Advice sought for making your own seedling compost

[PlotOfPossibilities]

My family is self isolating and I am running low on seedling compost. I have loads of home made garden compost and a riddler...but i'm concerned about weeds. Does anyone have any bright ideas on how to make my garden compost suitable for seedlings?

[Baldy]

Some folk apparently microwave compost
https://blog.primrose.co.uk/2017/01/...se-my-compost/

I'd imagine that would nuke any weed seedlings and many seeds...

You could possibly use the compost in some sort of 'false start' before sowing your seeds. After a week I'd imagine you'd see some weed seedlings sprouting allowing you to remove them and then sow your seeds?

[smallblueplanet]

Can you sterilise the compost before use?
Try this simple method to sterilise your compost: in a conventional oven, place moist, not wet, soil in a shallow tray in a layer about 10cm deep. Cover with foil and place in a preheated oven at 80degC for 30 minutes. Remove promptly, take off the foil and leave to cool.

[veggiechicken]

If you sow your seeds in a regular pattern any seedlings that come up "out of place" will be weeds and you can pull them out.

[lottie dolly]

Seeings as things are difficult at the moment,try a few and see,i have used own made compost for potting on with some older used shop one,to good use,after all,look at the places things grow when not wanted,personally for the small seeds i would always buy a shop 1,is there a body that will get you some.
thanks for the reminder,i ought to go and get some in,before we are banned from going out for 12 plus weeks,also,those that want more flower buckets,this week end should be a good supply.

[PlotOfPossibilities]

Thanks all

Thank you all. I'm going to try ALL of your suggestions! To think I thought I was going to have a quiet growing season this year....now I'm sowing as much as possible for fresh goodness in the near future.

[rary]

I remember when I was a boy BC (no VC I mean before compost) people made their own seed compost by spreading soil onto a tin sheeting and heating it over a fire river sand was also sterilised this way and then both mixed as required, not sure if you have the facilities for doing this but you could sterile soil by spreading it onto a slab and go over it with a weed wond or similar and mix this with washed concrete sand

[veggiechicken]

Another thing to think about is the size of the seeds. Big seeds like beans/courgettes/peas will shrug off weeds whilst tiddly little seeds will cope less well with competition.

[Penellype]

If you are desperate for compost some garden centres will deliver it.

[Scarlet]

I use my Aga often for sticking in trays of compost. One or the advantages of being the boss of the kitchen .

On larger pots/ bigger seeds - I sow french bean seeds one per pot - I fill 3/4 of the pot with home made compost and top with the sterilised stuff. It's enough to stop the tiddlers. but last year I did nurture ground elder for a few months

[Dynamite]

Any more recipes for DIY seed compost?

I have mixed mpc, sand and last years compost from my MFB’s at the end of the season. About equal of each. Not sure that’s best thing to do though.

Kind Regards..........Rob

[Greenleaves]

My old pops (grandad) used to steam dry soil and use that

[toomanytommytoes]

Any more recipes for DIY seed compost?

I have mixed mpc, sand and last years compost from my MFB’s at the end of the season. About equal of each. Not sure that’s best thing to do though.

Kind Regards..........Rob

Mine is usually worm castings and coir with a bit of perlite/vermiculite. For flowers I use old potting mix with a bit of coir mixed in.