Showing posts with label Suttons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Suttons. Show all posts

Friday, 19 September 2025

Flame (Red Seedless) Grapevine

KC5383 Grapevine Plant - Flame Red (Seedless) which is supplied as a grafted plant in a 2-litre pot and Cost when purchased in 2022 it was £18.99.

The plant arrived on the 4th of February 2022. Looking at the price on the 19th September 2025 its now selling at £34.99

Flame is one of the most popular self-fertile varieties of grape that taste even better just picked from the vine. 

This variety is suitable for outdoor and greenhouse/ conservatory growing, and the web site says” Choose a sunny spot and our variety will provide you with a bountiful crop of delicious grapes! The vine is very attractive too!”

When growing grape vines choose a sunny position in any well drained soil. A south facing position against a wall is ideal, and I'm blessed in having such a wall.

I visited the allotment plot on the 5th of February 2022, late in the afternoon and cleared the area of wall beside the greenhouse on plot 1A exposing the eyebolts and wires. 



The Suttons Flame grapevine came in a cardboard box approximately 900mm high which I opened to have a look into when it arrived but didn't undo until I was down on the plot. I took the plastic bag off and placed it on the table behind the greenhouse on plot 1 and gave it a drink. 

Sunday morning, I was up and dressed bright and early came down for breakfast looked out the window and it was tipping it down. I telephoned and stopped Emma from coming over to help Kelly to keep an eye on Jen and got on with cutting up more cardboard for composting browns down the allotment. 

Sunday afternoon, the rain had stopped, and the sun briefly came out, so I went to the allotment for a couple of hours and Emma met me there to lend a hand. 

13th February planting the grapevine 


I dug a hole for the grapevine deeper than the 2-litre pot than it was currently in and then filling to a level with Equigrow compost such that when standing the pot in the hole that the top of the soil in the pot was at a similar level to that at the edges of the hole.


I used the Equigrow Peat Free Organic Green Compost which I have to say looked nice and black and lush, and filled around the 2-litre plastic pot and compacted enough such that when I pulled the pot out of the ground the shape of the pot was left as a hole.

As all plants I placed my hand over the top of the plant inverted it (turned it upside down) and eased the plant out of the pot and laid it down in front of the hole so that I might look at the root growth and take this photo. 


With the grapevine now planted in line with the vertical wire I added clip to hold the vine in place and watered it in so that the compost at the edges of the hole would be pushed into and make a nice contact with the Equigrow peat Free Organic Green Compost.


4th May 2022 


6th May 2022, Grapevine and path up towards the Greenhouse on Plot 1A, I need to keep an eye on this bed and try and keep the weeds at bay. 


8th May 2022


21st May 2022 Grapevine doing really well and spreading and growing fast


27th May 2022, Watered and trained the Red Grapevine along the wires.


29th May 2022


12th June 2022, The Flame (seedless Red) grape - Flame growing really well but bed needs some weeding again.

21st July Grapevine doing well working its way to the top of the wall.


No photos of the grapevine were taken during August as 
I was too busy doing other things on the allotment  

11th September 2022, Over the last week of rain, the grapevine that I purchased from Suttons this year has really grown, and I need to trim it back and train out some of the offshoots along wires on the wall, a job for the next Tuesdays early evening visit.

14th September 2022 Suttons Flame (Red Seedless) Grapevine has been making steady slow progress during the heat wave, however after a week of rain it had put on a real spurt of growth. 

I spent some time uncoupling vines that were hugging each other and trained them along the wires that I have fixed to eyebolts along the height of the wall

The leaves in the top two runs will turn around and find the sun. This first year is all about trying to form the main structure of the vine that hopefully will have a small show of grapes next year and then more grapes year on year, if the rat with the fluffy tail does not take a liking to them. 

He never ate the seeded grapes from the vine I had on the same wall before replacing with this one.  



18th September 2022 the Flame (Red Seedless) Grapevine has settled into its new configuration and the leaves on the top two runs are now around the right way and facing upwards towards the sun again.

The night-time temperatures are now down to 4.5C and the leaves on the vine are beginning to yellow and I'm anticipating a reduction in growth along the wires, although there is a promise of an Indian Summer in the next couple of weeks, so we will have to wait and see what happens. 

Overall, I'm very happy with the way the grapevine has covered the wall and hopefully next year will be more about pruning for some fruit, and not about additional wall coverage.

UPDATE for 2023


Again because of my health problems I didn't manage to prune the grapevine and reduce the amount of fruit so bigger and better quality grapes formed, but I was staggered as to how well the grape vine produced in its second year. 

I also didn't get many photos of the grapes and the vines growth in 2023. The photo on the left was just as the colour was turning. 

I have been fortunate to have good harvests from this vine over the last couple of years.  



Friday, 5 September 2025

Suttons Seeds Catalogue 2026 Review


Suttons are giving customers a chance to register for newsletters & emails and possibly win £300 of Sutton Vouchers in an Autumn give away at www.suttons.co.uk/win25autumn

As always I'm interested in Whats New in the catalogues, as I like to trial new varieties of seeds, as well as sowing more traditional heritage varieties. Below is a list of New Seeds and items for 2026 that have been added to the Suttons catalogue.   

Page   6 100938 NEW Climbing Bean - Hacienda 
Page   7 100939 NEW Dwarf French Bean - Mendoza
Page 12 100368 
NEW Tomato - Akoya F1
Page 12 100967 NEW Tomato - Sahel F1 
Page 12 100971 NEW Tomato - Appleberry Trio F1
Page 13 100369 NEW Tomato - Iridescent F1
Page 14 100370 NEW Tomato - Summer Dew F1
Page 18 100936 NEW Aubergine - Graffiti F1
Page 19 100940 NEW Broccoli (Stem) - Tyrian F1
Page 19 100941 NEW Broccoli (Stem) - Purple Magic F1
Page 20 100942 NEW Brussels Sprouts - Hector F1
Page 21 100278 NEW Cabbages (Red) - Pretino  
Page 21 100346 NEW Cabbages (Savoy) - Stelvio F1
Page 21 100944 NEW Carrots - Octavo F1
Page 23 100945 NEW Cauliflower - Cartesio F1
Page 24 100974 NEW Cauliflower - Jamaica F1
Page 27 100349 NEW Cucumber (seedless) - Vista F1
Page 28 100948 
NEW Kale - Eden F1
Page 28 100949 NEW Kale - Oldenbor F1
Page 29 100350 NEW Leeks - Jolant F1
Page 29 100950 NEW Leeks - Kicker F1
Page 30 100969 NEW Lettuce - Double Oak
Page 32 100952 NEW Spring Onions - Green Banner
Page 32 100351 NEW Bulb Onions - Blush F1
Page 32 100951 NEW Bulb Onions - Prospero F1
Page 34 100355 NEW Peas - Mr Big (Dorian)
Page 34 100954 NEW Peas - Mucio
Page 34 100354 NEW Peas - Bernard
Page 35 100352 NEW Peas Sugar snap - Sugar Force
Page 35 100353 NEW Peas Petit Pois - Floivert
Page 35 100953 NEW Peas Sugar snap - Armadillo 
Page 36 100358 NEW Peppers Chilli - Biqinho Yellow
Page 36 100970 NEW Peppers - From Heaven Trio F1
Page 36 100334 NEW Peppers Chilli - Grandads Revenge
Page 37 100947 NEW Peppers Chilli - Hot Pot
Page 37 100326 NEW Peppers Chilli - Padron
Page 37 100336 NEW Peppers Chilli - Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
Page 38 100361 NEW Squash - Blaze F1
Page 39 100367 NEW Sweetcorn - Equinox F1
Page 39 100956 NEW Sweetcorn - Double Red
Page 39 100327 NEW Radish - Blue Candle F1
Page 41 100345 NEW Herbs - Basilicious - Verde-Sure F1
Page 41 100344 NEW Herbs - Basilicious - Velvet-Spice F1
Page 41 100937 NEW Herbs - Basilicious - Thai-Zing F1
Page 43 KH7084 NEW Bulb Onions - Winteria
Page 44 KH7069 NEW Garlic Softneck - Topadronie
Page 44 KH7071 NEW Garlic Hardneck - Sultop
Page 44 KH7073 NEW Garlic Softneck - Morado 
Page 45 KH7067 NEW Garlic Softneck - Messidor
Page 48 KH0908 NEW Potato - Jackie

Vegetables with no hyperlinks are because at the moment those pages don't exist on the Suttons web site. I have informed Suttons and I will add the hyperlinks once the pages have been uploaded. 


Page 77 KH0713 
NEW Bio-Heat Composter

This looks interesting and is a direct competitor to the well established Hotbin, I like the fixings for the front hatch and the lid but I do wonder how long those screws are going to last unless there is more than just moulded insulation to fix into at those locations.  

I have a Hotbin already and the strap provided to hold the front hatch in place is a real pain in the backside as it's forever slipping down. It will be interesting to see one of these in the flesh so to speak, or perhaps even trial it against the Hotbin.    

Page 27 100349 NEW Cucumber (seedless) - Vista F1

Someone on one of the many Facebook forums I frequent, was looking for a seedless Cucumber and I thought "you will be lucky" and yet here are a Seedless variety!  So the question is, if it's seedless, how is it grown and from what ??? 

This is a question I'm going to investigate, and I will post my findings once I get some answers.   

Thursday, 4 September 2025

Seed Catalogues For 2026

With my audit of What's In My Seed Box For 2026 underway, yesterday I spent some time surfing the major seed suppliers web sites to request physical copies of their catalogues and I've also downloaded the Adobe pdf copies where available. 

I'm currently looking through the Suttons Seed Catalogue for 2026 and building a list of what's New in 2026 to trial next year, and I will post my findings with links back to the Suttons web site in a couple of days.   

Below is a list of hyperlinks to the web pages where you can request/ order or download the catalogues shown above


When downloading the Thompson & Morgan catalog take the time to sign up for their newsletters and exclusive email offers as you could £500 of Thompson & Morgan Vouchers  


A Dr Who Moment! 

Marshalls Have a link to download their Autumn Catalogue however it's for 2023 !!!! 

I have let them know that their web site is out of date, and they have said they will get their webmaster to update it, but the question is why didn't anyone not notice before now? 

Because of my cancer and treatment I have not done a deep dive into seed companies web sites since 2023, and usually I find errors on their web pages and let them know.  

Marshalls are always late to the table regarding Catalogues and one does not expect to see their 2026 Catalogues until December 2025

Fothergills (Who no longer identifies as male and has lost the pronoun Mr) yesterday had no links to download either the Autumn or the 2026 Catalogue anywhere on their web site.

Indeed any search on their site for "catalogue" returns nothing informative. One would have though a holding page informing when it will become active to order or download would be on the site.   

I again contacted them and was advised that their Autumn catalogues will be going out shortly to registered customers who have previously requested and an electronic version has been made, but their web site has not been updated. 

Half an hour later customer services sent me this link to download the Autumn 2025 Catalogue 

D.T.Brown are having problems with their cookiebot, which fills the screen and you can't get past to see and navigate the web site. I have reported it and requested a physical catalogue which will be dispatched in the next 10 to 14 days


Saturday, 5 October 2024

New Tomatoes From Suttons

I have four New varieties of tomato coming from Suttons to add to my tomato seed collection and to trial next year. 


Tomato 'Vivacious' F1 - 8 Seeds - £3.99 a pack

  • Perhaps the healthiest tomato there is!
  • 40% of your Vitamin A in one fruit!
  • Up to 70 fruits per plant

 

Tomato 'Fraise' - 6 Seeds - £2.99 a pack

Heart-shaped tomato delights

Incredible shelf life after harvest

  • Resists cracking and fruit drop



Tomato 'Toddler' F1 - 8 Seeds - £3.99 a pack

  • Exceptionally sweet
  • Cocktail tomato
  • Good resistance to late blight

 


  • Trailing/basket type
  • Brightly coloured super-sweet fruit
  • Good disease resistance

Friday, 4 October 2024

New French Dwarf & Climbing Beans

Suttons Seeds have kindly sent me two packs of French Beans one Dwarf and the other a Climbing variety that they have added to their catalogue and range for 2025 to trial in my Climbing Frame Greenhouse.



Climbing French Bean 'Vine' - 40 Seeds - £3.99 

  • From the same breeder as 'Cobra'
  • Same quality and flavour as Cobra
  • But extended cropping period for even bigger harvests!



Dwarf French Bean 'Quartz' - 120 Seeds - £2.49

  • Superb heat tolerance
  • Good for areas with warm summers
  • High yielding



Organic Gardening have sent me a new variety added to their 2025 catalogue 


Dwarf French Bean 'Faraday' (Organic) - 200 Seeds - £2.99


New dwarf variety

Popular with professional growers

Excellent disease resistance

Thursday, 26 September 2024

Saturday, 16 March 2024

Suttons - New Sweet Peppers

Suttons have very kindly sent me two packs of sweet peppers that they have added to their catalogue for 2024 to trial Pillar Sweet Trio F1 and Spiralus

Sweet Pepper ‘Pillar Sweet Trio' bears deliciously sweet, mini peppers in red, orange and yellow. Cost £3.49 for a pack containing an average of 6 seeds 

These revolutionary plants are not only the perfect size for a windowsill, greenhouse staging or sunny patio, they also produce their fruit by the central stem, meaning the plants don't bend or fall, and won't be damaged by a blind or curtain if grown on a windowsill.

 Thick, crunchy flesh on single-serving-sized fruit that is great for salads, snacking and stir-fries. More drought resistant than other varieties. Height 40cm (16in). Spread: 30cm (12in).

Sowing Information

Sow sweet pepper seeds on the surface of a good, free-draining, damp, seed sowing mix and cover with a fine sprinkling of compost or vermiculite. Place seed trays in a propagator at a temperature of 18-25C (64-77F) until after germination, which takes 7-10 days. Do not exclude light as this helps germination.

When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant into individual 7.5cm (3") pots of compost and grow on in cooler conditions. When plants are well grown and all risk of frost has passed, transplant them into grow bags and containers, or plant them in well prepared beds of fertile, moist, well drained soil. 

Peppers may be grown undercover in a greenhouse or polytunnel, or grown outdoors in a sheltered position in full sun. When growing peppers outdoors, gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions over a period of 7 to 10 days prior to transplanting them. 

Space sweet pepper plants at a distance of 45cm (18") apart.


Sweet Pepper ‘Spiralus’ is an early variety with long ram's horn fruits that have an average length of 20-25cm. packs cost £2.99 for an average of 15 seeds 

The fruits start a very pale green and gradually turn red. Healthy and high-yielding, use ‘Spiralus’ fresh in salads or try it roasted in the oven or charred on the BBQ. 

It’s also great for pickling whole as the flesh stays nice and crunchy after processing. Suitable to be grown in a greenhouse, tunnel or sunny/sheltered spot outside. This reasonably tall variety may require support as the fruit begin to ripen. 

Height: 70cm (28in). Spread: 40cm (16in).

Sowing Information

Sow sweet pepper seeds on the surface of a good, free-draining, damp, seed sowing mix and cover with a fine sprinkling of compost or vermiculite. Place seed trays in a propagator at a temperature of 18-25C (64-77F) until after germination, which takes 7-10 days. Do not exclude light as this helps germination.

When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant into individual 7.5cm (3") pots of compost and grow on in cooler conditions. When plants are well grown and all risk of frost has passed, transplant them into grow bags and containers, or plant them in well prepared beds of fertile, moist, well drained soil. 

Peppers may be grown undercover in a greenhouse or polytunnel, or grown outdoors in a sheltered position in full sun. When growing peppers outdoors, gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions over a period of 7 to 10 days prior to transplanting them. 

Space sweet pepper plants at a distance of 45cm (18") apart.