Allotments 4 All

I have often thought that seed packets do not give enough information on how to grow .

Most of us have to read magazines or books to find out more.And forums of course but quite often the damage is done.

Even if they put an information sheet inside the pack that would be a great help to newbies or even oldies if you are dealing with something you have never grown before. :)

What do you think?

I was under the impression that most seed packets had all the information needed on the packet already. A factsheet inside the packet would be clutter to most folk and would raise the pack price another 20p.

Not on the seed packets I buy Erisyic.Look how many people are putting things like courgettes and runner beans out now and wondering why they are not doing well.I am on about detailed information that is needed. :)

People trying to cheat the earliest start date is always going to be a problem with things like beans and squash etc, the outdoor tenders anyway..... we're all too impatient (those of us under 60 anyway :D )..... That siad if I'd got enough bean seeds etc (or if my allotment wasn't so bag) then I'd ahve started a batch off early to see if I could cheat it..... get them in at the start of May and put the "proper" timing one into the propagator at the same time.... if you don't get a late frost and it's not too unpleasant (which it hasn't been round my way) then you might just steal a week or two.... but TBF with only two seedtrays (now four :D) heated  worth of propagator I had to be pretty military about what went in when in order to get all the onions/brassicas etc I wanted through them as well as the near month that the asparagus seed spent in there..... Now I have four trays two are sweetcorn, two are squashes and other cucurbits..... the beans are having to take their cahnces just under propagator lids.... they'll get the heated trays once the corn and squash are showing.......

chrisc

ill agree with the comment about sowing dates in variably it does say when to sow and when to plant out on good seed packets well people will try and cheat but i ask myself on question with all of this .
I thought the whole idea was to grow and produce food for ones self at a lower cost growing surplus to give away even if needed but to sow more than one could ever eat or begin to consume boggles me beyond belief as why ever would you want to spend all that money on compost and time spent nurturing young tender plants and for them to just die from the cold wind
Words of wisdom i agree better instruction is needed than most is provided sow what you need and no more as i prefer to have more variety throughout the year rather than quantity of something i pass on as not needed after time and money has been spent

some people I know don't even read the instructions on the seed packet, they find it easier to ask or do what they think (cabbages every 6") then wonder why stuff doesn't do well ;D

I'd like some info on how tall the plant is going to grow, useful if you have to net everything in site.

And the number of seeds, rather than "enough for xxx rows"

Well maybe I'm looking at this from a funny angle but all the commercial seed packets in my tins have more than adequate growing instructions plus they are further backed up by suppliers websites and catalogues.

Further, as one or two of you may know already, I'm always first in the queue when an opportunity arises to stick the steel toecaps where it might hurt, but I really don't think it is the seed companies job to hold newbies handies. If anyone here does not have the basic knowledge about seed sowing then there are plenty of people here to help, there are good books and there is the new fangled Internet thingie. It is impossible to put precise information on a seed packet as there are far too many variables outside human control. "Sow Apr - May" does not mean Feb.

We all push the boundaries and no one more than me, but then when things go wrong we have to take it on the chin. When we succeed in second guessing the weather we gain bragging rights.

I've just had a look through my collection and only have 5 companies stock, all of which have good instructions. They are:

Suffolk Herbs
DT Brown
Garden Organic (Hydra)
Real Seeds
Baker Creek.

So which companies fail to list growing information. Name and shame.

To name a couple, not sure about the shame bit as I consider both of these companies useful.

Chiltern seeds - The packets only name the seed, if the seed has been taken from cold storage that is also indicated on the packet with advice to sow ASAP. Your order is accompanied by a general guide to sowing seeds & a few types of seed they stock do come with an instruction leaflet but the majority have no specific growing information/sowing dates. The catalogue & website has a description of the plants  but no specific growing information/sowing times. Then again a catalogue & website which lists seed by the Latin names is unlikely to appeal to anyone with limited knowledge of gardening.

Agroforestry Research Trust - Also just lists the variety name on the pack. Any required stratification instructions are given on the website but no other growing information/sowing dates are listed.

Seeds from various suppliers come with instructions to sow in early spring, late spring etc... rather than specific months which can confuse some people.

i have t&m packets with no instructions,
lbb

HSL packets have no info either..  :-X

and all my little zip lock bags with a pinch of this and that,  ::)
lbb

I just want a seed packet that when I open it doesnt mean I have to rip all the info off at the top. 
Maybe a range of newbie seeds might help like the kids selections you sometimes see.  Seeds for beginners with a insert of instructions could be useful and wont put up costs for those of use who think we know better (I said think!)

Problem is that sowing dates in the south of England are a long way in front of the north of Scotland, for example.

I reckon they should all have a link to the correct page of Tee Gee's website.  ;)

Quote from: Eristic on May 12, 2009, 23:12:39
So which companies fail to list growing information. Name and shame.

Moles Seeds

valmarg

franchi

Quote from: littlebabybird on May 13, 2009, 14:22:57
franchi

Agree with that LBB - plain confusing!

I think that some are very confusing.  When precisely is early spring.  Someone showed me a packet of beans recently and that said the 10th May. 

Question is whether people read what is written.  There are a lot of sweet corn in rows on our allotments, pumpkins sown in March direct into the soil and carrots appearing in seed trays.  Not to mention runners and tomatoes freezing their socks off, I am sure this was not on the packets,

Quote from: 1066 on May 13, 2009, 15:36:46

Quote from: littlebabybird on May 13, 2009, 14:22:57
franchi

Agree with that LBB - plain confusing!

I find them very clear