I took a packet of Suttons Beefsteak tomato seed to a Homebase checkout
today. The staff member requested £3.25 for payment! I protested and
queried it, only to be told that it was correct.

I refused to pay and purchased a packet of Suttons Marmande beefsteak
tomato seed for £1.29 in a Wyevale nursery about mile down the road.

I think Homebase is becoming too expensive now.

John wrote
I took a packet of Suttons Beefsteak tomato seed to a Homebase checkout
today. The staff member requested £3.25 for payment! I protested and
queried it, only to be told that it was correct.

I refused to pay and purchased a packet of Suttons Marmande beefsteak
tomato seed for £1.29 in a Wyevale nursery about mile down the road.

I think Homebase is becoming too expensive now.

But it does depend on how many seeds were in the packet, there were only 8
in a packet I opened today.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

On Mon, 17 Apr 2006 22:22:18 +0100, Saxman
wrote:

I took a packet of Suttons Beefsteak tomato seed to a Homebase checkout
today. The staff member requested £3.25 for payment! I protested and
queried it, only to be told that it was correct.

I refused to pay and purchased a packet of Suttons Marmande beefsteak
tomato seed for £1.29 in a Wyevale nursery about mile down the road.

I think Homebase is becoming too expensive now.


Good for you! Some people would just have paid the price to avoid
confrontation. I'm with you on this one. Work out the percentage.
The Homebase price was over 250% what you paid by shopping around.

I used to buy seed from someone at a car boot sale who had seed from
major 'brands' that was just past it's sell by date. I used to pay
around 20% of the normal sale price but suffered less than a 10%
germination failure rate.

When you eventually eat your beefsteak tomatoes, just remember your
saving and they will taste even better!

fiffer

"Saxman" wrote in message
.. .
I took a packet of Suttons Beefsteak tomato seed to a Homebase checkout
today. The staff member requested £3.25 for payment! I protested and
queried it, only to be told that it was correct.

....

That's nothing to do with Homebase.

Beefeater, if thats what you're talking about, are currently
£3.25 on Sutton's own website.

http://www.suttons-seeds.co.uk/

Sorry I can't leave individual links as the prices are in frames
on the page.

....


I refused to pay and purchased a packet of Suttons Marmande beefsteak
tomato seed for £1.29 in a Wyevale nursery about mile down the road.

....

While marmand are again £1.29

So again nothing to do with Wyevale being any cheaper.


Beefeeater, if that's what you're talking about is an FI
hybrid which would make it more expensive.

FI hybrids are more expensive to produce as they use the pollen
(anther) and (ovaries) sigma from two separate plant strains
which need to be hand pollinated.

In this way, they can produce much more consistent fruit in
terms of yield and characteristics, which customers feel is
worth paying for.

....


I think Homebase is becoming too expensive now.

....


michael adams

Saxman wrote:
I took a packet of Suttons Beefsteak tomato seed to a Homebase checkout
today. The staff member requested £3.25 for payment! I protested and
queried it, only to be told that it was correct.

I refused to pay and purchased a packet of Suttons Marmande beefsteak
tomato seed for £1.29 in a Wyevale nursery about mile down the road.

I think Homebase is becoming too expensive now.

In my experience Homebase has always been too expensive.

I agree!!!

I buy most of my seed 'mail order'

OK! the one I use requires a membership payment of £1-50 pa but the seeds are quite often 30-50% cheaper than their competitors so overall it works out much cheaper.

In fact I use the discount to buy the best (and often dearest) varieties and I still make a saving.

This year I made a few checks with my supplier, and other catalogues that had popped through my letter box, and found in some instances seed were up to six times dearer in these catalogues.

Incidently (for fairness) I only compared like varieties, and packets showing the number of seeds in the packet.

A passing thought; have you ever noticed later in the season how much the prices drops?

On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 09:01:16 +0100, michael adams wrote:


Beefeater, if thats what you're talking about, are currently
£3.25 on Sutton's own website.

http://www.suttons-seeds.co.uk/

Sorry I can't leave individual links as the prices are in frames
on the page.

Homebase were right, but I still think it is expensive for tomato seed. An
old colleague of mine used to tell me to go to any sewage works around
springtime where one can find lots of different tomato plants. (The seed
does not break down in the gut).

I did hear a radio program about shifting sands/silt around our coastline
and tomato seeds were a valuable tracing source for movements owing to
their indestructibility.

On Mon, 17 Apr 2006 22:48:03 +0100, Bob Hobden wrote:

But it does depend on how many seeds were in the packet, there were only 8
in a packet I opened today.

250 in the packet I bought.

"Saxman" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 09:01:16 +0100, michael adams wrote:


Beefeater, if thats what you're talking about, are currently
£3.25 on Sutton's own website.

http://www.suttons-seeds.co.uk/

Sorry I can't leave individual links as the prices are in frames
on the page.

Homebase were right, but I still think it is expensive for tomato seed.

....

That part is answered in the part of my post you snipped.

Beefeeater, if that's what you're talking about is an FI
hybrid which would make it more expensive.

FI hybrids are more expensive to produce as they use the pollen
(anther) and (ovaries) sigma from two separate plant strains
which need to be hand pollinated.

...

An
old colleague of mine used to tell me to go to any sewage works around
springtime where one can find lots of different tomato plants. (The seed
does not break down in the gut).

....

That's all very well if you're not bothered about what type of
plants you'll grow.

In any case anyone seriously bothered about having to spend money
on tomato seeds would be best advised to buy different varieties
of non-hybrid seed in the first year, grow one or two of each
and then save the seeds from the best one, to grow on the
following years.

Save loads of the seeds in the freezer. Thaw out enough for a
year at a time as that will prevent the build up of diseases
if seeds are simply saved and replanted the following year.

After a few years repeat the process. Save and freeze.

If eventually hit by a virus then switch to another variety.




michael adams

....



I did hear a radio program about shifting sands/silt around our coastline
and tomato seeds were a valuable tracing source for movements owing to
their indestructibility.

....

"Saxman" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 09:01:16 +0100, michael adams wrote:


Beefeater, if thats what you're talking about, are currently
£3.25 on Sutton's own website.

http://www.suttons-seeds.co.uk/

Sorry I can't leave individual links as the prices are in frames
on the page.

Homebase were right, but I still think it is expensive for tomato seed.

....

That part is answered in the part of my post you snipped.

Beefeeater, if that's what you're talking about is an FI
hybrid which would make it more expensive.

FI hybrids are more expensive to produce as they use the pollen
(anther) and (ovaries) sigma from two separate plant strains
which need to be hand pollinated.

...

An
old colleague of mine used to tell me to go to any sewage works around
springtime where one can find lots of different tomato plants. (The seed
does not break down in the gut).

....

That's all very well if you're not bothered about what type of
plants you'll grow.

In any case anyone seriously bothered about having to spend money
on tomato seeds would be best advised to buy different varieties
of non-hybrid seed in the first year, grow one or two of each
and then save the seeds from the best one, to grow on the
following years.

Save loads of the seeds in the freezer. Thaw out enough for a
year at a time as that will prevent the build up of diseases
if seeds are simply saved and replanted the following year.

Should have added: a sample can be chitted on moist kitchen
towel in warm conditions each year to test their continued
viability prior to sowing.

After a few years repeat the process. Save and freeze.

If eventually hit by a virus then switch to another variety.




michael adams

Scotia wrote:
Saxman Wrote:
I took a packet of Suttons Beefsteak tomato seed to a Homebase checkout
today. The staff member requested £3.25 for payment! I protested and
queried it, only to be told that it was correct.

I refused to pay and purchased a packet of Suttons Marmande beefsteak
tomato seed for £1.29 in a Wyevale nursery about mile down the road.

I think Homebase is becoming too expensive now.

I agree!!!

I buy most of my seed 'mail order'

OK! the one I use requires a membership payment of £1-50 pa but the
seeds are quite often 30-50% cheaper than their competitors so overall
it works out much cheaper.

Any chance of posting details of your supplier please Scotia?


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