GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Gardening Which report on seeds

Uncle Marvo · 28-09-2007, 02:39 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

In reply to Des Higgins ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

[snip]

These surveys are indeed highly variable; they can be useful when the
basis of comparison is very clear and you can then just take or leave
the results. I remember buying a cast iron frying pan, which I still
have after 10 years, and being very happy with it. It weighed a ton
and you could clear it with an angle grinder if you felt like it. I
then saw a frying pan comparison survey in a kitchen section of a
weekend supplement and they compared 10 frying pans. The one I had
bought was the only one that was not a non-stick expensive one. It
was singled out for particular mention as being especially appalling
and even dangerous. This was like comparing a military jeep to a set
of family saloon cars and complaining that the jeep did not have a
baby seat.
I have bought seeds that were pretty crappy but this was usually from
the petrol station after 4 pints of Old Speckled Partridge at the Fox
and Green Trumpet on a friday night. Seeds from the usual big
companies usually have clear dates on them and are usually pretty good
(usually). The most variable lot I have found are Chiltern, where I
often got what seemed to be the "wrong" seeds.

Excellent comment Des! I think Old Speckled Partridge at the Fox and Green
Trumpet might have been made up though :-)

The thing I can never understand is when they say there are 12 seeds, and
you count them, and there are 12 seeds, and you plant one seed in each of 12
peat pots, and then grow them on in bigger pots, you get 14 plants.

I seldom get less than they say. I usually buy a reputable (?) make, like
Suttons, and usually completely ignore the instructions, lose the packets,
put them somewhere entirely unsuitable and get a bumper crop.

I'm still cropping the tomatoes. I can't see an end to it.

I love gardening. It just breaks all the rules.