We’re a co-op of individual small-scale Welsh growers who’ve come together to market and sell our seeds. Most seed companies buy seeds from wholesalers and other seed growers then sell it on, with only a small number growing some of their own seed too. We’re unique in that all the seed we sell is grown by our co-op members; we don’t buy in any seed to sell on. Any profit the Hub makes goes back to our growers. Our co-op members are growers, and when we’re not out on the land growing seed, we all work together to run the business side of things.
Are you a seed library?
No, we’re a small seed company, growing and selling seed commercially.
Can I become a member of the Hub and sell my seed?
Potentially, yes! There’s more information on our membership page.
Is it easy to save my own seeds?
Yes, it’s a lot easier to save your own seeds than you might think! There are some crops that are trickier to save from, but also some that are super easy, such as tomatoes and peas. There’s more information on our seed saving page.
Why is your online shop not open all year round?
Many of our seeds are grown fresh each year, so when they run out, there won’t be any more until the next crop is ready. Many of our members therefore spend a few weeks over the summer harvesting, drying and processing seed for when the shop opens again in the Autumn. If you want us to let you know when we’re open again, simply sign up to our mailing list. You’ll then be the first to know when our new catalogue comes out, packed with exciting new varieties, plus all your favourites.
You’re out of stock of something I’d like. When will it be back in stock?
Although our seed is grown by different members, it needs to be held in one place so orders can be packed and posted. Our central stocks are regularly topped out, but there may be occasions where we run out temporarily. We try to keep the variety information on the website up to date with when new stock can be expected, but we’re happy to contact you directly and let you know when it arrives – just drop us an email at contact@seedhub.wales
When do your gift vouchers expire?
They don’t have an expiry date, so if you prefer, you can easily save them until the winter when we have the largest number of varieties available.
Why am I getting an error message when I try and redeem my gift voucher?
Redeeming the gift card can be slightly confusing (sorry!). When you go to your cart there is a box for redeeming coupons but the gift voucher is not a coupon. You need to click through to the checkout where there is a box to redeem gift cards. If you enter your code in there it should work.
Where’s my order?
Seeds are posted out once a week, early on Friday morning, so depending on when you place your order, it could be up to another week until they are dispatched. We use Royal Mail’s untracked second class service to keep costs down, so you should receive your seeds either Monday or Tuesday the following week. Things can sometimes take a little longer though, especially during busy periods such as Christmas.
Please also make sure that you have entered your address correctly when you place your order. Sometimes your computer / phone will auto populate this, and not always with the correct information!
Why do you only post to England, Wales & Scotland?
Since Brexit, all orders sent outside of Great Britain now require a ‘phytosanitary’ certificate. This involves official inspection and testing costing hundreds of pounds, making it unviable – sorry! We’re hoping this will change in the near future.
Do you sell your seeds in shops?
Yes, check out our shops page for a list of lovely independent Welsh shops who currently stock our seeds. If you have a local shop where you’d like to see our seed being stocked, let us know and we’ll give them a shout.
Can I stock your seeds in my shop?
You certainly can. We offer a 20% discount on orders of over 100 packets or more, or 10% if you’d like our accompanying ‘seed sleeves’. For wholesale enquiries please email: wholesale@seedhub.wales
Will seeds grown in Wales grow well in other parts of the UK?
Yes. We grow varieties that do well in the Welsh climate which is generally wetter with less sunshine than say, the east of England. So our varieties may ripen earlier, or may be slightly more tolerant to damp. That doesn’t mean they won’t do well elsewhere though, they may even do better! Most seed sold through the big suppliers – Thompson & Morgan, Unwins, etc, will not be grown in this country; more likely somewhere in southern Europe, America or China, where conditions for seed growing are optimal. The climate in the rest of the UK is much closer to Wales than it is in these other countries.
What is open-pollinated seed?
Open-pollinated seeds are produced from plants that are fertilised naturally by insects, birds, wind, or human hands. They grow ‘true to type’, meaning the next generation of seeds will produce plants with the same traits as the parent plant. This allows gardeners to save seeds year after year, picking the best plants so they can gradually adapt their crops to their own micro-climate. They also offer greater genetic diversity and adaptability, allowing plants to better cope with changing conditions.
Do you sell heritage or heirloom varieties?
Yes, although all heirloom varieties are open-pollinated, heirlooms are older strains (often pre-WWII) passed down through generations. Thousands of these varieties have been lost over the years, so we’re keen to save and sell those that we come across that are really good, particularly those with a Welsh heritage.
Why do you not sell F1 seed?
F1 seed (short for First Filial Generation) is the first-generation offspring of a cross between two distinct, inbred parent plants. We don’t sell them because we only sell seed we have grown ourselves, and seeds grown from F1 plants will not grow ‘true to type’, producing unpredictable results.
Do you sell outdoor tomatoes?
There aren’t really any ‘outdoor’ tomatoes as such, just varieties that have characteristics that mean they’re likely to grow better outdoors in our climate. In Wales, that means ones that ripen early, as we have relatively cool, short summers, which can otherwise mean lots of your tomatoes will still be green at the end of the season. Or one that’s blight resistant, as our summers can also be damp, which provide ideal conditions for this fungal disease. Even without being blight resistant, with early ripening tomatoes, you may be able to harvest most of them before the blight takes hold.
What can I grow in containers / pots?
Plants will generally be happier in the ground, interacting with the vast range of microbial life in the soil, however many gardeners don’t have large spaces in which to grow. Essentially, anything that’s not too big can be grown in a pot, grow-bag or other container. Lettuce, Welsh onions, dwarf peas or beans are great, and beetroot and carrots would work too, if the pots are deep enough. Chillies and courgettes are happy in pots, and even climbing crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers and climbing beans can be grown if given support by adding a wig-wam of canes, or siting the pots next to some trellis. And don’t forget to add some flowers!
Are your seeds organic?
Some of our growers are organically certified. Head to our grower page and click on each one to see who’s currently certified or in conversion. All our growers follow the same principals regardless of formal certification, as growing agroecologically is a condition of Hub membership.
Why are there some crops that you don’t sell, e.g. sweetcorn?
Although it’s easy to save seed from a large number of crops, for some crops, it’s really hard! This can be for a number of reasons, including our less than tropical climate, or because you need a large number of plants to ensure there’s a good genetic mix. As we only sell seed that we have grown ourselves, if our members don’t have the conditions, space or facilities to grow it, we can’t sell it!
How long will your seeds last?
That really depends on the conditions in which they’re kept. Seeds are living things, just dormant, but will eventually run out of energy. To germinate, they generally need moisture, warmth and air, so if you make sure they’re stored in dry, cold, air-tight conditions, the more dormant they’ll stay and the less energy they’ll use.
That said, different crops do tend to last for different periods even when kept in the same conditions. Here are some rough estimate:
| Short lived (1-2 years) | Medium lived (2-4 years) | Long lived (4-6years) |
| Onions, leeks, and chives | Carrots | Tomatoes |
| Parsnips | Beetroot & chard | Brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, turnips) |
| Spinach | Peppers & aubergines | Cucumbers and melons |
| Beans & peas | Radishes | |
| Courgettes and squashes |