Seed Suppliers with Free Postage

A problem with buying your seeds from several suppliers is the post and packaging charge . If you are only buying 2 or 3 packets this could be around £3 at most suppliers. The 2 seed companies below , offer free P and P , plus at the moment you get a couple of free seed packets with each order :thumb:

http://www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/
http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/

I am sure there will be other seed suppliers with free postage, which can be added to the list.

 

Nice one Harry.

Got a bit cross when I ordered seed from Chiltern Seeds.

They charged me p&p, then, before my seeds arrived, they sent me a brochure which weighed 10 times the weight of the seeds :dh:

If they knew they were going to send me that, why didn't they not charge me & put the seeds in with it?

 

There isn't really such a thing as 'free postage' cost is inclusive and will be added on. For some orders this might work out better, for others it could be much worse.

 

Ziggy - they need to charge their high postage rates to fund the half tonne of glossy brochures they send to each and every one ! :xmgrn:
Now I thought there may have been another one or two seed companies recommended , who do not have a postage charge.
I must be the only tight wad on the forum

 

:xmgrn: Guess its just you and me then Harry :gnthb: Seriously though, its only special seeds I send away for, it was tea seeds I got from Chiltern and they still haven't germinated, although the outer casings are breaking down now so keep em crossed.

Most of my seeds I buy from local nurseries this is one of my local ones,

http://www.kelways.co.uk/categories/historic_vegetable_seeds/4/

Phone it thru & they will only charge a quid postage. As i've said in a previous post, they have been supplying heritage seeds so long that they started out just selling "seeds" that have now become "heritage seeds"

The quality & germination rate is fantastic. I now have too much Conovers Collosus Asparagus, i'm going to have to give some to Chopper.

Being split between two worlds at the moment, my other "local" nursery is this,

http://www.grovesnurseries.co.uk/Shop/ProductList.aspx

Again, a long established good nursery with free postage if you order over £50 worth.

When I physically shop in a nursery I shop backwards as they put the expensive seeds first.

Don't neglect grocery/health food stores for seed.

Why pay £1.99 for a tiny pack of corriander/mustard/dill/fennel/alfalfa/french beans/opium poppies Etc. when you can get a blooming great bag full for less ?

 

I am also a member of the tight wad clan.

Many companies do not have a retail premises that you can visit or are so far away it is just not feasable to go there. The internet brings thier shop into your home and reduces the overhead costs of the companies. Yet they still make big profits from postage and packing. It is a double whammy for them.

I spent some time looking at several seed suppliers. Once I had chosen what I wanted, I emailed the company and told them that I would buy the list of seeds BUT ONLY if they cancelled the P&P charges. It worked and two of them sent me extra seeds as well.

My advice is to shop arround and just because you use the internet, it does not mean you cannot haggle for a better deal.

Other thing you can do is get together with other local gardeners and share what you buy, splitting the costs between you.

Ziggy, I would love some of your Asparagus please. Never grown it before. I will swap you for something I have. By the way, I have too many lettuce plants. Is it possible to lift and replant some of them? Maybe into pots?

Chopper.

 

I'm in the Tight Wad seed buying club too ... but free P&P isn't cheap enough for me ...

I get my seeds in the Wyevale sale at 50p / packet .... and that uses shanks pony for postage!

 

Hi Chopper,

I potted a few up for you a few weeks back, i've got them in a cold frame just to check they don't die before I bring them round.

If you grow lettuce in a pot, make sure they don't dry out as that makes them prone to root aphids, first thing you know about them is your lettuce keels over & when you pull it up there are hundreds of the silent subterranean sap sucking sods.:tnp:

 

Ziggy , thanks for the links and tips above .I bought some codliver oil capsules from the health food store + my seed potatoes. I should have a lovely crop of fish and chips next September :D

 

I'm sure I belong to the Tight Wad club too.
As for coriander, mustard, fungreek seeds and the like, I can buy it by the kilo.
Best just go to an Indian supermarket and buy from there. Cheaper then the Health shop as well.

 

Hey Shobhna,

The dried paprika i bought from the Chinese supermarket has got seeds in, will lob some of those in soon. Never had fresh paprikas.

Off to the health food store for a copper supliment Harry, see if I can grow a plumbing system:thumb:

 

.

Are there no Wilco's or Lidl near you?

Best about them, their seeds are cheap and they germinate and grow!

Not the greatest selection maybe but Wilso does sell Johnson,s they are dear enough for those who want to spend a fortune!

Cheers!:thumb:

Ps Success at last :gnthb:

Last summer I crossed some Hosta flowers, which I considers nice, thouh had to wait ages for the seed to ripen.
They were sowed and placed in a propagator, and they just sat there, nothing.
Had a look last night, and there were some very pale shoots showing.

I have given them a slight spray with tepid water and placed them on a window cill, and already they have darkened slightly.

First time I have tried them, hope they survive till the Spring!

No white flag yet! :thmb::thmb:

 

Another one for the financially astute members of the forum
T & M are offering free P and P , until the 29th of December.

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/

I agree JWK , Ebay is good for the odd packet or two . I also use Ebay USA for some of my petunia seeds . The petunia wave varietys here are very expensive , buying from the USA is about a third of the price. Now I dont know if it is 100% OK to import seeds from the USA :cnfs:. DEFRA's website does show the regulations.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/food/personal-import/pdf/personal-plants.pdf