There’s no business like sow business as gardeners rush for seeds

Demand for seeds for people to grow their own fruit, vegetables and flowers has rocketed after gardening proved one of the big hits of lockdown.

The surge in the popularity of growing your own has triggered the highest demand ever seen by seed sellers.

Mail order companies and those selling online have had a bumper start to the season and some have been struggling to keep up with demand.

Real Seeds, a firm selling heirloom vegetable seeds, had to temporarily suspend sales because people were placing orders at a rate of 2,000 per hour compared to about 900 per week before the pandemic.

Demand has been boosted by more people being keen to get outside and also a move towards sustainability fuelled by fears that supply routes for fresh fruit and vegetables could be impacted by Brexit.

Company boss Kate McEvoy said: “There definitely is a lot more demand for seeds. It seems like the pandemic is just the last of many things increasing demand, as before the pandemic it was Brexit.

“There’s a lot of awareness of issues with food supply and that perhaps it’s not the best idea to be eating salad that’s trucked from Spain or wherever. Also people have been stuck at home and they’ve got more time.

“So everyone selling seeds is really busy. It’s certainly been the busiest January in terms of demand. But it’s a sensible kind of demand, it’s in tune with what people are actually going to be able to grow.”

Early varieties of tomatoes, beetroot, leeks, salad crops, herbs and kale are proving to be the best sellers.

January and February are traditionally the months when gardeners plan their crops for the year ahead and order seeds. Mail order companies and those selling online have seen the biggest boost from the increased popularity of kitchen gardens and allotment growing.

Garden centres and plant nurseries in Scotland were ordered to close from Boxing Day when new restrictions on non-essential retailers were imposed. In a normal spring, two million packets of seeds are sold at garden centres and shops, so many people have now turned to online retailers.

Last year horticultural supplier Suttons saw seed sales grow by 2,000%, with 95% of these being edible crops, and the company said the trend was continuing.

Beans were the top seller, with 127,000 packs sold during the first lockdown, followed by lettuce in second place.

David Robinson, managing director of Suttons said: “In an increasingly developed and technologically driven world, we’ve seen customers taking solace in their gardens; reconnecting with nature and rediscovering the basic urge to provide their own food.”