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Numbers of seeds in packets
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Message 1.Â
Posted by Calendula (U2331338) on Monday, 21st March 2011
Is anyone else annoyed at the way the suppliers are severely reducing the numbers of seeds of some vegetables? I sowed Rosada tomato and Pinnochio's Nose chilli at the weekend. Not particularly new or rare varieties. I can't remember the company but they are well known - T&M or equivalent. 7 tomato seeds and 10 chilli!
In the past one packet would have done me several seasons. Cynical exploitation IMO
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Message 2
Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Monday, 21st March 2011
Couldn't agree more. But presumably they're making up for the downside of putting about 10,000,000 seeds in packets of lettuce and carrot seeds.
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Message 3
Posted by Kleftiwallah (U13700999) on Monday, 21st March 2011
I was astonished at the number of crushed / split seeds in one pack I opened. Cheers, Tony.
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Message 4
Posted by Paull2 (U14064177) on Monday, 21st March 2011
I know what you mean. The time of generous portions seems to have ended but there again, I find most bought-in seeds to be very reliable germinators, producing good healthy plants... and most buyers don't usually want to plant dozens of tom plants of the same variety. I'm growing 5 varieties this year, with probably no more than 15 plants inside and out, so I don't really want to buy more than I'm going to use this year or the next. I still think most seeds are good value.
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Message 5
Posted by pottiepam (U11118368) on Monday, 21st March 2011
I quite agree. There were 40 bizzy lizzy seeds in my packet from T&M. It would have been cheaper to buy plug plants from another firm.
There used to be enough seeds to risk an early sowing and if they failed plenty left to make a later sowing but not any more. -
Message 6
Posted by jamie01 (U14066574) on Monday, 21st March 2011
I wasn't best pleased to get a meagre 15 ShirleyF1 tomato seeds in a pack costing £3.39p,
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Message 7
Posted by As_Iff (U13951957) on Monday, 21st March 2011
I use King`s seeds, and so far their portions are still good.
You do get fewer seeds of course if it`s an F1 hybrid. -
Message 8
All this user's posts have been removed.
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Message 9
Posted by BaraGwenith (U14257539) on Monday, 21st March 2011
Vegetable seeds are governed by law; they have to pass germinating standards and if they don't the company is breaking the law. I know I had 100% germination of sweet corn seeds from an Italian company last year. Some companies I will never use again because their standards are rather lower.
I stand corrected if the regulations have changed, but that's what it used to be.
I am intrigued by anybody sitting down and counting out over a thousand carrot seeds. Respect. -
Message 10
Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Tuesday, 22nd March 2011
I can highly recommend Seeds of Italy, they are fab and sold by the gram, not by the seed.
www.seedsofitaly.co.uk
Here's an example of how they go the other way
You'd be eating Radiccio FOREVER!!!!!
Their seeds are high quality and germinate well. Their customer service is second to none and their company ethics are fab. I just cannot recommend them enough! -
Message 11
Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Tuesday, 22nd March 2011
Incidentally the @ number is how many seeds in each pack.
600 tomato seeds, 7,000 lettuce seeds on average.
Italophile, do you get your lettuces there too
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Message 12
Posted by tiptonnic (U14496053) on Tuesday, 22nd March 2011
I use Kings Seeds and I haven't noticed any drop off in the number of seeds per packet ~ I had a real last day bargain at the "Edible Garden" show at the weekend again with Kings. As I already have most of my seeds for this I focused on "catch crop" can't wait to get sowing
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Message 13
Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Tuesday, 22nd March 2011
Vixx, I've used Seeds of Italy a few times. They're very good. I get most of my seeds locally and they give you 10,000,000 lettuce seeds in a packet here too!
Oh, I don't get my parsnip seeds locally. Parsnips are unknown here, apart from around Parma, where they feed them to the pigs for Parma ham. Get my parsnip seeds from Thomson & Morgan in the UK. -
Message 14
Posted by tootsietim (U13997544) on Tuesday, 22nd March 2011
I wasn't best pleased to get a meagre 15 ShirleyF1 tomato seeds in a pack costing £3.39p, I know it's a lot of faff, but it pays to shop around and check the stated contents.
A quick trawl on the web found shirley tomato seeds on offer from 10 for £1.59 to 10 for £3.69.
Big difference. -
Message 15
Posted by gaffelbiter (U14481810) on Tuesday, 22nd March 2011
I agree contents can be pretty meagre in seed packets in the UK. Some have mentioned Seeds Of Italy, I don't use them, but I do use the Portuguese supplier jardicentro. Their packets are very generously filled.
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Message 16
Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Wednesday, 23rd March 2011
Italophile where are you?
I'm thinking of buying some land in Italy. Somewhere rural and rustic, a few years down the line from now (my current mortgage ends in 2012) I love the way of life, the scenery, the food and the sun! Anywhere you'd recommend? -
Message 17
Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Wednesday, 23rd March 2011
Nothing to do with seeds there...sorry!
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Message 18
Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Wednesday, 23rd March 2011
No, but a great subject anyway. We're in Tuscany, 17kms south of Arezzo, 10kms north of Cortona, in a traditional little hilltop town called Castiglion Fiorentino. We're on the train line from Rome to Florence - along with Cortona and Arezzo - but thankfully we don't get the hordes of tourists they do. Bliss, really.
I like central Italy for a lot of reasons. You're bang in the middle with pretty quick and easy access to everywhere. And you avoid the severe heat of the south and the fogs and chill of the north.
You're thinking of land to build on or a place with some land? If you're thinking central Italy, Tuscany is expensive, Umbria a bit less so, Le Marche even less so. Further south in Abruzzo is cheaper still.
It really depends how rural and rustic you want to be. Bearing in mind that rural and rustic here can mean those things absolutely literally! -
Message 19
Posted by jamie01 (U14066574) on Wednesday, 23rd March 2011
I wasn't best pleased to get a meagre 15 ShirleyF1 tomato seeds in a pack costing £3.39p, I know it's a lot of faff, but it pays to shop around and check the stated contents.
A quick trawl on the web found shirley tomato seeds on offer from 10 for £1.59 to 10 for £3.69.
Big difference.Â
It is a lot of faff. The last 2 seasons I bought established plants from the g/c, and was pleased with them, so I thought I'd grow from seed.
In hindsight I should have started the thought process before I dived in.
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Message 20
Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Thursday, 24th March 2011
Hi Italophile,
When I say rural, no dirt track is too long! :o) My home here is a mile off the main road and even that road is single track although the nearest town is 10 miles away if we need supplies.
I would love somewhere to grow all the things we can't grow here, olives, lemons, oranges, peaches, tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos.... and hibiscus!
There are no Orange trees growing in Aberdeenshire!
Thanks for the advice. I think I agree with you, not too hot (I'm so pale, I'm almost blue!) and not too cold...I have that here. I'm off to do some Google Earthing
No such thing as too rustic though. I am a country bumpkin till the end. -
Message 21
Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Thursday, 24th March 2011
The thing with property in Italy is that, developments and special cases aside, people aren't generally in a hurry to sell. Very few Italians move far from their birthplace and families accumulate houses and land over time.
You'll often see places for sale but at ridiculous prices. If someone pays that much, the owner is giggling all the way to bank. If no one's interested, it doesn't bother them. They don't need to sell. There are many instances of places for sale at reasonable prices, but the price suddenly increases when someone shows interest.
So buying here is a bit of a challenge. As are planning regulations. Around here, if you buy land with any sort of dwelling on it - even an uninhabitable wreck - you can't demolish and/or rebuild beyond the original footprint and height. Well, you can, providing you buy the right to do some from the local Comune. Which doesn't come cheap.
But don't let me put you off the idea ... ! -
Message 22
Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Thursday, 24th March 2011
Good to know! Thanks very much for your help.
I have a year or so to look into it and I'm not in a hurry so we'll see what's, what. Many Thanks! -
Message 23
Posted by horththit (U13862695) on Saturday, 26th March 2011
I only got 10 sungold for the same price and only 6 of them germinated! Swizz!!!
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