Topic: Zlatava tomatoes

[goodlife]

Has any of you grown these before? Are you growing these now?
I bought some seed earlier on this year from T&M...when they had their 10 packets of seeds for £10 offer on....bought two as there was supposed to be only 10 seeds per packet.
I didn't realized when I ordered them that they were 'treated' seeds...treated with 'natural coating for coloured seeds for precision sowing and providing 3 layers 100% natural plant extract fertilizer for good vigour and pest and disease resistance'...

Sounds good.....

BUT....I expected to see something like pellets inside the packets...'precision' they mentioned..NOPE!...loads of yellow flakes!!! I must have ended up with what was in the bottom of the barrel at the packing time. Couldn't tell seeds from broken down coating.. So I tried to pick out what I thought 'they must be seeds', ditching the rest of the 'rubbish' into bin.
2 weeks later I had 1 seedling....! All the other varieties of tomato seeds that I sowed same time germinated within few days and was well ahead the game.
So....I opened another packet...and same thing again...lot of 'flakes'... This time I pinched half of the 'stuff' from packet and sowed the whole lot, not even trying to see individual seeds....fast forward another week and now I had 2 seedlings from the new batch...
Eventually I did get another 2 seedlings from the first batch...but it took WHOLE 4 weeks for them all to emerge!!!
1 1/2 packets sown and 5 seedlings!! Not very good for T&M's 'sow strong..natural way to growing success' range.

I did write to T&M about my experience with their seeds...and they did send me apology and promised replacement seeds...but I'm more curious to find out if others had similar issues with the coating and I wonder if T&M will carry on sell their seeds with the treatment.
It certainly didn't work with me!

[Jayb]

They didn't work for me either! I had problems getting them to germinate last year, ended up sowing the whole packet to get one runty seedling. I thought I'd just had a one off duff packet of seeds, seems they are still sending out inferior ones. Better if you can get your money back perhaps?
The one plant I had didn't do particularly well, never really thriving, but growing conditions were not the best so an unfair season to judge it. I did save a few seeds although the comment I've written is basic flavour. Although I do intend to grow it again in the hope of getting better results.

[goodlife]

They didn't work for me either! I had problems getting them to germinate last year, ended up sowing the whole packet to get one runty seedling. I thought I'd just had a one off duff packet of seeds, seems they are still sending out inferior ones. Better if you can get your money back perhaps?
The one plant I had didn't do particularly well, never really thriving, but growing conditions were not the best so an unfair season to judge it. I did save a few seeds although the comment I've written is basic flavour. Although I do intend to grow it again in the hope of getting better results.

Oh, I'm so glad to hear that...err...not about the failing, but getting confirmation that it is not only me.
Those seedlings of mine don't look particular good, they are weaklings compared all the other tomato seedlings of mine.
I always was under impression that seedlings are better germinated in 'poorer' compost because too much fertilizer is not good for germination.....and then they go and coat the seeds with it! Who's clever idea was that..
Did you save any seeds from your first lot? I wonder why would they coat the seeds...maybe there is 'design fault' with breeding, resulting weak plants and with the coating they try to 'beef them up' to produce stronger plants???
Anyway...just for sake of curiosity, I WILL save few seed if my plants fruit and sow seeds from those next year...just to see difference it makes.

[Silverleaf]

I think they put all these coatings on so you think the seeds are something special and you'll pay much more money for them.

And I agree, I'd be getting a refund.

[galina]

Sorry to hear.  I believe we are often being taken for a ride by the big seed companies.  By comparison, look at the germination rates from the seed circle seeds.  Much better.

Makes you wonder whether they looked at the seeds to start with, decided they were pretty naff and then put all the coating on, so you'd see  s o m e t h i n g  in the packet.

If it doesn't come up, it's probably the gardener's fault anyway.  How few people will really demand their money back?  Oftentimes, life's just too short.  The following year - yet again - we  w i l l   fall for their glossy pictures and supersized claims. 

The more we can grow our own seeds, the better the outcome.  Well I hope the few survivors will grow and produce decently.   

I got a freebie packet of Bodaceous F1 sweetcorn in a magazine.  Ten seeds inside, not a lot to start with.  Then the seeds were the smallest, narrowest sweetcorn seeds I have ever seen.  Will anything at all come up?  Ok that was a freebie, but even so, it doesn't amount to a decent seed packet in my book.

I'm  off the soap box now!    But I do so sympathise with you 

[Silverleaf]

Yes, I had good germination from my seed circle toms, and now have some good healthy plants (some a bit leggy, but I'm not worried about that, they'll sort themselves out in the greenhouse).

If only I had room for them all...