Many folk have
recently received unsolicited packets of seeds through the post from China.
It’s like those old ‘Book of the Month’ or special introductory offers you don’t
really want but the supplier wants you to have. The premise of the old offers
was that if you threw enough over the wall some would stick. In fact, I was
once a Non-Exec Director at a company who believed that an 80% returns rate was
acceptable – I clearly advised differently. Today the seed dumping is part of a
global 'brushing' scam aimed at gaining positive social media reviews for
online selling sites. The same principle, throw it over the wall and see if it
sticks.
But what are these
mystery seeds? Are they non-native species? Could they introduce pests and
diseases? Like in the fairy tale of Jack Spriggins and his enchanted bean, they could present many surprises and
even like his beanstalk reach up into the sky to meet a giant saying, 'Fee, fie, fo, fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman.'
Government bodies
are very concerned about the issue and request that all packets received are
sent to the appropriate labs for testing. But that just identifies whether they
are safe, not whether the practice is right and is little incentive to many who
may wish to risk the free beanstalk and the giant.
Seeds for free hits
an accord with many and begs the question what is the price of seeds and how
can you tell a good deal from an expensive one?
If you visit other EU
countries you can often buy packets of seeds far cheaper than in the UK and not
only that but you also get far more seeds than in many miserly UK packets. Are
they as good? Do they pass the rigorous UK quality standards? You are not
allowed to import plants without licence, but a packet of seeds?
My seeds are in the
main from Spain and in my humble opinion far better than those available in UK,
offer far more in a packet, and often are half or less the UK price.
The other issue I
can’t get my head around is why it is so easy for you to get significantly
discounted seeds in the UK. Sometimes it is a club or Society price, sometimes
they are just discounted but it begs the question of what is the true cost of
the seeds and are we paying too much when we purchase at full RRP?
You all receive not
one but many glossy full colour bulky seed catalogues. I have received four in
the last month alone plus the email shots which often offer discount on the
catalogue price. These are sent out to you even if you once even enquired. What
about the cost of the associated mail order and list management routines and
dispatch and delivery costs and what happens to the waste?
At least two
national growing organisations offer members some 40% plus discount on seeds from
different seed providers which would suggest the gross margins are significant.
Today the seed
nurseries, distributors and household names are clearly shifting from seed to
plants and plugs are becoming the safe way to get a start. Some may sell
accessories too but these are often full price and easily available elsewhere
at a more reasonable price.
Some say that plugs
are cheating, and you need to be there from the sowing. Others that is not the
first stage and you need to be there from conception and collect and store your
own. I sow what I feel Iam happy to sow and have success in doing, especially
from Spain. I’ll plug some plants I either have patchy success at sowing or
simply can’t beat the offer on time and effort. I’ll even collect seeds and
encourage self-seeding where appropriate. To me there is no right or wrong,
only a full plot of healthy plants.
So what would I do
if I received one of these Chinese freebies?
Like junk or spam mail I’ll
ignore them, but is it safe to dispose of them or will a giant beanstalk be found growing out of the sewers and reaching up to the sky?
