For all the effort that seedsmen and nurserymen put into bringing new varieties to market, the majority of keen gardeners still go for the tried and tested.
The highest new entry in the GTN Bestsellers Veg 2 Gro chart this week is Tomato ‘Sweet 100’ F1 from Mr Fothergill’s – a venerable old tom but none the worse for that. It makes you wonder, though, how more gardeners could be persuaded to explore some of the great new varieties on offer. How about twin deals offering a new and an old variety so people can compare?
The appearance of tomatoes in the chart is a clear signal that the propagation season will soon be under way, with all its opportunities for sales of linked sundries, growing media and fertilisers. A flying start waiting to happen?
Onions, shallots and seed potatoes continue to dominate the upper reaches of the chart, with Taylors taster pack of second early potato 'Charlotte' making strong gains.