[Robster]

Today I sowed butternut squash. Which was all a bit of a palaver as the seed packet from T&M had no seeds in. So I trooped back to the GC to get the packet replaced. Which of course they were happy to do. It was Harrier F1 for £2.99. So not cheap. The packet said average contents 10. I had 9 seeds in my packet.  I thought about it for a minute and said "well that's just not good enough" they are large seeds easy to count and it's an expensive product. If I expected 10 screws in a pack from homebase for a job I'd expect to get 10. I'd understand if it was carrots or some other very small seed which is probably weighed and subject to thinning. But that's not the case with butter nuts. I'd also understand if it wasn't an F1 variety and the seed was relatively cheap and there would be more than I'd need in a year but it wasn't.

So a disappointing experience.

[JoshP]

Had a similar experience last weekend. Bought some F1 butternut squash seeds that should of had 10 seeds in but only turned out to have 8! Annoying to say the least.

[8doubles]

I do not think they count the seeds or they would be far more expensive !
IMO with seeds packaged by weight fewer larger seeds is preferable to extra small ones.

[mumofstig]

I think you should email them each time the count is low...... they may eventually get the hint and up the weight allowance for big seeds, so the right number drop into the packet.

[steved]

Surely "average" means some may have 9 others may have 11?
I feel this is a cop out on behalf of the seed manufacturers, T&M, IMO being one of the worst and why i wont buy anything from them.
If we take the average is measured over 100 packets, the chances of us meeting the other 99 people is miniscule, but i would hazard a guess that the majority of them also got 9 seeds
As has been said, average in a packet of carrot or lettuce seeds isnt going to trouble many people, but big seeds, come on manufacturers, play the game!

[Trikidiki]

When I've had low seed counts I have contacted the company and have usually received another packet in the post.

I didn't think we were allowed to name companies that we have a complaint about.

[New shoot]

I didn't think we were allowed to name companies that we have a complaint about.

It can present legal problems if the poster is in dispute with a company and names them.  The site polices are as follows:

•Do not post or personal message any unsubstantiated claims against any person or organisation, or where the sub judice rules may apply (topics that may now or in the future be judged in court).  We do not allow contentious or hotly debated topics and the normal right to reply would create such a topic and have possible legal implications for the forums.  We will not allow personal vendettas or feelings of being wronged to be aired at the expense of balance and fairness

Robster has shared a story where he has been disappointed by the seed count in the butternut squash packet he bought.  The pack says average contents 10 seeds, so the supplier could argue that they have done nothing wrong, but I think its unlikely anyone will be going to court over this.

Your own experience is that once told about this, most seed companies will send a replacement pack without question.   It would be well worth a phone call Robster and you may well get a replacement pack to top up the numbers this year, or save for next year 

[Growster...]

I bought a packet of Shirley toms, and two packets of Sungold. One Sungold was light by one seed, but the Shirley had two foil packets inside, so, I suppose it's swings and roundabouts ...

[Robster]

More on this.  So I sowed 6 of the butternuts.  Sowed into Jacks Magic and put in the propagator and kept at around 19-20 degrees..  This technique i've used for years and it works well for all the tenders that I grow.  Only one of the 6  came up which I potted on today.

So in summary I paid for a 2.99 packet of (approximately) 10 seeds I actually got 9. Sowed 6 and 1 came up- a germination rate of 16%.  The remaining three seeds statistically will give me only another 0.5 of a plant.  So lets round it up to a whole plant.  There we have it.  Harrier F1 from T&M cost me 1.50 each.

This of course was after returning the pack that had no seeds in it!!

I think I'll bin this seed and variety and this supplier.  I'm not confident that the single plant that actually came up will give me a good productive plant  Maybe it's old seed or not been stored properly or something like that

[Goneterseed]

So many of these seed companies have been taken over by others, it's difficult to know who you are really buying from these days.

[Growster...]

This is really all hit and miss, isn't it.

The suppliers can easily blame us for not growing their products the way they think we should, and there's not a lot we can do except complain, and most people don't or are to embarrassed to get on the phone.

We moaned about some plants/seeds some years ago, and felt that even though they replaced the plants - grudginly, we felt that they assumed that we were in the wrong.

It's the 'business' I'm afraid, it's not unlike dealing with most big organisations like power companies, banks etc... (Cotton Traders don't work this way; they're just great)!

On a brighter note, all the seed we saved from the old peas last year are now going great guns, so we're quids in on that particular vegetable!

[pipfit]

I always use Moles seeds sowed 24 butternut got 23 plants 24 market more cues got 24 plants
Pipfit

[Goneterseed]

I always use Moles seeds sowed 24 butternut got 23 plants 24 market more cues got 24 plants
Pipfit

24 cues???  Have you found the secret to storing them? 

[Trikidiki]

My brother-in-law has just got a plot and is a vegetable novice, I offered him some greenhouse space to bring on anything he waned to. He came up the other weekend with some cell trays and packets of seeds and proceeded to sow 40 cucumbers. I had a little chuckle to myself and asked if he liked cucumber. He may have the last laugh as only three have germinated so far, perhaps he knows about poor germination rates.

[Growster...]

Did you tell him that everyone knows that cucumbers are designed to die as soon as they germinated, Triki?