Topic: change

[debster]

I am seriously thinking of changing the way i do my gardening, for i have always grown most things from seed but last year i discovered our fairly local nursery sells plants in bundles i bought all sorts for about £1.99 for 20 or so it saved me so much trouble with the seedlings and were far easier to handle so im thinking of moving this way
obviously there will be some plants i still grow from seed ie toms, beans etc but cos i only have a garden not an allotment its actually probably more cost effective what do others think
i usually spend a lot of the summer struggling for space on the windowsills etc dont have a greenhouse so think im gonna give it a try

[emmy1978]

Hi debster-i usually end up with every windowsill covered and although I sort of like it-I can see that your way could be a lot more efficient. I also end up with way more plants than I need and can never rehome them all-I hate chucking them away so end up with gluts of everything-what sort of things did you buy last time? I have a garden too and think this could well be a good way for me too.  :)

[elvis2003]

sounds like youve thought of a good scheme to best suit your space,good luck with the experiment and be sure to let us know if it works better for you

[davyw1]

There is a couple of bad points on buying your plants in.

Are the plants and cmpost desease and pest free
Not knowing the starting date they may go to seed to early
You may have to make a few visits should you loose any

If you decide to go that way good look

[lottie lou]

Its a shame that a lot of us don't live closer to each other.  Then we could swap/give away plants.  I sometimes struggle to give away plants - including tomato

[saddad]

Our you could come to one of our Open Day/Plant Sales... several of us do them not just me...  ;)

[tonybloke]

some seed / plant companies sell packs of plants, ready for transplant

[debster]

davyw1 the plants obviously carry a risk of disease but the plants are bare root so no compost, a down side is that they are all at the same stage so all crop at the same time and i still have too many really but are so cheap i dont mind if i lose some.  on average a dozen of each plants is enough for my garden because i like a variety of veg and the garden isnt huge
if i were talking allotment amounts then it would be totally different
Saddad i wish i lived near you guys cos i would buy all of mine off you, im gonna give it a go as much as i can this year and use seeds for my runners etc and see how i get on ill report back

[1066]

A few friends of mine (without allotments and not a great deal of spare time) buy in their plants, seem happy with their choices, and what they get, particularly the brassicas.
From what you are saying the price seems very reasonable to me, although I haven't seen / heard of bare rooted veggie plants, only ever seen them as plugs. If it works for you then go for it! I guess my take on it would be that I might not get such a good choice of varieties but there are always compromises to be made in life (and the garden!)
1066

[Tee Gee]

Strange how we all look at 'gardening'

As it happens its the sowing of seed and taking cuttings that is the bit I like best about gardening, this and digging!

I don't particularly like watering and weeding I find these a bit of a chore.

Having said that I have access to a supplier who germinates flower seedlings in 3" pots at a reasonable price.

They sell at around £1-25 a pot!

I find this good value when you consider I get 40-50 plants per pot

I tend to get my half hardy annuals this way i.e. Lobelia, Antirrhinum, Begonia semperflorens and Asters to name a few.

The hardies I sow myself!

Regarding veg I tend to grow a few spares and sell them on the allotment.

I find this pays for most of the compost I use!

[debster]

Tee Gee i still love the growing from seed bit and will be doing that with tomatoes, carrots, runner beans french beans etc, i will still be growing potatoes and and onions and garlic as per normal it will be mainly brassicas that will be grown by plant.
i have to say i had never seen plants sold this way they are sold wrapped in newspaper and so far have been very succesful

[flitwickone]

as this will be our first ever season :o and having no green house  (paste table in spare bedroom lol) we will try to grow from seed the tomatoes and herbs etc but will probably buy some from the local garden centre

[Tee Gee]

i had never seen plants sold this way they are sold wrapped in newspaper

Showing my age  8) this how it always was when I started gardening

It meant you could have a read after planting out................reminds me of another task that required newspaper to 'bottom' the situation! ::) but in this case you read it before you used it  ;D