This topic contains 66 replies, has 18 voices, and was last updated by KevL 5 years, 9 months ago.
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HI,
Thank you all for this interesting and helpful thread.
I too have had disappointing results from Organic Catalogue seeds over the years. Like others on this post, I always thought it was down to my mistakes. Now I know I can cross that supplier off the list.
Rhys recommended Real Seeds to me a couple of years ago and I am very impressed with the performance of their seeds – mostly very good germination rates with healthy, strong plants full of vitality resulting. As previously mentioned, they dont do any F1 hybrids – consequently I am cutting down on those in my plantings, but follow Charles’ recommendation of Mr Fothgills for any F1 or other varieties not supplied by Real Seeds.
Cheers, Beverley
I have just taken the decision to scrap ALL of my March 3rd sowings due to an across-the-board 90%+ failure of onions, spinach, tomato, beetroot, cabbage and lettuce. The big seeds of broad beans and peas did OK-ish. I used seed from a range of suppliers (Seed Co-op, RSC, Kings, etc.) In this instance the compost is to blame! Westland Black’s Magic bought from the local nursery, who guarantee me that it was new stock, proved overly strong as evidenced by the visible cotyledon scorching on some of the survivors. My fault for straying from organic, hopefully have enough home-made stuff for next year.
I too have had poor germination with my Kings Boltardy, same batch as in Charles’ post so I shall be contacting them and requesting replacement. I have the grand total of 3 beetroot out of 70 sown into modules. Thanks for highlighting the issue Charles and others, I shall be more proactive with suppliers in future.
Tris
One thing I have tried is a quick germination test in small trays, putting five seed packets under test. I did this with all my lettuce seeds after direct sowing this year in modules was poorish. Last years and this years Canasta from Seeds of Italy; last years Little Gem from SOI and this years from Johnson; two year old Grenoble Red from SOI.
Attached photo at day 6: Johnsons Little Gem the best; both Canastas coming through OK;SOI Little Gem just emerging; Grenoble Red look dead.
I will prick these out after several early season struggles.
If you tried 20 onion seeds in a row sown e.g. January 19th, you would know which batches were OK before you needed to sow for real in mid February. That would probably not be more than 10% of seeds in a packet.
Lettuce is easy given the size of seed packets, as is turnip and radish.
I am tempted to do it with spinach and cabbage, as I usually have far more seeds than necessary. And pricking them out would not be a problem.
I have had very good germination on my windowsills of all the seeds mentioned. All my seeds were from Wilkinsons own brand, mostly last years seed. They are now in the coldframe waiting for a bit of warmth. They were sown a month ago, and all except the brassicas are growing true leaves. The brassicas seem to be healthy but are not growing, I think because its been so cold. photo is over a week old.
Dawn that is wonderful and funny that Wilkinsons seed is so good!
Yes they need warmth!An interesting observation:
I too have had trouble with Boltardy beetroot seed. A packet bought this year from Plants of Distinction sown in different composts at various intervals has produced a grand total of 6 seeds germinated.
At a local garden club meeting I won a couple of packets of beetroot seed (different varieties) in the raffle. The sow by dates were 2017 and 2012!. I was not expecting much so sowed them thickly in modules. After less than a week they are both showing healthy germination rates.I am beginning to wonder if the boltardy problem is more than just a slight age problem?
I am not an expert on these things but I have heard it said that many larger retailers source their seeds from the same suppliers, so if there were a duff batch then many retailers may have the same problem.
Being a nasty suspicious type, if you were a cartel global oligopolist seeking to wipe out smaller independents, one strand of your destructive wave would be to ensure they had quite a few batches of duff seed to put negative thoughts into customers’ minds. I always instilled ‘check the merchandise’ into my juniors when I was a cancer researcher at the bench: duff products costing £200 were as common then as duff seeds costing £2 are now!
As ‘garden centres’ seem to be selling less and less stuff for growing vegetables and more and more bird tables, sheds etc, it may well be that margins are barely justifying floor space occupied…
Does beg the question whether an equivalent to ‘Which’ could valuably batch test seeds for Uk domestic growers….
Photo of second salad onion Ishikura sowing. I used a pencil to make an indent and put the seeds in without covering, as I knew from 2017 that soil blocks had worked well.
They seem to be germinating well. No heat used, just kept in my lean to outside for 10 days.
So salad onion may be worth germinating in a recessed indent without covering….
Photo of Boltardy beetroot germination, seeds from Johnsons.
Several modules with more than four seedlings, some with six or seven.
So in this case, change supplier rather than sowing method.
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