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GW Magazine Seeds/Mr Fothergills Seeds

mikej.maymikej.may Posts: 4
in Plants
So, the GW Magazine "free" seeds...the Verbena never came up at all - nothing and the Nicotiana wasn't Nicotiana, it was actually a mix of White Goosefoot and Persicaria.   Both are from Mr. Fothergill's.  Separately, I also bought some Capsicum seeds from my local garden centre (also Mr. Fothergill's) and they all came up White Goosefoot too.

Clearly, Mr. Fothergill's have a contamination problem.  I wrote to them on their twitter account and they couldn't even be bothered to respond.  Really not happy.  Anyway, this post is just for knowledge and in case anyone from GW reads this, you might like to consider who supplies your seeds.

Never had any issues with any other brand of seeds.
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Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    What compost where you using?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's very possible it's the compost rather than the seeds, as @fidgetbones says, but if you think there's a problem with the seed producer, and their connection with G's World, it's better to contact them directly. They don't look at the forum @mikej.may.
    There are details at the bottom of the page.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    I don't want seeds, I prefer to choose my own, but I would like a cheaper magazine.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    It's expensive for what it is.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • mikej.maymikej.may Posts: 4
    fidgetbones said:
    What compost where you using?
    The same Westland JI No. 2 I always use and never had an issue with.  What's  interesting here is the responses seem all to blame everything but the seed co, where the other gardening forums I posted this in have all said this is a common problem with massive seed companies where the factory mentality/shareholder profit outstrips quality.  For reference, I also have used seeds by Suttons and T&M (previously Thompsons) and not had issue.  It really just seems to be a Mr. F issue and my other beef is the lack of response.  Just not good enough.
  • mikej.maymikej.may Posts: 4
    Busy-Lizzie said:
    I don't want seeds, I prefer to choose my own, but I would like a cheaper magazine.

    Fair enough, we all know they aren't really free - the cost is baked in.  Sometimes they might suggest something I wouldn't normally think of though.
  • scrogginscroggin Posts: 437
    If the seed was contaminated then surely it was evident when you sowed them, there's a big difference in the seeds of nicotiana and that of goosefoot and persicaria and likewise capsicum. There might well have been an issue with the viability of the packeted seed but I'm thinking the other seeds were present in the compost.
    Personally speaking I've never had issues with Fothergill seeds regarding germination or contamination.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Not everyone knows what the seeds of different plants look like if they've not grown that type before.
    The same weed coming up in different types does tend to suggest that the contamination is in the compost, or that the seeds are being blown in from a nearby source (possible even in a greenhouse if it's being ventilated). People have been having problems with germination in peat-free compost this year and even previously-good brands have been more variable from batch to batch. I believe Westland JI no 2 is now a peat-free formulation so possibly not the same as in previous years.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • EmptyheadtimeEmptyheadtime Posts: 366
    edited June 2023
    I too think it’s the compost. As mentioned the seeds are substantially different and while mistakes do happen I find it hard to believe 2 different types of fothergills seeds from 2 different places (so possibly different batches) are contaminated with the same white goosefoot seed. The common element in your sowing seems to be the compost, not the seeds. For what it’s worth I have tried various different composts this year and was complaining on a different thread a while back about the amount of weeds and poor germination I seem to be getting this year. Others were saying the same. I suggest venting to Westland.
  • Simone_in_WiltshireSimone_in_Wiltshire Posts: 1,073
    @mikej.may I’m not a big fan of Mr F. either, but we have already exchanged thoughts about Verbena. It turned out that this is a plant you just sow and don’t care about. It will germinate happily as long as you don’t nurse it. My first attempt failed too, the second attempt worked fine, after just sowing the seeds directly in April into the soil. Also my test using a propagator germinated in May. 
    The Nicotania that I got don’t look like goosefoot or persicaria.
    There also have been many comments on peat-free compost. The compost that you bought this year is not the same that you bought over the years. Almost all manufacturers have made the change this year. Due to the high demand in peat-free compost, the manufacturers used everything to get it into the bags. 

    I ♥ my garden.

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