Topic: Kings seeds

[steveg1966]

Kings seeds has anybody had problems with them germinating I have bought 3 packets(leeks, onions and sweet peas) from our allotment secretary and not one them have geminated yet the same from wilkos have all germinated I wonder if kings are supplying bad seeds in the cheap packets for allotments.

[Jayb]

I've always found King seeds to be reliable, although I've not had any of the cheaper ones through an allotment. Are they fresh seed?
I'm sure Kings would replace them for you.

[Tee Gee]

I haven't got around to sowing my Kings seeds yet I generally don't get going to the end of March

Last year I had trouble with their Sweetcorn seed I only got about 10% germination.

I phoned them and they got a bit defensive about their germination percentages.

I pointed out that I had sown about 50% of theirs and 50% of someone else's where I had no problems, so they sent me another packet which was OK as I recall.

On the whole over the years I have been quite happy with their seeds.

I now get a lot of my seeds from DT Browns and they are quite good but a lot less seeds in the packet.

I don't mind about that too much as I buy them at Harrogate show when they are only a pound a packet no matter the size of the packet.

I then get other stuff from Kings that cost less than a pound a packet.

So all in all I get my seeds quite cheaply even if the seed count is a lot less than it used to years back, I find this method better value for money.

I have been looking at stuff in the catalogues that keep popping through my letter box and I am appalled at what they are asking for seeds and plants, makes you think if it is worth growing stuff at these asking prices!

In fact I am finding probably because of these prices that more an more allotment colleagues are getting their plants from me ( perhaps I am selling them too cheaply)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Where did you plant them, in a pot under cover or outdoors? If the latter, your soil probably isn't warm enough yet.

[winecap]

I tend to buy a job lot of seeds from eBay every year. These are usually close to their sow by dates but only cost about 20p/packet. Not bad when the list price for some of them works out at £1/seed for the likes of cucumber and even 10p/seed for cabbage. I have never had any problem with germination, but often don't get everything I want, so I follow up with a Kings order through the allotment society. I usually only get half a dozen or so packets, but I have never had any germination problems with them. Last year one of my friends ordered the same variety of sweetcorn as I did. He got almost nothing, but mine were fine. He decided not to order from Kings again, but I think they were not to blame.

[steveg1966]

They were planted in my heated propagator along with the wilkos seeds which have germinated but the kings seeds have not some one last year got some peas and nothing germinated.

[MervF]

I have used Kings seeds for many years (probably about 20 years) and only had one packet with bad germination.   I rang them and asked if it was only me or a batch and they had no other complaints but offered a replacement packet which arrived a couple of days later.   I find they are a very friendly company to deal with.

[bridbod]

I had a whole packet of their Red Brunswick onion seeds from which not a single one germinated . It was a packet I bought from a local garden centre a few months ago so hardly old seed (although Kings obviously have no control over the conditions their seed is kept in once it leaves their premises) A quick call to Kings to explain and a couple of days later, a jiffy bag with 2 free packs of R.B onion seed arrived, since sown with prob. 80odd % germination rate. Never had duff Kings seeds before but great customer service in my case.