[welsh boyo]

recieved these today ,bought of a certain auction site at the bargin price of £20


i bought two lots totaling 60 pckts the seller was very kind and even made sure there was different varities where possible,

but there is some that i will never use so will be offering swaps etc when ive sorted them all out...

[gobs]

Don't worry, if they are promo packets, it's likely not to be much seed in them.

[welsh boyo]

dont think there promos, they all got shop prices on the back also the amount of seeds, most are in the hundreds some in the thousands and a few with low numbers such as the melons,chillis etcetc
just added up the prices and it came to £88.45.
most of the seeds are suttons ,some are carters ,also got a few alan titchmarsh organic pkts
and the dates on them are 2009..

[SnooziSuzi]

Looks like you got a bargain there!

why not try a couple of the seeds from the one's you're not so sure about - you might be surprised!

[scentedstock]

At the end of seasons the garden centres and shops collect all the seed they didn't sell and have to send them back to the seed companies, in this process a lot of seeds "go missing". Last year I had about the same amount as you off a "friend" of mine at Dobies. The seed is still already to grow they just like to add fresh seed every year.

[Sally A]

I think we're all guilty of that welsh boyo, I went shopping tonight and just had to get a pack of cucumber seeds, cos I had the urge for a summer pasta salad - Hope I've still got the urge for it after they've grown, oh and then picked up a pack of sprout seeds, cos they were a good price.

[cooperman]

yes - they're all probably returns as a "use by" date of 2009 means they are really out of date from a shop point of view....  I know someone who is a merchandiser for a seed company and they have to go through each shop they visit stock and remove "old" stock, this all goes back and does actually usually end up being sold off cheap and even given away....

[Sally A]

Cor, wish they'd give it away in our direction

[Martin]

Just looked through my Sutton Seeds packets. The ones I bought last year are 'use before 2009' and this year's are 'use before 2010'. So I think cooperman is right.

[Trillium]

Not to worry....most seeds are viable for several years, some longer. I find the dates more helpful for when I have several of a same variety and can't remember which was the oldest to possibly throw out.

[Jaye]

I have also gone rather mad on the seed buying...ahem. I don't think I have room to plant everything - but everything is sow before 2010 so I plan to maybe put half of some things (eg lettuce and leeks) away for next year.

If I can get the house tidy over the next couple of days I am going to spend next week doing a lot of gardening whilst the kids are at my parents for half term.

I have started to draw plans up off my three raise beds - i am goign to crop rotate them - funnily enough when i made up a list of what i had bought i only had one brassica - kale redbor- so i am going to have to get some brussell sprout and purple sproyuting brocolli seeds as well!

[Rob the rake]

I have also gone rather mad on the seed buying...ahem. I only had one brassica - kale redbor- so i am going to have to get some brussell sprout and purple sproyuting brocolli seeds as well!

I'm growing hardly any summer brassicas this year. Once the summer goodies start to crop no-one seems to want cabbage and caulis, and I end up giving most of them away. I won't be without my winter ones though. Savoys, purple sprouting and kale - lovely.

[Jaye]

Yeah i was more thinking for the winter - maybe I should fill the brassica bed with extra salad / the other set of peas  and then plant brassicas in it etc in it for winter later...


Jaye

[Rob the rake]

Yeah i was more thinking for the winter - maybe I should fill the brassica bed with extra salad / the other set of peas  and then plant brassicas in it etc in it for winter later...


Jaye

I was thinking along the same lines. The brassicas will be very happy to follow the peas. Dont pull the peas up when they've finished, just chop them off at ground level to leave the nitrogen-rich root nodules in the soil for the brassicas to enjoy.

I think I'll still be growing turnips and kohl rabi, and probably a few broccoli (can't do without my Romanesco - once  tasted, never forgotten!). The Limousin Giant turnips I'm sowing are supposed to reach a foot in diameter! Same with the kohl rabi, Superschmeltz I think they're called. Both are from Real Seeds.

[paintedlady]

I've found I still keep buying seeds even though I have more than enough of what I want.  Then I'll come across another variety and think, I was looking for that earlier but I've got something else instead.  Oh what the heck, I'll grow just a few of both varieties instead of one job lot and compare them. :roll:

What I have looked at is how much you pay for seeds.  Buying the one packet, oh what's a £1.  But over several weeks, those add up and if you actually totalled them up you'd think twice if you had to buy the seeds all in one go. :shock: