After buying Miracle Grow a few weeks ago, I vowed never to buy it again so I've been looking for an alternative. A friend suggested I try Clover Irish peat mpc instead, so after a bit of googling I found a local allotment society near me and picked up half a dozen bags at the princely sum of a fiver a bag (60l)!
Wow!! what a difference!! it's so fine with no 'bits' in it and I could quite easily use it for seed sowing without even sieving it. As peat free compost is being banned by the end of the year, I'm now looking for a company that can supply & deliver me a pallet load that I can store for future use!

Wow you have been catching up! Interesting result with the root trainers for the brassicas. I suddenly discovered the root trainers in the back of the shed, so have some spare room for seeds ... !!

Fish finger sandwich, I can't  eat  anything  harder. I've been doing the Vat return and did the last bit today, submitted it to the accountants to enter,  Got it wrong the first time, but realised  it,  I've never got it wrong in 25 years....

See Bass here as well, with peas, coleslaw and a jkt spud 

Bad luck, that's a difficult one tbh.
Here in the UK I've always just planted them and left them to it, on various soil types. Are you covering the crown of the the plant, as that should be at/just above soil level?

Yes, planting is exactly as you say, crown is at soil level or slightly higher.

Sometimes squirrels digging in the beds do temporarily cover the crowns. I uncover when I see that.

Planting and leaving them to it was what I was going for with these 3 roots. I guess 2 out of 3 surviving isn't too bad.