What are the rules regarding seeds? Are we allowed to bring any from the UK? I realise there will be a lot of varieties of veg which will grow better in Bulgaria than in the UK, but we do have favourite varieties which we will want to try out.

I would try some of you own favorites there isn't anything wrong with you taking them with you but most, not all will be available in Bg so its uo to you?

Have a look here [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Or with Google translate [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... CF8Q7gEwAQ

BGTRAVELLER wrote:

Have a look here [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Or with Google translate [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... CF8Q7gEwAQ

Wow! Thanks for that. I guess the answer is all there, and even in the end of season sales seeds will be vastly more expensive here anyway.

This will keep me busy for hours!

Glad to help

And many hanks from me too, a new favourite browsing spot for my odd spare moments! This answers exactly the question I was also going to ask.

start getting those seeds in now Sweet peas in pots some flowers in the garden some in pots time to put the beans onions and garlic in the garden into the ground too. Lots to be doing now. Sew herbs and salad too far to early to put tomatoes out but they are on the market already and the last month for planting trees now good luck with your crops

chrissybg wrote:

start getting those seeds in now Sweet peas in pots some flowers in the garden some in pots time to put the beans onions and garlic in the garden into the ground too. Lots to be doing now. Sew herbs and salad too far to early to put tomatoes out but they are on the market already and the last month for planting trees now good luck with your crops

Can't wait to get started, but will have to wait till the end of May. There will still be time for some things though and we didn't think we would have anything much this year. Luckily the ground has already been ploughed over so should be able to get on straight away....the house can wait!

Mrs Eq

Equinus wrote:

chrissybg wrote:

start getting those seeds in now Sweet peas in pots some flowers in the garden some in pots time to put the beans onions and garlic in the garden into the ground too. Lots to be doing now. Sew herbs and salad too far to early to put tomatoes out but they are on the market already and the last month for planting trees now good luck with your crops

Can't wait to get started, but will have to wait till the end of May. There will still be time for some things though and we didn't think we would have anything much this year. Luckily the ground has already been ploughed over so should be able to get on straight away....the house can wait!

Mrs Eq

Hello Mrs Eq, you must bring pea seeds, can't find any here and BG runner beans don't look the same as ours. If you have any overs I am always willing to take them off your hands.

We had a look at seeds in Praktiker when we were over....how cheap are they over there? Loads in a packet and a third or less of the price as here. I have picked up some favourites from here, (sorry Itchy, too late for parsnips this year) and plan a trip to Lidl to get some basics like beetroot and peas so that we can get them in asap. Worth a try but I should imagine seeds produced in BG will grow best in BG. Will also be looking for some hens, but from what I can gather people tend to hold on to their layers. We will have to find out about markets when we get out there.
Plans, plans.............

no worry about chickens every tuesday in Straldja market all ages also ducks and turkeys Don't know about other markets but i expect they will be there too. Piglets will be on the market soon too There is a seed merchant in town too he will sell you the exact number of seeds you want. I learned this when i was shopping with my Bulgarian friend and she said she had to get seeds. OK no problem says i and in the shop we go and she asked for 3 pumpkin seeds. The man there sold them with out hesitation wraping them in small peices of paper as if it were drugs! i couldn't believe it who buys 3 seeds? Bulgarians

I like that idea, I always buy more than I need, and it must be better to get fresh, and only as many as you need.

Thanks for the info on markets. Will check them out asap, no doubt our friendly neighbour will know, if we can get her to understand book bulgarian!

We have been looking around for seeds ourself for a new project we are only considering at the moment - Today we went into Poundland and I was amazed there was various packets of seeds from flowers to veg One packed had a variety of 8 vegetable seeds all for £1 if we take on this project I will be visiting Poundland for sure.

Itchy I will add a few packets or runner beans and peas for you too - but you must get the bagpipes and the attire out again for the Silistra Garden Party Sat 14th Sept 2013 What do you say

Somewhere earlier in this thread, there was a mention that it was 'to late' for parsnips (at that time) Just wanted to mention that here in the UK I sowed some pelleted parsnip last July and got a respectable crop by December. It was an F1 variety and not cheep, but the quality of roots was excellent and about 8 oz each, grown organically. It may have been too hot for them in BG though, I'm not qualified to say on that score.

Regarding cheap seed, you know the saying, you gets what you pays for. Seed that's been sitting in a warm shop environment, and who knows what fluctuating temperatures before it got there? You won't waste much money but you may waste a lot of time and effort and growing ground, for disappointing results.

Respectable seed merchants have their stock in an optimum environment till the time they post it to you. Over the years I've used practically every mail order seed merchant in the UK, the highest germination rate has been from Dobies and this is backed up by the Consumer Association via Gardening Which? The worst from the reputable firms was Thompson and Morgan, which is variable. I tried some Poundland mixed pack flower seed with some good, some poor and some nil results. The only good one was pelleted.

The other risks with cheap seed are the quality of the crop, whether the variety has been well maintained or is even the one it claims to be, and where it was raised. For UK growers seed produced in Spain or Italy will not give as good results here as locally produced stock, but in Bulgaria it's probably fine.

For vegetables, unless you have perfect growing conditions it's wisest to go for traditional tried and tested garden varieties unless you want them all to mature at the same time which the modern hybrids tend to do. That was OK for my parsnips because a traditional variety would not have made anything sowed that late. (Some prefer to pick and freeze their peas all at once too) That's the one advantage with cheap seed, it's likely to be varieties that have been around for years, which mature over a longer period in variable conditions without regular inputs of chemical fertiliser &
pesticides.

Those varieties are still a better bet from a good seed merchant where you can make your choice for best flavour and whatever other attributes you want, but it's worth experimenting with the cheap seed in a small patch, then if it does do well you can use more of it next season. It would just be a shame to be put off growing by getting poor results, and not realising it was down to poor seed quality! Anyway whatever you decide to grow, best of luck with it!

There is a link three down on page one for mail order seeds in BG, which is where I will probably get the majority from next year, for the reason I gave earlier, that they will sell the varieties which do better in their summers. To be honest, though, I haven't grown Parsnips since the eighties as I have not since had a garden big enough to warrant growing things which are so cheap in season. My last veg garden was very small and things like carrots and potatoes had to be grown in tubs. I used to grow a lot amongst the flowers but then got chickens........so the only things in the herbaceous border last year were runner beans with a high collar of strong plastic mesh! The veg patch was already fenced against the dog.

When we move into our half acre I won't know myself. I will have to remember I actually have enough space to leave a gap between rows to walk down!

Fruitlover, you did well with your parsnips last year, a lot of people I know failed completely because of the dreadful weather. Maybe there is something in planting late.

Mrs Eq