Buying Seeds

[MarkHackwell]

How has everyone found Thompson and Morgan seeds?

[Thelma Sanders]

In the report for 2008 kings were rated as 'best buys'

Plants of Distinction was awarded Overall Best Buy with 85 per cent of its seed producing healthy plants. Johnsons and Chiltern Seeds were awarded Best Buys for flower seeds. Eight seed companies were awarded Best Buys for vegetable seeds********, including Edwin Tucker

********Vegetable seed Best Buys also awarded to Simpson’s Seeds, Suttons, Unwins, Suffolk Herbs, Kings, Nicky’s Nursery and Seeds-by-Size

Read more: Seeds not always sow reliable says Which? Gardening - Which? Gardening magazine - Product press releases - Press - About Which?
Consumer Champions Which?
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial

[MarkHackwell]

Marshalls Seeds

Has anyone used the supplier 'Marshalls Seeds'. What did you think of the quality and how did you find they turned out?

[alex-adam]

I came across this catalogue whilst browsing, I have no experience of this company, but Thomas Etty Esq's Catalogue makes amusing reading:

http://www.thomasetty.co.uk/seeds/veg-flower-2012.pdf

a-a

[Currysniffa]

Why don't you rate them? They are one of the catalogues I have ....

I've used them for the last couple of years and I don't seem to have much luck with them tbh beans and cauliflower were really disappointing harvests this year, there also seem to be a lot of seeds the the packets too one of the old chaps on the lottie said most of them were sweepings up with a few new seed in for good measure lol, not sure that's true but I gave all the Kings seeds I had left away at the end of the season..

[wetwalnut]

Think I will burn my left over kings seed, rather than giving them away for someone else to be dissapointed. Lol !

[Snadger]

Seeds half price at dobbies just now!

[wetwalnut]

Maybe dobies are having a clear out of the old and cr@p !

[Jelliebabe]

I've bought plants from Thomson and mkorgan and Marshalls and both of those have been okay - cant remember what the seeds were like - prolly would remember if they were bad though eh??? I quite like seed parade - got chillis from them this year!

[oldie]

I've never had a failure from Kings seeds!

[BarleySugar]

I've not had any problems with Dobies (a mail order company, not the same as Dobbies garden centres), and they are doing free postage until early Feb. I also try to buy Suttons if I want to get something from a shop/garden centre. Interestingly my mother always swore by Dobies, childhood memories post Christmas are of choosing seeds for our own patches while she chose for the family flowers and veg.

She didn't have much luck with T&M seeds, and they were more expensive too. I've not been impressed by them myself with their plants on several occasions,(none of my raspberry canes took, though the strawberries were fine last year), though I know some people who are very satisfied customers.

Although I haven't used them recently, Marshalls seeds have been good for me in the past. Last year a fellow allotment holder tried Kings and was very disappointed, he's going back to DT Brown this year.

With all the pests and diseases we have to battle with, it helps if we can at least start out with a chance

[veggiechicken]

I buy seeds from most of the suppliers - usually choosing whatever is cheapest. Lots of my seeds are the 50p end of season ones. If the seeds don't thrive I've always put it down to my incompetence or the weather. I don't think I've ever thought it was the fault of the seeds! So I'm not the one to give you any recommendations!!

[Scarlet]

In the report for 2008 kings were rated as 'best buys'




Read more: Seeds not always sow reliable says Which? Gardening - Which? Gardening magazine - Product press releases - Press - About Which?

I've used plants of distinction, customer service was very poor ( sorry away at a funeral, didn't see your email etc), order was delayed, seeds out of stock ( you find out when half the order lands on your door mat!) and then to top it off one packet of seed failed to germinate anything! Not a company I would recommend



Sorry..quote didn't copy correctly - not sure what I have done

[Scarlet]

How has everyone found Thompson and Morgan seeds?

I only buy from these at the end of the season when everthing is 50% off - they have always been reliable and I haven't had any problems with germination

[Alison]

I use Kings seeds as my staple basic supplier and find that they are very good value and easily as good a germination rate as any others. What happens after germination is really down to the conditions and the gardener rather than the seeds supplier. Have certianly no problems with sweep ups and feel that this is rather like when my nan told me that supermarket petrol was cheap as they "watered it down" - simply a load of rubbish as they'd not be allowed to get away with it.

Don't really rate T&M that much, their seeds are OK but over priced however their plants are terrible as is the customer service if you complain. Have tried them more than once and am unlikely to use them again for plants.