[casper]

Today I priced seeds at my local garden centre, they were £3.99 for a packet of Unwins Tomato seeds, I dont know if there is snobbery around seeds but the reward for me is buy a packet of seeds for 90p and get a good crop, so I ended up in Wilkinsons and bought two packets and got the cheapest one for free, but does seed quality and price matter???

[casper]

Sorry meant to say I bought 3 and got the cheapest one for free

[spuriousmonkey]

To me it matters regarding tomatoes, because not all varieties do well in Finland. So I pick carefully the varieties I want and get them from a good source. I never buy seeds from a garden centre. The choice is too limited here.

[GrannieAnnie]

With tomatoes and chillies, I save my own seeds, so don't have to buy them.  But regarding other things, I have had failures with expensive seeds, and brilliant results with cheapo ones.

So it's not always the way that you get what you pay for.   

[casper]

Yes I have used expensive types too and have failed miserably, I like to try something I never grew the year before and just have a go 

[Yorkie]

The same varieties should perform the same, irrespective of seller.

Price often reflects the scarcity value, rather than quality as such.

[casper]

Aaah thanks Yorkie I never give that a thought, haha so I must have common plentiful varieties then, 

[sunshineband]

The same varieties should perform the same, irrespective of seller.

Price often reflects the scarcity value, rather than quality as such.

They do, you are right. But there are three things to bear in mind:

1. Not every supplier sells the same cultivars at the same price per seed

2. Sometimes you can save money by buying fewer seeds: do you really need 2000 cabbage seeds for example

3. Open pollinated seeds tend to be cheaper and you can readily save your own, which can mean less expense in 
    the future

So read carefully and choose wisely, to make sure you are buying to meet your needs

[Totty]

With tomatoes for instance, I save about 80 % of my own seed. The rest are either new varieties to save seed from, or F1 varietys that look interesting. I would sooner pay a few quid on something new and exiting, than I would pay 50p on a thousand moneymaker, or alicante seeds.

Totty

[sunshineband]

With tomatoes for instance, I save about 80 % of my own seed. The rest are either new varieties to save seed from, or F1 varietys that look interesting. I would sooner pay a few quid on something new and exiting, than I would pay 50p on a thousand moneymaker, or alicante seeds.

Totty

I really should have added personal preference as well, Totty. Sorry 

[peedee555]

will be interesting got some exspensive ones and some relly,really cheap ones so willseewhat happens looking for to see if my yellow pear ones work

[Goosegirl]

A good point about buying a packet with fewer seeds, but Wilko's seeds have done ok for me because, if they don't all germinate, then it's the same as buying a smaller packet.

[fatcat1955]

Off topic i know but why is it ok to save Tomato seeds when everyone says it's a no no with potatoes. Same family, both can get blight. Just wondering.

[Yorkie]

It's nothing to do with blight; it's because seed potatoes can get infected by other viruses and thus wipe out whole crops.  Certified seed tubers are grown in cooler areas, such as Scotland, where there is a reduced risk of aphid attack and virus infection.  Tomatoes don't have this problem.

[rowan57]

I would say sort of…. I trust smaller seed sellers, and value supporting small UK based business overall. I would personally never buy seeds from T&M, Wilko etc. as I would rather support someone like Realseeds, other examples might be Pennard Plants or Pontyzfield Herbs.

I do think there is one potentially significant upside to buying seeds from smaller companies based in the UK - the crop is more likely to be adapted to the UK climate. Taking Realseeds as my primary example, I believe I am correct in saying that all of their seed is grown out in the UK (Some in Cambridge I think, a few miles from me). This would give the subsequent plants a natural advantage. I suspect that the 'big companies' do not grow out 100% in the UK although figuring that out for sure is difficult.

On a personal level I also prefer to buy Open Pollinated seed, I don't suggest however that that confers any natural advantage over F1, I just prefer some natural variation!