Buying Seeds for your Allotment

Until recently, I used to always buy a few packs of seed for my allotment from the local garden centre. But recently, I have found that a quick visit to the Sunday car boot has yeilded many suprises!

I found loads of stalls that sold near out-of-date seed packs for a fraction of their original cost. Most offered 4-5 pack for £1!

For the 2 years I have been using such seeds and have found them to be just as good as anything bought new from the garden centre. To keep the seeds extra fresh, I put them in a small box which I keep in my fridge.

There are some seeds that don't like to wait more than a season to germinate, and will rapidly give up on life. Some of the root vegetables such as turnips need to be sown in the first year as subsequent years will yeild a very low turn-out.

Anyone know of any other seeds that won't keep? Any seeds that will keep for many years?

 

Not a veggie seed but sweetpea seeds if collected by yourself can spend years and years in a freezer.

 

Hi James as a car boot junkie I have seen many a booter selling those 'past it' seeds but unlike your goodself the ones I have seen are out of date by at least 10 years!

I tend to go to Wilkinsons and Dobbies to buy half price seeds which I find tend to have at least 2 years on the 'best before date' I would rather sow in date seeds that would have a much greater yield than waste time on 'old' seeds because it's a space thing for us but maybe that's just me.Hel.xxx.