Stingy Suttons, bit of a rant.

[Babru]

Found five seeds of Delistar cucumber on Premier for £1.49, instead of £4.99 for 12 with Suttons. Premier's Gardeners Delight tom seeds for 69p, and shipping is only 49p.

I only need one cucumber plant. Enough seeds there for next year too.

[greenishfing]

Found five seeds of Delistar cucumber on Premier for £1.49, instead of £4.99 for 12 with Suttons. Premier's Gardeners Delight tom seeds for 69p, and shipping is only 49p.

I only need one cucumber plant. Enough seeds there for next year too.

Last year was the exception but normally to get a cucumber plant to maturity I need half a dozen seeds. Most just commit suicide along the way. A cool night, a breeze, too warm/cold, potting on, a harsh word. They don't really need an excuse.
Last year was unbelievable. My "Diva" seeds wanted to live and gave me and my extended family hundreds.

[Babru]

Last year was the exception but normally to get a cucumber plant to maturity I need half a dozen seeds. Most just commit suicide along the way. A cool night, a breeze, too warm/cold, potting on, a harsh word. They don't really need an excuse.
Last year was unbelievable. My "Diva" seeds wanted to live and gave me and my extended family hundreds.

Oh dear, that's bad news. Last year was my first cucumber outing, and I bought a grafted Delistar from Suttons, for the same price as 12 seeds. At what point do your cucumbers commit hari kiri greenfishing? Tiny seedlings, grown on?

If mine die I would like to still have time to buy a plant. The Delistar cucumbers were really nice, and my OH was happy to eat them for once, so I want to stick with them.

[greenishfing]

Oh dear, that's bad news. Last year was my first cucumber outing, and I bought a grafted Delistar from Suttons, for the same price as 12 seeds. At what point do your cucumbers commit hari kiri greenfishing? Tiny seedlings, grown on?

If mine die I would like to still have time to buy a plant. The Delistar cucumbers were really nice, and my OH was happy to eat them for once, so I want to stick with them.

Mine generally germinate and look really happy until I've got about 4 proper leaves. I usually give some to my sister at this point. Then they start to keel over and I have been known to ask my sister for some back. Once they get planted out in the greenhouse border in early June they seem to thrive.
Last year every plant grew though and I don't know what I did right. I ended up making jars and jars of cucumber pickle though (Delia's recipe) and I am still enjoying it and will be for a few more months.
However it might just be me and cucumbers. Yours might all thrive every year. There's always time to run to the garden centre and buy a plant if you have a bad year.

[Mark Rand]

Last year was the exception but normally to get a cucumber plant to maturity I need half a dozen seeds. Most just commit suicide along the way. A cool night, a breeze, too warm/cold, potting on, a harsh word. They don't really need an excuse.
Last year was unbelievable. My "Diva" seeds wanted to live and gave me and my extended family hundreds.

My cucumbers came up perfectly last year. Promising early crop. Looked to be a good year.

Then came the RSM and wiped them out.

[Babru]

Excuse my ignorance Mark, what's RSM?

I'm getting more and more nervous about my purchase of a paltry five cucumber seeds.

[Mark Rand]

RSM=Red Spider Mite.

[Bonjour]

Well, as this thread has mutated into a cucumber germination thread, I'll give Suttons their due when it comes to seed viability. As usual, I'm growing Telegraph Improved cucumbers again this year. 8 seeds in a pack, I planted 4 and have 100% germination, leaving 4 spare seeds in case these ones lose the will to live, as cukes so often do. I normally expect to get 2 plants to maturity out of 4 seeds.

[veggiechicken]

Did you ask Suttons about the shortage of Jalapeo seeds?

[Bonjour]

Did you ask Suttons about the shortage of Jalapeo seeds?

I have to admit that it hasn't been top of my "to do" list and I've not contacted them.

Other stuff I've sown so far has been on or slightly over the stated number of seeds, so I think I'll cut them some slack on the Jalapenos.

[Scarlet]

I picked up a pack of achillea seeds - summer berry yesterday at the garden centre.

£2.49 for 45 seeds - there were only 25 seeds in the pack!! So annoying. I have sent a complaint.

[Bren In Pots]

Don't blame you Scarlet that's almost half the amount there should have been.

[Hatgirl]

Mine generally germinate and look really happy until I've got about 4 proper leaves. I usually give some to my sister at this point. Then they start to keel over and I have been known to ask my sister for some back. Once they get planted out in the greenhouse border in early June they seem to thrive.
Last year every plant grew though and I don't know what I did right. I ended up making jars and jars of cucumber pickle though (Delia's recipe) and I am still enjoying it and will be for a few more months.
However it might just be me and cucumbers. Yours might all thrive every year. There's always time to run to the garden centre and buy a plant if you have a bad year.

I was having that same problem with all my cucurbits. Turns out getting the leaves even slightly damp was causing rot. I solved it by switching over to careful bottom watering using a large tray, and making sure I never splashed the leaves.

[Scarlet]

Don't blame you Scarlet that's almost half the amount there should have been.

Well, they responded first thing this morning. So super speedy and they promised to send another pack out today. Very impressed.

[veggiechicken]

Are you going to name and shame and praise them?