What to do with spare seedlings

Back in March, seed companies were so inundated with orders that many, including our friends at the Seed Cooperative, were forced to close the checkouts to catch up with the backlog! Now it’s June, there’s a tremendous surplus in plug plants from those of us lucky enough to have seeds.

I find it heartening to see plant stalls at garden gates on my daily exercise, accompanied by an honesty box, but more often free of charge.

Sharing seedlings with the community

My favourite response came from Matt in Hartsholme, who at the outbreak of Covid-19 set up a polytunnel at his home, with the intention of feeding his family and friends, and growing a surplus that he could share with his community, including salad veg, rainbow and red chard, lettuce, everlasting beet, and a few wild flowers like lupins. 

Matt’s new nursery was a great success, and he has recently given away young food plants to several local nursery schools, where “bubbles” of children will get to help care for them and watch them grow – and in due course, eat the fresh food directly from the plant.

Matt has also sold some of his plants to raise money for the Trussell Trust, the foodbank charity. So those young plants will feed people twice!

Matt says thanks to the Green Party members who provided him with seeds.

If you’d like to sell your surplus plants to raise money, consider giving to our local foodbanks, Lincoln Community Larder or Lincoln Foodbank who are part of the Trussell Trust.