How much do you spend?

[Eco-Chic]

I've spent only 0.39p for some parsnip seed this year

This is because I spent about £80 on seed last year and sowed nowt but salad because I was looking after one relative at death's door (still with us, but not so good) and another who had a serious accident and decided to look after her garden as she could sit in it but not do anything.

So in between sorting out family and family gardens, neighbours (either side) gardens and a couple of casual gardening jobs, guess who's garden didn't get the overhaul planned?

Still the dogs and the chooks enjoyed trashing what was left to be trashed and I could enjoy their antics

ps I've a £10 T&M voucher to spend and a free p&p weekend so my spend will go up, but it won't be seeds (with the exception of seed spuds).

[pjh75]

In my first year (I'm just starting my third), I spent hardly anything on seeds as I mainly used the free ones in mags like Let's Grow Veg which had quite a standard selection... admittedly that was £7.99 a go but I got loads of advice in the mag and still have loads of seeds left. That's not to say I have never topped up with the odd packet. If I was starting out now I think I'd be getting that new allotment "bookazine".

[jackyspratty]

As we are novice growers, and there are a lot of things that I,ve never tasted (mmm, cant wait!) and its a new plot,plus we really dont know what we are doing yet, we bought a fair bit from more veg. This meant we could buy smaller amounts at a cheaper cost. We were lucky to get a load of seed from a freecycler too, but an enormous amount which I am trying to donate to various poeple, including our local school, as its all basic stuff, like salad leaves, great for kids

[Snadger]

About 20 quid will keep my two allotments with three greenhouses on them, supplied with seed and sets for the season!

[weekendwellies]

Throw those seed magazines away and shop at the locals like Aldi, Netto, Wilkinsons, B&Q, Poundland, etc.

If you get the GYO magazine they usually provide the odd free seed pack or ten.

Keep a record of what you sow and when. Then what you harvest and how much.

Thinking back to last year which was my first ~ I sowed 6 courgette seeds, thinking they would give me enough for my needs, and if necessary I could sow some more. They all germinated, 2 died off after planting out on the lottie. Those 4 remaining plants gave me more courgettes than I could cope with. Several went to marrows and I gave loads away.

Same with the potatoes. I thought I would get barely enough for my needs and they just kept on coming all through the year.

So you probably think you will need more than you actually do.

The up side is that seeds generally last for several years if you keep them cool and dry.
So what you don't use this year can be made use of next year, and even the year after.

[zazen999]

So.....what's it gonna be?

Have we averted the big spend or has Seahorse egged you on past the point of no return?

[Seahorse]

Gwan, gwan, gwan...

[Curlykale]

Thanks - you've done the trick!

Oh you are a great bunch! I must admit that Seahorse's answer was my favourite but luckily I kept reading and (most of) the rest of you have made me see sense - I have now pressed the 'pause' button!

I will check out some of the other websites you have mentioned and buy smaller quantities of seed - MoreVeg sounds good - I did think it was daft to buy hundreds of seeds in each packet when I probably will only plant a few of each. Where I live we don't have any of the shops you have mentioned (apart from B&Q) and our allotment site is brand new so there are no gardeners I can scrounge seeds/cuttings from.

Part of my list was from the Real Seed Co which sounds great, but their seeds were still around £1.50 a pack. I googled "real seeds" in case there was another firm with a similar name - and up popped one that sells cannabis bushes - now there's a thought - that would give me a return on my invesment!!

I'll let you know what my final spend is when I press the 'buy' button!

Some fab advice from you all - thanks again guys!

[FionaH]

Curly, if you put your rough location in your profile it would help us to give you area specific suggestions

[Eco-Chic]

I googled "real seeds" in case there was another firm with a similar name - and up popped one that sells cannabis bushes - now there's a thought - that would give me a return on my invesment!!

Nope, Drug Squad Plods all over your no dig beds is the last thing you want.

On the other hand, if you're sowing grass (lawn tennis type) make an anony phone call when you've dug it over and need it treading down

[Prince of Durham]

£103!!!!!!!!! I'd want the seed merchant to give me a foot rub and dig my beds for me for that!!!!

Try another company. I use wallis seeds and would find it hard to spend that much if I bought the whole catalogue.

[SarzWix]

I seem to remember going a bit mad with the T&M catalogue when I first got my plot I don't think I spent £100 in one go, but, I did visit several times! Some of those packets of seeds, particularly the brassicas and salads, are still being used now going into my 4th year... This year, I think I've spent about £10 so far, I still have parsnip seeds to get, but that's about it. (That's not counting seed potatoes, which I'm not confessing how much I spent on them... )
I think the suggestion to swap part of the packets is a good one; you'll get some different varieties but only pay for one packet.

[gojiberry]

Must admit that £100 plus in one go is a lot of money. However I would not be surprised to find I spend nearly as much over the year with the odd packet here and there. Have a box full of unopened packets picked up from here and there. If I am ordering seed it is usually with other stuff but still comes to £8 £10 and I probably do that a half dozen times a year. Still I freely admit to being a seedaholic and it is still cheaper than most other pastimes.

Ian

[Alison]

I've spent about £40 this year including onion sets but not including seed potatoes and fruit trees (don't ask on that!). To be honest I still feel I've spent more than I needed but wanted to try some new and unusal varieties and some of those are for ornamentals for home use so I'm not TOO fussed. Over £100 does sound a lot even for the first year and am glad you're managing to reduce it a bit. Suppose it depends on how much of it is made up of:

a - excessive numbers of packets which may or may not be realistic in the heat of the season

b - expensive versions of the same thing eg I buy most of my basic seeds from Kings at about £1 a packet which I think is good value as they have the open pollinated varieties I want (although B&Q etc can be very good value for basic varieties which are good for a first year)

c - unusual varieties which can cost more but are fun to try, I like to add a couple of these each year but not too many at once

[dogsbody]

How's this for an idea?

If Curly Kale posts a list of "wants" - we all contribute no more than a couple of dozen (or so, depends on variety) seeds and see if we can reduce that £103 to nothing?

I meant to add 1 seed type each only and this is a one-off experiment. Depends on each of us donating postage I guess.

Throwing it open to the floor.