on old variety.
    If you want to save your own seeds in future, just avoid anything that says F1 on it. You can save seed from F1 hybrids but they probably will not look like the parent plant. (a F1 hybrid is just a cross between two other varieties it is nothing special)
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    This is one of the sites I use for heritage seeds http://www.realseeds.co.uk/  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Xander RanderXander Rander Posts: 70
    Skandi said:
    There is no actual definition of "heritage" seed, mostly it's simply open pollinated rather than a cross. there are NO GMO veg (courgette being the exception) and no gmo seed of any type is available to buy for the home gardener. Most catalogs give a little blerb on the seed which often says if it is on old variety.
    If you want to save your own seeds in future, just avoid anything that says F1 on it. You can save seed from F1 hybrids but they probably will not look like the parent plant. (a F1 hybrid is just a cross between two other varieties it is nothing special)
    Thanks for that bit of info Skandi! I will need to learn how to save seeds that's for sure so I will keep F1 on watch; easy to remember too :)

    Dovefromabove said:
    This is one of the sites I use for heritage seeds http://www.realseeds.co.uk/  :)

    Thanks for the link Dove, just had a mooch and WOW to the carrots :D I think I want to buy all the colours :p
    I take it you have fared well with this company? They are reliable and do what they say kinda thing?
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    Xander Rander said:
    Dovefromabove said:
    This is one of the sites I use for heritage seeds http://www.realseeds.co.uk/  :)
    Thanks for the link Dove, just had a mooch and WOW to the carrots :D I think I want to buy all the colours :p
    I take it you have fared well with this company? They are reliable and do what they say kinda thing?
    I've bought quite a lot from them - always been excellent. They give you info on how to save your own seed for next year with everything they send out. I also buy some from these people https://www.pennardplants.com/ 
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
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