Grow Your Own Magazine

Ever since I was young my parents and grand parents have given me a few seeds each year to grow stuff in my patch in the garden at home, well now im no longer a sapling and have a garden of my own and I have started to grow a few vegetables and have planted an apple tree..

My question was how do you know how many plants you get from one packet?
Does a packet cover a certain area?
What is the average germination rate of seeds?

Grumbleweed it all depends on which vegetable it is as to how many seeds you get in a packet and therefore how many plants. Lettuce have on average about 1500 seeds in a packet but squash only about 5 seeds. There should be a guaranteed germination rate of about 75% but with tomatoes and squashes where you only get a few seeds in a packet I expect 100% germination.

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Some of the seed merchants sell them as "enough for a 30' row" or the likes that can help. If you want just enough try a goole for "seeds by size" they will sell you by qty rather than a packet.

As to gremination rates it's suprising what the seed merchants are allowed to get away with by law. There are set percentages that they have to pass for each variety of vegetable it they don't meet this they don't go on the list & can't sell them.

If your really interested (and it is a bloody boring document!) I posted a link on the vine some time ago that explains it all - I think LJ tried to read it butit is heavy going.

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Nick you are getting cheekier by the day!! Just as well I enjoy it!!

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Nick - ive just started going back through your posts ive gone back 200 threads and keep stopping to read them all and by the looks of it your replied to enough threads to weave the world a blanket Are you able to repost the link for me, I am in need of some bedime reading...

Grumbleweed the post you want is in Feeling Fruity dated 19/4/06. It is reply # 27 and the thread is The Fruit and Vegetable Company. I hope this helps!

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Hello Grumbleweed, I think the answer is everything can't be reduced to a scientific fact. Some seeds will germinate much more easily than others and local conditions will have a lot to do with it. It's all an act of nature and can't be willed to command. Yes, practise and experience will let you get the best yield in your local conditions. What is a weed for one person is impossible for another. Find out all you can about germinating seeds for what you are interested in. Look at what grows easily for your neighbours. Don't strive for the impossible.Take everything as a gift. And enjoy.

Your not the first person to ask when I do my gardening Lol!!! Truth is I live in a flat & have ony got a window box ....... I wish NOT!!

When you're as wonderful & modest as I am, you just have to share it

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Surely the answer to how far a packet of seeds can go is either, (a) depends which train it catches or (b) depends on whether you save your own seed for subsequent years.

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Bright Blessings
Earthbabe
If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

Hi GW and welcome to the Vine! I think you have a valid question - and one which I wished I'd asked before I did all my planting of seedlings this year - mind you, I didn't know about the Vine then!
Basically, I got a packet of seeds, whatever they were, and sowed the whole lot in a seed tray, then transplanted them etc etc into little pots until they got bigger - etc etc. What I have now learned is to sow little and often, depending on the space you have to sow them in!
What I'm going to do next year is to sow a few at a time, then transplant them into newspaper pots ready for putting in the ground.
One thing I would do aka HFW is one for you, one for the slugs with peas, beans etc.
Happy planting! Hope this helps! DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

DDL - how do you get on with those newspaper pots, are they difficult to make and do they collapse when wet? Have often wondered if they were any good.

I LOVE my newspaper pots! I bought one of those little maker things for less than £10 and have never looked back! they say only use one layer of newspaper, but i use two layers, cut them into strips, roll them round the thingy, press them into the other bit and hey presto! a little paper pot.

I've used them for all my seeds since I got it early summer, and woudnt be without it. The paper breaks down once you plant it into the ground, so the roots can do what they do, and I think it gives the seedlings a good start.

Give it a go! I reckon you'll be onto a winner! DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

That's how I thought they worked, have seen them in magazines etc for sale and thought that they looked a good idea and as you say you can use them like you would a peat pot except they're free when after you've spent your tenner. Will put one on the Christmas list - it's getting quite long and this is probably another thing which will make some of my family give me some very funny looks. Getting used to that now! Thanks for the info.

Do put it on your santa list Alison - I reckon I've saved £ by using it - shame I didn't have it earlier, but you learn as you go. DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

I think I ought to add one to my list although the newspaper tends to get used for the guinea pigs cage.

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Bright Blessings
Earthbabe
If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

Dr Hessayon The Vegetable Expert is a really good guide. It gives expected germination times, and the life expectancy of stored seed as well as how much you need for a row of a certain length.

I like my Hessayon too RL. It is extremely useful from planning through to harvesting.

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Bright Blessings
Earthbabe
If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

I agree Hessayon books are good. Like you earthbabe my news papers get used for the guinea pigs. Makes good compost after though doesn't it.

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Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful..William Morris

Definitely will do. Ours are only 11 weeks old but as the hutch needs to be cleaned out every 4-5 days I've actually had to start buying the occasional newspaper and can no longer just rely on the freebie coming through the door.

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Bright Blessings
Earthbabe
If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

In the main I use my newspapers for the cats and that of course, then goes straight in the dustbin. I save a few sunday newspapers for my pots (not after using them for the cats of course!) DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Should you always use fresh seed (ie buy new every year or every other year)? Or can you keep seeds for a long time and still use them in the garden?

I ask because I have some veg, herb, & flower seeds some bought and some I have collected over the past couple of years and I don't know whether to keep them or bin them.

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Reine de la cocina

If you keep them cool and dry then you should be able to use them well past their packet sell by date - I'm sure that's just a marketing ploy. If you're not too sure you're better off planting a few more spares than usual but you should still be OK - if they all come then you've got some good swap plants to get something different!

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Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

Hi Marge, some seed is more viable when fresh but others keep better e.g. beans as long as they are stored somewhere cool and dry. D G Hessayon gives this sort of info in his "The Vegetable and Herb Expert".

BTW Welcome to the Vine.

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Bright Blessings
Earthbabe
If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

Hello Marge, some time ago Eskymo (i'm sure it was her) posted a poem which gave the viable life of lots of seeds. I don't know how to find it on the site but I'm sure L J do