Buying plug plants

[Scarlet]

I have never bought plug plants for veg/toms ( or if I have I've forgotten!) ....possibly because I've never seen the varieties that I want to grow and they are often easier than flowers? Though I did like receiving a few chilli plants from SP in the post
I buy bedding packs for flowers all the time. Geraniums/buzzy Lizzie etc need a lot more TLC than a tomato and usually need starting much earlier in the season....often when extra heat/light would be an advantage.

For me the seed to seedling/pot stage is the best bit! I love pottering about in the greenhouse.

[rary]

Where I am, it's extremely cold very late in the spring and then suddenly very hot in the daytime just a few weeks later. I've tried growing everything from seed, but the window of opportunity is so short that I've given up and now concentrate on just a few varieties. That means I buy a lot of plug plants for cabbages, onions, peppers and aubergines, even lettuce at certain times of year.

I used to feel like it was cheating, but now I've done it for a few years, I just regard it as practical. Almost everyone here buys plug plants, so I've never been made to feel guilty or inadequate in any way by the locals. If anything, some of them think I'm a bit daft growing things like courgette and melons from seed. They'd be shocked to think that anyone might consider them not proper gardeners because they buy plug plants. After all, many of them provide for their huge extended families, the old people's home and anyone they happen to meet

And that the way it should be, garden as you want

I do think there's some snobbery in gardening though, but not at all on this forum may I add. Often it's those that have heard how things 'are supposed to be done' and know little else that are stubborn and look down on people that don't do it that way.

I've had a few funny looks up at the allotment when I say I'm doing no dig gardening, and I can see that they assume I'm lazy, and that it will never work. And it might not, but it's my way of gardening. Others have been incredibly supportive and want to know more or do it that way themselves.

Either way, however others do it, I appreciate when respect is shown to each others' way of gardening and growing veg, and I absolutely do the same. I think the more knowledge you have, the better

That last part about knowledge is why I like this Forum, knowledge is no good unless its shared
As for the first part I am now of an age that I don't really bother what others may think of my gardening, and once I reach the age that VC is I won't bother what they think about anything

[SarrissUK]

I won't bother what they think about anything

hahaha you made me belly laugh with that haha

[rary]

Thanks for that VC what ever that is

[Lumpy]

I truly believe that growing something is the most important point.
I’ve bought some plugs in the past and will be buying even more next year due to my circumstances.
I won’t buy anything that is a root crop as experience has shown me (with my clumsy hands) that roots don’t like being disturbed.

[veggiechicken]

Thanks for that VC what ever that is

I had to edit your post because you're clearly too old and doddery to manage quotes on your own.

[Scarlet]

^^^^ you pair!

[veggiechicken]

Excuse me, Scarlet, but there is no way in which rary and I could be construed as a "pair" - although it has been said that I am shaped like one.

[Nannysally99]

I have been buying plug plants fora very long time. Summer bedding plants being the main ones,
This year we had a few tomato plug plants and they did very well.
All veg we plant from seed, but I might try plugs for vegetables one of these days

[rary]

Excuse me, Scarlet, but there is no way in which rary and I could be construed as a "pair" - although it has been said that I am shaped like one.

Well I am not

[rary]

I have been buying plug plants fora very long time. Summer bedding plants being the main ones,
This year we had a few tomato plug plants and they did very well.
All veg we plant from seed, but I might try plugs for vegetables one of these days

Well NS I buy a lot of plug plants as some times the season is too short

[Teds Mum]

I only buy flowers as plugs. Two reasons - I'm convinced I can't grow them from seed (irrational) and by the time I need to sow them my greenhouse is already full of veg seedlings.

[Gordon the gardener]

Expensive hobby

I just can’t afford to buy a lot of plugs and to be honest I love the sight of lots of little seedlings popping up. I put in 125 broad beans at the end of November and 90 have so far come up, how much would that cost if they were plugs? The seeds cost less than £1 in the allotment shop. I intend to fill the gaps this weekend with more seed.