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Free Seeds

Free Vegetable Seeds for 2024: A Beginner’s Guide to Growing Your Own Food

by Gregory June 18, 2024

written by Gregory 3 minutes read

Free Vegetable Seeds for 2024: Let’s Get Started!

Introduction

From January to June, we’re giving away free packs of seeds to our subscribers to grow alongside our two expert gardeners. In this article, meet Rachel Bull, our vegetable grower, and learn about her plans for the year.

Meet Rachel Bull, Our Vegetable Grower

Rachel has been growing fruits and vegetables for 15 years, and she’s excited to share her tips and experiences with you. She’ll guide you through the process of growing vegetables from seed, from starting seedlings to harvesting your own delicious produce.

Growing Together

Rachel will share monthly tips on how to grow the seeds you receive, as well as advice for caring for the seedlings you’ve already started. She’ll also share her progress and admit to any setbacks she encounters along the way. Hopefully, together we’ll harvest bountiful crops of basil, parsley, tomatoes, carrots, beetroot, and rocket.

Where to Grow

Rachel grows vegetables in a variety of spaces, including an allotment, containers, and a greenhouse. She’ll show you how to grow vegetables successfully in any space, whether you have a large backyard or just a sunny windowsill.

My Top Tips

Prepare your soil: The key to happy vegetables is healthy soil. Rachel will guide you through the process of preparing your soil for seed sowing.
Protect your seedlings: One of the biggest challenges of growing vegetables from seed is protecting them from pests and diseases. Rachel will share her tips for keeping your seedlings safe.

Growing Your Free Rocket Seeds

Rocket is a great vegetable to start with if you’re new to gardening. It’s easy to grow and can be used in a variety of dishes. Rachel will show you how to start rocket seeds on a windowsill and transplant them to containers or an allotment later in the season.

Get Prepared

Click here to sign up for your free seeds.
Check out our tips on how to prepare your greenhouse for spring.
Learn about the best heated propagators for starting seeds.
Get inspired to build your own polytunnel.
Read up on sowing seeds early for a head start.

Find Out What Our Growers Are Up To

Follow Rachel Bull on her blog, The Good Life Ain’t Easy.
Follow Cel Robertson on her blog, Forever Green Flower Company.

Gardening

Free Vegetable Seeds for March: Grow Your Own Tomatoes, Rocket, and More

by Donna May 2, 2024

written by Donna 2 minutes read

Free Vegetable Seeds for March: Growing Delicious Tomatoes and More

Introduction

Spring is here, and it’s time to start planting seeds for your summer garden. If you’re looking for free seeds, Gardeners’ World Magazine has you covered. This year, they’re giving away a variety of edible seeds, including ‘Sun Baby’ cherry tomatoes. These bright yellow tomatoes are perfect for salads and snacks, and they’re easy to grow in pots or in the ground.

Growing ‘Sun Baby’ Cherry Tomatoes

To start your tomato seeds indoors, sow them in small pots filled with seed starting mix. Keep the soil moist but not soggy, and place the pots in a warm, sunny spot. The seeds should germinate in about a week.

Once the seedlings have emerged, transplant them into individual pots. Grow them on in a sunny spot until they’re about 4 inches tall. Then, harden them off by gradually exposing them to the outdoors before planting them in the garden.

Growing Rocket

Rocket is another easy-to-grow vegetable that’s perfect for salads. To grow rocket, sow the seeds directly in the garden or in pots. Thin the seedlings to about 2-3 inches apart. Rocket doesn’t like to have its roots disturbed, so be careful when transplanting.

Harvesting and Storing Tomatoes

Tomatoes are ripe when they’re fully red and slightly soft to the touch. To harvest tomatoes, simply twist them off the vine. Tomatoes can be stored at room temperature for a few days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Tips for Growing Vegetables from Seed

Start your seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost.
Use a good quality seed starting mix.
Keep the soil moist but not soggy.
Provide plenty of sunlight.
Harden off seedlings before transplanting them outdoors.

With a little care and attention, you can grow a bountiful harvest of vegetables from seed. So get started today, and enjoy the fruits of your labor all summer long!

Flower Gardening

Grow Stunning Strawflowers from Free Seeds: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

by Donna March 14, 2024

written by Donna 3 minutes read

Grow Stunning Strawflowers from Free Seeds in March

Introduction

Spring is here, and it’s time to start thinking about growing your own beautiful cut flowers. This year, you can get free flower seeds from the Free Seeds campaign. One of the varieties included in this year’s seed packet is the gorgeous strawflower, also known as Xerochrysum.

All About Strawflowers

Strawflowers are native to Australia and thrive in well-drained soil and full sun. They produce stunning papery petals that make lovely cut flowers, both fresh and dried. They’re also a great addition to any garden border and attract bees.

How to Grow Strawflowers from Seed

Materials:

Strawflower seeds
Module trays or seed trays
Sieved compost
Vermiculite (optional)
Watering tray

Steps:

Prepare your trays: Fill your module trays or seed trays with sieved compost. Tap the trays on a bench to remove any air pockets and distribute the compost evenly.
Sow the seeds: Sow two to three strawflower seeds per cell. Cover them lightly with a layer of sieved vermiculite or compost, but don’t cover them entirely.
Water: Place the seed trays in a tray of water so the compost is moistened from underneath. You can also cover the trays with a plastic lid to keep the compost from drying out.
Temperature: Keep the seeds at a temperature between 15-20°C for best germination results.
Germination: The seeds should germinate within 14-21 days.

Tips for Growing Strawflowers

Pinch out the leading stem: When the plants are about 25cm high, pinch out the leading stem to encourage more flowering stems and produce a bushier plant.
Support plants: If you have a windy garden, you may need to support individual plants with a cane.
Thin seedlings: Once the seedlings appear, thin them out by removing the weakest seedlings and leaving the strongest plant to grow on.
Harden off: Before planting your seedlings outdoors, harden them off by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions.
Plant outdoors: Plant your strawflowers outdoors after your last frost date.

Other Free Seeds and Growing Tips

In addition to strawflowers, the Free Seeds campaign also offers a variety of other flower seeds. You can find details of which seeds you can receive and when on the campaign website.

The website also provides growing advice for all 12 packs of free seeds, including tips on sowing, watering, and caring for your plants.

Growing Echium from Seed

In addition to strawflowers, I’m also growing Echium ‘Blue Bedder’ from seed this year. Echiums are beautiful plants with striking blue flowers that are attractive to pollinators.

I sowed my Echium seeds in a tray of compost and was delighted when they germinated in just a week! Once the seedlings had a set of true leaves, I pricked them out into individual pots and left them to grow on in a cooler spot in my polytunnel.

I’ll keep you updated on the progress of my Echium plants and my other free seed varieties. I can’t wait to see them all in bloom!

Flower Gardening

Free Flower Seeds 2024: February Sowing Guide for Echiums and More

by Gregory November 23, 2023

written by Gregory 2 minutes read

Free Flower Seeds for 2024: February

It’s February, and as a subscriber to Gardeners’ World magazine, you’ll have received your free flower seeds. Flower grower Cel shares her top tips for growing echiums and tells us her plans for the month.

Growing Echiums

Echiums are beautiful flowers with spires of bright blue flowers that bees and other insects love. They’re perfect for attracting pollinators to your garden.

To grow echiums from seed, sow them indoors in February. You can use a heated propagator or a sunny windowsill. Sow the seeds thinly in a seed tray filled with sieved compost. Cover the seeds lightly with compost and a sprinkling of vermiculite.

Once the seeds have germinated and developed a couple of sets of leaves, prick them out into individual pots. Keep them in a warm, bright place until they’re ready to plant outside in April.

Other Tips for February

Don’t sow all of your seeds at once. Save some for a later sowing so you’ll have flowers all season long.
Water your seedlings from below by standing the seed tray in a tray of water.
Use a sieve to remove large lumps from your compost before sowing seeds.
Clean your pots and seed trays before reusing them to prevent the spread of diseases.
Prepare your greenhouse or windowsill for spring sowing and growing.

By following these tips, you’ll be able to grow beautiful echiums and other flowers from seed this year.