Proposal : The Grapevine Seed Recommendation database.

[ugley_matt]

Hi,

Like most people i am overawed by the number of seed catalogues and varieties of veg that you can buy, all shapes sizes, and claims of yield and flavour.

Would people be interested in a resource that would allow people to submit they review of the seeds they grew this year, the veg type, variety, company and score it on yield, flavour, germination rate, price, would you recommend them etc. This would then be a searchable resource that would allow people to see what the community recommends

You can read all this in the various books, or what the packet recommends but a personal recommendation from people not trying to sell you something is much more valuable.

If there is enough support for this i can knock something up. Would be either web form to fill in, or a spreadsheet, keep it simple.

Any other suggestions for categories would be welcome.

[Two_Sheds]

It's difficult this one: because what works well in my soil & climate may be a total bummer in your neck of the woods

[ugley_matt]

It would be easy enough to cover that though, record the post code at the same time, then i can put the results on a map, so put in your post code and see what others in a radius or a number of miles also grew sucessfully.

[Two_Sheds]

erm ... I like you, but I'm not putting my postcode out there There's loonies around

[Two_Sheds]

RustyLady is only 8 miles from me, yet we often have completely different results from planting the same varieties. Even my neighbours on lotty have - eg, I gave Chris some of my sweetcorn plants and they were awful for him (Conqueror ~ I've tried lots of other varieties but always come back to that one)

[solway cropper]

I agree with TS. Even in a country as small as the UK the growing conditions vary widely. I think the best answer is to talk to other gardeners in your area and see what they have success with. Better still, try it yourself and see. I would agree with the point about seed companies wanting to sell you something and giving the impression that everything is easy to grow wherever you are!

[zazen999]

you could have like a wiki-gardener or something.....

[Glutton4...]

erm ... I like you, but I'm not putting my postcode out there There's loonies around

And none in here!!!?

[FionaH]

Sounds like a good idea at first glance, BUT like the others have said there is way too much variation.
And if you think I am letting G4 know my postcode you have another thing coming!

[SarzWix]

We tried this already, the thread is in Growing Techniques, called something like 'Gold Standard Varieties'. Hardly anyone contributed to it, and so it ended up shoved in there after about 6 months

[HeyWayne]

A great idea - but, not without its downfalls. A myriad of variations to a seeds success would make it almost impossible to assess what would work.

Anyway's part of the fun of it is in the trying (as with many things ;-)).

I like your thinking though.

[arpoet]

The problem is, what works for me, dont always work for the guy next to me. Too many factors.
Also, each year is different, winter cabbages are a prime example.. Jan king has failed for 2 years, but tundra loved the cold...
Sorry, sounds all too complicted
Roger