[PennyS]

Hi,

Slightly frustrated as I had a clear day today to do some digging, but we have snow ...! Argh. Where's spring?

Anyway, trying to be organised ready for the "off". 

I've always grown my seeds in proper seed compost, John Innes No. 1.  But I've always grown small quantities for a garden.    This is my first year of an allotment and my first time growing on a large scale.

I was wondering whether you seasoned growers bother with seed compost or can I get away with  just using good old general purpose compost - which will be far cheaper in the quantities I'm going to need? 

Meanwhile I've got stacks of Richy's paper pots waiting.  My 6 and 4 yr old are getting quite good at these!

Cheers, Penny 

[DD.]

For most of my seeds, I just use growbag compost.

[PennyS]

Brilliant.  Thanks DD, that will be a lot cheaper!
 
Penny

[DD.]

I've had 21 out of 20 cauli seeds come up!

For finer seeds you may need to sieve the compost, it just depends of what brand you get & what they throw in it at the time, it seems!

I'm sorry to say that I've not have much joy with peat free compost for seeds, it's OK for for established seedlings.

I've just bought some "Westland" from Homebase for £1.58 a bag & that's appears really fine.

[PennyS]

Thank you! 
Can't wait to get started!!
Penny

[Ivor Backache]

I understand that the WHICH gardening magazine has done a survey on compost. Perhaps some of their readers can point the way forward. Last year I used Asda compost and had satisfactory results.

You should not use home made compost because it is too rich.

[PennyS]

Thanks,
I've got some recent back copies of GW (from Freecycle!), so I'll have a look and see if it's in the ones I've got.
Penny

[mumofstig]

Which trial report

suggests

J Arthur Bower's still rules the roost with peat-free composts. Their names have changed since the Gardening Which? trial, so look out for either New Horizon Organic & Peat Free Growbag or New Horizon Multi-purpose Peat Free Compost. While they did not match pat-based compost for seed raising, they were just as good as most of the peat based products for potting on and for containers.

For anyone still using peat… the two top performers were J Arthur Bower's Multi-purpose Compost with added John Innes and Levington Multi Purpose Compost.

I wouldn't agree with their choices I tried the New Horizon and the leavington  multi purpose (not cheap!) and wasn't impressed with either!

PS don't know if they've done a more recent trial.

[PennyS]

Must admit, for the last few years I've been using peat free growbags for toms and cucumbers etc  but have never been impressed. 

I have stuck with peaty multipurpose compost for everything else - feeling quite guilty but getting better results.

At least I will only need compost for raising seeds now, as I won't have to do any container gardening now I've got a lotty.

[ex-cavator]

As a newbie I haven't yet figured out what compost I'll be using, but as a keen conservationist I can assure you it won't contain peat. Peat bogs are a rare, valuable, and rapidly declining habitat, and we should be exploring every opportunity to preserve them. I don't care if peat products give the best results - I'll quite happily make do with second best 

[andtiggertoo]

Last year was my first at growing veg, and I used my home made leafmould for my seeds, but quickly ran out.

This year I have bought 4 bale size blocks of coir which needs to be rehydrated before use. Each bale was £3.99 and allegedy makes 65 to 70 litres of compost. I was going to mix this with the leafmould that is ready this year.

I would be really interested to know if anyone has any experience of coir, i used to use it many years ago but not for veg. I also bought some maxicrop seaweed extract as I know coir has no nutrients, not sure if i need this if i also have leafmould mixed in.

[neal]

Just got the Jan/Feb Which mag out and they rate B&Q Multipurpose best at 88%
for seed sowing and also top for growing on. Seems that they rate two as best.
I always use Wickes Multipurpose and haven't had problems
If anyone would like the report PM me and i will let you have it

[hillbilly]

I've been using New Horizon for a few years now and find it the best of the peat free. It's expensive so I bulk it up for seed sowing with leafmold or sand depending on the seed - seems to work.
My foray's into other composts have been hit and miss - inconsistency seems to rule! I used coir for a while but found judging the watering a pain and germination erratic. Anyway is shipping in a waste product the way to go? They should be using it to improve their own fertility.
Peat is the best for sowing seed but I really can't see how it's sustainable despite the claims of the 'managed peat' companies. There's still alot of work to do developing a really good alternative.

[mumofstig]

The Lakeland Gold brand of peat is strained from the streams that drain the peat bogs... it is expensive....but if you really prefer peat for sowing you may think it is worth it for a product that does no damage to the environment 

[hillbilly]

Yes! I'd forgotton about that. I have used it very successfully. Bit expensive though, as you say  . I seem to get on OK with the New Horizon + whatever route.