Swap plants and seeds | Chorlton Plant Swap

Swapping plants and seeds

Online swaps

Most of the swapping activity happens through our lively Facebook group all year round. You can offer surplus plants and seeds - ornamentals and edibles, indoor and outdoor plants - as well as other gardening items. You can make requests for something you're looking for, and ask to receive something being offered. The guidelines are set out below.
Do join us here www.facebook.com/groups/Chorltonplantswap.

Next live swap:
The next plant swap is Saturday 18 May 2024 10-4pm at the wonderful Makers' Market in Chorlton. The market is based around Chorlton Library and Oswald Road Primary School. When our stall location is confirmed it will be added here, usually we are outside Chorlton Community Garden between Wetherspoons pub and the library extension.

We invite you to bring spare edibles and ornamentals, seeds and plants to swap for something new.
Please no unrooted cuttings, multiple plants in one pot that need separating, plants in plastic bags or anything looking like death and disease are lurking ;-)
We usually swap from 10-3pm, then from 3pm we offer plants for swaps AND for sale as we are often left with surpluses. Donations either to to a local cause or pay towards expenses such as the website or leaflets.

Please offer to help on the stall for a couple of hours so there's always three of us. We always have a great time!

Live swaps at events
We usually hold a series of live swaps during the year: early spring for seed swapping, later spring for seedlings and plants, and then summer and early autumn. These are usually in Chorlton. Often we piggy-back on other events, for example festivals in local parks, or stalls at the Makers' Market. Swap events are always listed here and on the Facebook group. If you are not on Facebook, do join the mailing list, or email Danielle at chorltonplantswap@googlemail.com.
We are happy to be invited to events too! Email Danielle as above.

**Guidelines for swapping as outlined on the Facebook group**

Gardening advice Everyone is welcome to ask for and give advice on looking after plants including identifying them. Whether the plants are indoor, outdoor, ornamental or edible, there is plenty of experience in the group and we love to learn from each other.

Responding to offers When asking for an item, please offer a swap in exchange. The poster may not want anything but it is polite to offer. Everyone should have a fair chance, so please do not jump on all offers; admin team monitor this.

Asking for plants or seeds Many of us have plenty of surplus and love helping new gardeners set up, but please don't ask for plants regularly saying you have nothing to swap. Maybe buy a couple of plants and seed packs to get going and you’ll soon have plants to swap. It’s easy, fun and cheap to sow seeds, take cuttings or split plants.

Organising the swap Please comment on the post offering a plant; don’t direct message as others won’t know what’s available.

Once a swap is agreed, use Facebook Messenger to agree when and where to swap so that addresses are not made public. Likewise, if you have offered something, please comment on the same post if it has been offered or taken.

Safe collection It’s fine to leave plants outside your house or in a porch for collection. Do label them so the recipient doesn’t take the wrong plant! Please maintain your own personal safety and be respectful of others when swapping.

Condition of items Please ensure cuttings are rooted (unless otherwise agreed), and all plants are disease and pest free.

We encourage organic gardening as this is better for your plants, yourself and wildlife. Please advise if you have used chemicals on a plant before offering it (eg herbicide, pesticide, slug pellets).

Viability Admin may comment on viability of plants being offered for swaps to prevent disappointments. Eg someone offering a tomato seedling in August may not realise that it’s too late for it to grow tomatoes. Likewise, despite many weeds being attractive and useful, some are pernicious and invasive. Admin will comment to give advice, but of course it’s up to the swappers whether they want to proceed.

Geographical area for swapping The group started in Chorlton and tends to focus on a couple of miles around it. One of attractions of swapping plants locally is being mindful of the environment, so driving miles to pick up a plant isn’t ideal.

Sales and donations Please do not offer items for sale, or offer plants then ask for money.

Please ask admin if you want to use the group to receive plants for a community effort where no funds are available; or if you would like to sell plants for a specific cause.

**Guidelines for swapping at live events**

These are much the same as for swaps organised online with regard to quality of plants, and fair swaps.

Offers of help on the stall are gratefully received. We usually try to have three people at any one time, usually with a rota of a couple of hours each (or longer if you want). Don't worry if you feel you don't have enough knowledge as between us we can all be helpful. It's always lots of fun, and often at events that have wider appeal too.

Please make sure that all plants you bring are alive and well! If they are ill from pest attack or disease, please dispose of.

Please bring plants in pots rather than plastic bags as this is messy for organisers to deal with. If you lack pots, please ask in the Facebook group prior to the event - many of us have lots of spares to share!

We look forward to meeting you at swap events.