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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: RenishawPhil on February 26, 2014, 14:09:49

Title: Real seeds
Post by: RenishawPhil on February 26, 2014, 14:09:49
What do people think of Real seeds?

I rather like them tbh, everytime ive got something, had good instructions with it and things have worked out well, was really impressed with the chillis last year

Ok not the cheapest, but i suppose you get what you pay for.
Title: Re: Real seeds
Post by: Jayb on February 26, 2014, 14:26:47
I think they are a smashing seed company, fantastic customer service, top seeds, fair seed quantities and really interesting varieties. Good ethics and growing practices. They are fairly local to me, similar ish growing conditions, small family buisness -what's not to like  :toothy10:

Title: Re: Real seeds
Post by: Paul.and.Lynda on February 26, 2014, 16:19:44
We got our catalogue from them at the weekend.
We will be ordering from them in the near future as we want to use the seeds from the plants for next years planting.

Paul  :coffee2:
Title: Re: Real seeds
Post by: sparrow on February 26, 2014, 16:41:13
I think they are brilliant. I buy about half my seeds from them and am impressed with the service too - they answer random emails about growing and saving quite happily and are being really proactive about campaigning against unnecessary EU seed regulation.
Title: Re: Real seeds
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on February 26, 2014, 17:21:08
Excellent firm. When I buy seed, which isn't that often, they're one of the first I look at.
Title: Re: Real seeds
Post by: Ian Pearson on February 26, 2014, 17:57:57
I buy from them regularly. Good germination, and plenty of seed in a packet.
Title: Re: Real seeds
Post by: Digeroo on February 26, 2014, 18:43:54
Sorry to be negative but I am not keen.  I think it is something to do with soil types.
Title: Re: Real seeds
Post by: ancellsfarmer on February 26, 2014, 20:13:53
First time with them last year. Excellent in every respect,good service, excellent germination,great flavoured varieties ,not expensive. Only "failure " was Root Parsley which came up well but did not grow very well.Those harvested were  small and "tough",not the success that I was expecting.Will try again with remaining seed on another plot. I have 85% of my requirements from them this year, with a few Lidl packs (Yes, I know what you are thinking, but 29p pkt, less20% on 10pkts!) to fill some gaps.
Title: Re: Real seeds
Post by: squeezyjohn on February 26, 2014, 20:30:33
They've been great for me ... sometimes the really weird things they stock don't come up trumps for me like the melons that supposedly grow outside in the UK - but I'm sure they'd do better in a polytunnel or greenhouse - and decent enriched soil which my plot has not yet attained!

The germination rates for me are miles miles better than any of the big name packets - and you normally get far more seeds too.

All of that's just from the point of view of them as a business ... but I also love their entire ethos of seed-saving, campaigning against the EU regulations to restrict available seeds and saving varieties from the brink of extinction.

My root parsley grew fairly big last year and I found the taste of the roots was disappointing - however they give good parsley leaves for ages through the season so they are dual-use I suppose.  It's parsnips for me this year though.

Some of the best stuff I've had from Real Seeds are:

Gigandes beans - delicious and vigorous growers - good harvest
Ground Cherry - They look like a physalis but taste out of this world - I'm growing tons this year.
Gigant Kohl Rabi - The size of footballs and no woodiness - very fast growing.
Crookneck Squash - little yellow summer squashes the size of courgettes but tastier - very productive and they look like geese!
Chard - they have a different giant chard each year - always lovely thick stems and giant leaves
Bijou giant sugar pea - amazing tall variety of mange tout with massive pods that are really sweet.

Title: Re: Real seeds
Post by: sparrow on February 26, 2014, 23:12:43
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!

2 votes against root parsley, and what had I just ordered???   :BangHead:
Title: Re: Real seeds
Post by: macmac on February 26, 2014, 23:36:29
Love the Bijou mange tout
Title: Re: Real seeds
Post by: shirlton on February 27, 2014, 06:56:48
We have been using Real Seeds for many years. There beetroot (Sanguina is like no other).Lisse de Meaux carrots are good too. We are trying some of their Aurora tomatoes for cooking this year and also their small pointed quick growing cabbage Precoce de Louvier. the only thing that I wasn't happy with was some broccoli that came up all different.(We ate it though)