Very yellow seedlings

[Snoop Puss]

Thanks, Penellype. I'll have a look at that article and choose accordingly.

[Jungle Jane]

Seed compost does seem to hold water more than mpc,I would use it as it is,I’ve never used perlite and vermiculite,the seed composts holding water well alone,coir seems to be a substitute for vermiculite & perlite I was just gooogling about them,I’ve used coir alone & seeds germinate well in it.

[Snoop Puss]

Thanks, Jungle Jane, that's worth knowing. Coir is easy to get hold of locally.

[Jungle Jane]

Years ago,I put photos on here of basil seeds sown - one pot in coir & one pot with mpc,I remember the germination was good in coir

[ameno]

Coir has excellent texture, with just the right balance between water retention and good drainage. It is very low on nutrients, however, so if you sow into coir you either need to add supplementary feed or else repot into a proper compost soon after germination.