Feed the Family & Veg Survival Kit

Real Seeds and Franchi sell Seed collections that aim to keep you family fed year round - and to be easy to grow with seeds you can save for the future. 
Since I'm easily tempted I've bought both - the Real Seeds "Feed the Family Collection" bought last February and the Franchi "Vegetable Growing Survival Kit" which is the same as the Brexit seed kit. 

Real seeds : 14 varieties

• Sanguina beetroot
  
• Petrowski turnip
  
• Wizard field bean
  
• Sutherland kale
  
• Leaf Beet chard
  
• D' Eyesines fat carrot
  
• Bleu de Solaise leek
  
• Mortons Secret Mixed lettuce
  
• Jessy dwarf sugar snap pea
  
• Joan swede
  
• Czar runner bean
  
• Stupice tomato
  
• Verde di Italia courgette
  
• Abundance french bean
  

Order MC46 - £35.90 (although I bought it when there was a discount offer for £26.92)


Franchi Seeds "Vegetable Growing Survival Kit" is £21.99 for 12 varieties but I bought the "Magazine Offer" at £24.99 with 3 mystery packets of seeds extra. They're a bit vague about the varieties of seed in the survival kit but the types (with variety received in brackets) are :-
Short carrot (Paris market)
Lambs Lettuce/Corn salad (as it says!)
Spinach (America)
Broad beans (Aquadulce Supersimona)
Bush tomato (Roma VF)
Cut and come again lettuce (Misticanza- mixed lettuce)

Kale (Cavolo Nero)
Pea (Piccolo Provencale)
Dwarf Borlotto bean (this was actually a Climbing Borlotto Lamon)
Dwarf French bean (N/K yet as they sent Basil by mistake. DFB to come next week with Paolo's apologies. Top marks for customer service) EDIT DFB Boby bianco recived and I can keep the basil.
Pumpkin (Marina di chioggia)
Broccoletti (Spigariello)

For interest, the 3 mystery packets were:-
Gherkin - Piccolo parigi
Lettuce - Barba dei frati
Carrot - Rubrovitamina

In theory, I have enough seeds to Feed my notional family and Survive. All the packets are very generous so I could probably feed the street if I grew the lot!

I think the collections are interesting not only for what's included, but for what is omitted.
There's no cabbage, sprouts or cauli - but kale and Broccoletti.
No cucumbers (as you can't count the freebie gherkins).
No radish or onions - but turnips, swede and leeks.

Would you add anything to these lists or do you think they're sufficient?

Potato, it was always on my plate as a kid but missing from those lists. Other than Cavalo Nero and maybe the leeks, there’s not much growing in spring. So storage is obviously quite important.

Re the storage - I guess that's why some of the beans are for drying and cooking and the pumpkin is for storage

Re:- Cabbage. I had sown Durham Early spring cabbage last year at about this time of year. This has kept me in cabbage from then until now and beyond. I thinned the rows for Spring greens and when I harvested each head I cut a cross in the remaining stem which allowed four more cabbages to grow.
I have recently sown some more Spring cabbage and this will give me as much cabbage as I can eat over a 12 month period without resorting to any other types.

Chillies! They’ve forgotten the chillies.

Chillies! They’ve forgotten the chillies.

How did I know you'd say that? 

Re:- Cabbage. I had sown Durham Early spring cabbage last year at about this time of year. This has kept me in cabbage from then until now and beyond. I thinned the rows for Spring greens and when I harvested each head I cut a cross in the remaining stem which allowed  four more cabbages to grow.
I have recently sown some more Spring cabbage and this will give me as much cabbage as I can eat over a 12 month period without resorting to any other types.

Interesting tip re the stem Vinny Do you sow in modules or direct?

Re:- Cabbage. I had sown Durham Early spring cabbage last year at about this time of year. This has kept me in cabbage from then until now and beyond. I thinned the rows for Spring greens and when I harvested each head I cut a cross in the remaining stem which allowed  four more cabbages to grow.
I have recently sown some more Spring cabbage and this will give me as much cabbage as I can eat over a 12 month period without resorting to any other types.

Interesting tip re the stem Vinny Do you sow in modules or direct?

Sown in a seedbed to be transplanted, although they can be direct sown and use thinning's as greens. About 50mm high now so will transplant when about 150mm.  I will leave some in the seedbed to grow to maturity.

By cutting a cross in stem after harvesting large head you get smaller hearts which are more suited to a single meal for two.

Re:- Cabbage. I had sown Durham Early spring cabbage last year at about this time of year. This has kept me in cabbage from then until now and beyond. I thinned the rows for Spring greens and when I harvested each head I cut a cross in the remaining stem which allowed  four more cabbages to grow.
I have recently sown some more Spring cabbage and this will give me as much cabbage as I can eat over a 12 month period without resorting to any other types.

Interesting tip re the stem Vinny Do you sow in modules or direct?

Sown in a seedbed to be transplanted, although they can be direct sown and use thinning's as greens. About 50mm high now so will transplant when about 150mm.  I will leave some in the seedbed to grow to maturity.

By cutting a cross in stem after harvesting large head you get smaller hearts which are more suited to a single meal for two.

Thanks will definitely try this next year

I'll have a look what spring cabbage seeds I've got and if I find some, will sow tomorrow and see how they go. I'll probably put about 80 seeds in a tray. I assume you put them about 6" (150mm) apart in a bed (4'x4') which would thin to 9?