So called professionals

I'm sort of sitting on the fence here!

If you want a better chance of germination (usually!) new in-date seed is  the way to go. Problems I can see with old seed is you just don't know 100% it will germinate. If its the type of seed that can be sown over a long period of time and they don't germinate, or you have minimal germination, at least you can order a fresh batch so the only thing wasted is your time and possibly a bit of potting compost.Lets say 10 days to germinate,another week to be safe, a week to recieve new supplies of fresh seed, this all adds up!

The problem I can envisage is  if there was only a small window to sow seed, and through poor germination you missed that window?

Overall this would be more problematical for the big producers who have a set timetable for sowing Kilo's of seeds which because of age, don't germinate.

I have had poor results from FRESH seed so its really up to the individual whether they want a (Mostly?) guaranteed germination with fresh seed or whether you are happy to take a chance with older seed as I often do.

It's an interesting subject. I've had to go through my stash of old seeds during the lockdowns of the past two summers as I couldn't find what I wanted in shops or online.

Some of my tomatoes did well. I had a packet of Red Cherry seeds from Mr Fothergill's which had a sow by date of 2011 so I sowed the whole packet in two pots. I must've had 100% germination as I had so many I had to give most of them away! Others didn't do so well and I had germination rates from 40% to zero. The seeds that did germinate produced healthy productive plants.

My old flower seeds were scattered in the garden after weeding and some did really well, especially the zinnias which were at least 6-7 years old. The morning glory vines were a similar age and they did spectacularly, most germinating overnight.

Generally, I do prefer fresh seed, especially home saved. The past two years have given me the opportunity to use up all my hoarded old seeds and start from scratch with fresh saved seed.

It would be interesting to know if old seeds from F1 varieties have a poorer germination rate than old open pollinated seeds. Seeds I save myself always seem to germinate fairly well two or three years later.

This just popped up on my fb page. Do these people live in a fantasy or what!! Some poor newbie is going to believe this BS!
   

Unless you live in the south of France you don’t stand a cat in hell’s chance of getting a crop off chillies or aubergine planted outside in a few weeks!! As for them still being seedlings now! Well I’m just speechless ( nothing polite to say anyway     ) ! 

Is it just me?

In a land where all gardeners where knitted cardis and necklaces, anything is possible.

Sometimes I think there is more BS written and spoken in this world than there is honesty and truth, even more so if it is a man speaking in technical terms to a women. The downside of it all is that it makes us all so very cynical. Apologies to all you lovely blokes but I'm still smarting from a BSing plumber who tried to convince me +25mm was only 2mm. He didn't get away with it on this occasion. Normally I'm not sure enough to fight back but this time I did.
PS they're coming back to move the boiler at their own expense

So, no SC, it's not only you.

Result, JJB. Well done for standing your ground.

Result, JJB. Well done for standing your ground.

TBH I was the bad cop back up to P's good cop, we make a good attack team, when all else fails.

Sometimes I think there is more BS written and spoken in this world than there is honesty and truth, even more so if it is a man speaking in technical terms to a women. 

The official name for that is mansplaining ! Don’t get me started with that! I’ve had so much of that with the build!   .

Sometimes I think there is more BS written and spoken in this world than there is honesty and truth, even more so if it is a man speaking in technical terms to a women. 

The official name for that is mansplaining ! Don’t get me started with that! I’ve had so much of that with the build!   .

I have male juniors who try that with me sometimes. It does not go down well. Especially if they try to explain my own specialty to me...