[Snap Dragon]

Or 'ready made plants' as my daughter calls them!!

By the time I get my lottie cleared I won't have had a chance to have bought a greenhouse to start any seeds off in so I am going to have to sow straight into the ground and buy plug plants where necessary.

Do you buy your plug plants from the local garden centre and go with whatever varieties they have or do you have them delivered by post to get the varieties you want? (If you don't have a supplier nearby)

As this is my first year on the plot I will probably experiment with whatever is available and play it by ear!

[Sally A]

Chances are some of the guys on your site will sow too many, especially things like toms and courgettes, so barter with them.  they'll be growing varieties they know will do well in your area - so less chance of failure than buying by mail or garden centre.

[SnooziSuzi]

I agree with Sally - the old guys know to sow more than they will need so may have some to pass onto you.

failing that, the seed companies often also sell plug plants (at a premium!) try www.suttons.co.uk - I have bought plants from there before

HTH,  su

[PAH48]

As I was late getting my lottie last June, weeding it ect ect ect.
I found most of the guys and gals on site, to be more than helpful- generous in fact..many helpful tips, ref; soil type, best plants to grow and so on. Well we're still eating the gifted varieties of leeks, somehow they taste even better. As some of the others dug up various other vedge, off home I trotted with bag loadsa stuff. I can honestly say I've been genuinely impressed by all of their generosity. " Long may the  Lotterteers rein",
 cheers to one and all,,Bye  PAH

[Rob the rake]

Ask around SD. There are lots of folks in the same boat who are unable to raise their own plants. Chances are that someone on your site will know of a good local plant nursery which will sell you plug plants at a fraction of the catalogue prices. Quite often they have a good selection, with more than one variety of each veg type, all hardened-off and ready to go.

[crowndale]

Try feecycle as well  I know I got rid of (sory shared) lots of excess small plants this way last year.  I also bought in a couple of varieties too of different things but they are expensive that way

[gobs]

Bying this way will be cheaper, but not much cheaper than buying in bulk from some big company(T&M, etc), as on the market here I saw last year 70p a plant, that's not a price worth buying some disease.

Especially with Brassica plants you should be careful where you getting them from. If you buy a collection of 60 they come under 30p each and you can order through this site from them.

[splodger]

try car boot sales - you'll normally find a good range of plants - grown by proper gardeners  

[growingvegrocks!]

I got some plugs this year, bought some heirloom tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers and an aubergine called little fingers. I was really impressed with the quality and the people at the company. The yields were really good, i think because the plugs were so strong when they arrived in the post. Id definately reccomend them, the packagin was excellent too, and Victoria who runs the company is so knowlegable and was happy to advise me for ages on planting conditions and which varieties were best for me. The best plugs i've ever seen actually, worth a try!