[Beetroot queen]

Daft question I am sure

But for next year is the compost I make from my bin any good for sieving and using for seeds.  or is it too rich, not rich enough. Etc etc

Looking at all the quality of the stuff on this post it makes sense to use your own if it was possible.

[allotmentann]

I think the problem is not so much 'richness' or not, but seeds etc, that we can't help but get in the compost. I think for seed sowing you are supposed to sterilise it? Personally, I would also find it a shame to use my great compost for starting seeds as I don't think most seeds need much nutrition to get started (that is why you can chit on damp paper towels or sow into old tea bags!), they need the nutrition once they really start to grow properly. But if you want to start seeds off in it, I should think it would work. I try to be really careful with my compost but it is full of poppies, foxgloves, spurge etc, and when I use it in big pots I usually only fill the bottom with it and top up with commercial, even then the poppies etc, appear! My plot is covered in various annuals that I know I have transported there in my homemade compost. I imagine if I was trying to starrt seeds off I wouldn't know which seedlings were which, hence the need to sterilise. I suppose there might also be the risk of transferring disease and moulds too if it is not sterilised? Thinking out loud now!

[Beetroot queen]

Thanks Ann worth asking. What did you mean about sowing in old tea bags, never heard of that

[allotmentann]

I read it in a Joy Larkhom book, she mentioned that some old gardeners do it. She had been making the point about seeds not needing much in the way of nutrients to germinate, I think. She just mentioned it in passing, not as a recommendation.  I tried it (with beetroot actually!) and got 100% germination. If you use bio-degradable tea bags you can pot on the whole thing. I haven't tried it again as I don't drink tea, so only have tea bags if I collect them from other people!

[Sweetpea C]

Well, the things you learn. I must try that now !

[Beetroot queen]

I fancy trying that and seen as we get more tea bags than an old people's home it would be a good idea. I wonder if you need to mix it with anything or just use it neat.

[rawrecruit]

I'm going to try the teabag trick too, what a great idea!

[allotmentann]

 No need to mix with anything, just bung in a seed and wait. The trickiest part is that the floppiness of a tea bag makes it awkward to hold and prop up.