Topic: Value for Money?

[posie]

Was looking on T & M site and came across these:

Reliable and trusted allotment favourites.

Collection comprises 10 or 20 tubers of each of the following (clockwise from top left):
Lady Christl (First early)
Orla (First early)
Kestrel (Second early)
Sante (Early maincrop)
Cara (Late maincrop)
Lady Balfour (Early maincrop)

for 20 tubers of each it's 19.99 - would you say that was good value for money and will this amount be enough to feed a family of 3 plus probably my mother and grandmother?!

[ceres]

I'd say they're a tad more expensive than buying by weight from somewhere like Roman's.  I (and some others I know and a few on here) had crap customer service from T&M last year with seed potatoes, so I wouldn't use them again just on that basis.

I think you'd need a few more for 3+ if you want to avoid buying spuds for as much of the year as possible.

[Tee Gee]

Based on 10 tubers of each this works out at approx. £2 a pound thats bl**dy expensive in my opinion. (You roughly get 6 tubers to the pound)

Particularly when you consider I pay under 50p a pound. (or at least I did last year, haven't got this years yet!)

[ceres]

It's 20 tubers of each, Tee Gee.

Where do you buy them for 50p a pound?

[RSJK]

Still too much money  to pay I think.

[Lauren S]

Oh how I wish (sometimes) my plot was next to Tee Gee's

(A) I could pick his brains for garden tips etc  ;)
(B) Copy every thing he plants or sows  :D
(C) Get to know where he gets all his bargains from  ;D

[RobinOfTheHood]

I got the blight buster collection from them last year - and it didn't, except for the sarpos.... ::)

I thought it was expensive, but having said that I'm using the entire sarpo crop as seed spuds this year, so probably worth it for me.

[Tee Gee]

It's 20 tubers of each, Tee Gee.

Where do you buy them for 50p a pound?

My apologies but that still makes them around a £1 a pound which I still think is too expensive.

We buy them in bulk from a wholesaler and distribute them to those that want them.

Generally we buy 55kg of Foremost, Rocket, Kestrel and Maxine.

Just  been quoted that they will be 45p a pound this year.

Plus we can get 2.5kg nets of miscellaneous varieties for around £3

[shirlton]

I have never had much success with T&M's seeds. Some folks say they do ok. I have used wilkies spuds for the last 3 years and found them ok. They do small trial pcks too if you want to experiment.

[Tee Gee]

(A) I could pick his brains for garden tips etc   

Well I don't think you would get much joy there, the old grey matter is 'gelling' up a bit now.

I am my own websites most regular visitor  ::)

(B) Copy every thing he plants or sows

We could do better than that we could share each packet of seeds and make everything 'half price' ;D

(C) Get to know where he gets all his bargains from

Now thats an easy one!!

All the seed merchants do it and that is give discounts to groups of people. These discounts generally start at about 33% and more for bigger groups.

Same with trade counters. These seed merchants want your money and will sell to anyone who can get a minimum order of around £100 which at T&M rates would not be difficult to raise.

I think I would prefer to be down your neck of the woods because generally your weather is better.

So you see it is already there for you  ;)

[caroline7758]

I can see a coach trip to Huddersfield coming! ;D

[growmore]

I got some of my seed potatoes from a firm in Doncaster ..Last year I paid £18 for 25k  sealed hessian sack genuine scottish seed.. I ain't priced them this year yet...
They also sell  loose veg seed by weight which works out cheaper than the packets, but depends how many you want...

http://www.scoot.co.uk/England/South-Yorkshire/Doncaster/G-&-P-Plevey:-Pleveys-Garden-Supplies-229436027.html

[Deb P]

I can see a coach trip to Huddersfield coming! ;D

Now there's a thought............we could do lottie tours! ;)

[kt.]

It seems expensive to me.  Plus - do you have room on your plot to plant that many tubers of different varieties......  If you want that many varieties and are willing to pay their prices - what about going halves with another allotmenteer and sow 1/2 of each variety each?  £10 to try so many varieties does not seem so bad.  I am only paying £2 per 2-3kg bag of tubers of any variety that our lottie shop sells.

[Baaaaaaaa]

At £1 per Lb, I'd think the local garden centre would be cheaper.


I'm paying £2.65 for each 3kg bag of various varieties including PFA, red Duke of York & Kestrel. All from the lottie shop. One bag does me two rows, at 18" spacing.

[posie]

Hmmm, I thought it may be overpriced.  I bought mine last year from Wilko's if I remember and I had a bag of early/2nd early and main and I know I remember thinking I should have  bought more.  Anyone know when they're getting their stock in?  Garden centres down my way and v expensive.  Thanks for all the advice, spot on as ever!

[Baaaaaaaa]

Also check out B&Q, they should be having them in any week now.

Wilkos have seed in already, so it shouldn't be long. Just let them sort themselves out once the Xmas stock has all gone.

[shirlton]

Posie, ...............Get to the back of the queue lol

[posie]

Aaaaawwwwwwwwww, I been queuing for ages!!!! lol  Forgot about B & Q.

[shirlton]

Was in Wilkies today and they have another shelf of gardening stuff in but no spuds yet.