no compost growing, suggestions please

[womble]

So I gather from the answers that soil of one form or another is the only or preferred choice and there is no other weird and wonderful medium that anyone else uses or has tried.??

Well there is hydroponics.

Not sure what you expect, plants need soil with nutrients in it.

[weekendwellies]

Well there is hydroponics.

Not sure what you expect, plants need soil with nutrients in it.

sorry for the confusion womble.

It was my understanding that seeds have all they need to get going and there may be something other than soil that would do in the absence of potting compost that could be used.

[womble]

Well seeds, if you stick any seeds on damp paper they will sprout.... at least I think any will, I suppose there are some special ones that need something novel.
But once they sprout they need something to grow in.

You said you didn't want to go to the shops, I expect you could buy your coir or vermiculite or even sand out at the shops.

Hydroponics grow plants in fibre glass I believe, but if you've got earth out in the garden....?

[Lazgaot]

Thinking hydroponics.....How about experimenting with blocks of sponge? i.e like the regular kitchen washing up sponge. Cut one up into 1"x1" blocks, in a shallow tray with a a very,very dilute growing solution to keep the sponge damp while the seedling is growing.

[weekendwellies]

That's a good idea Lazgaot, just the kind of thing I was asking about, thank you.

[BenLothair]

If the issue for you is getting the compost, then, believe it or not, your milkman can deliver that to you! Have a look at milk&more.

[weekendwellies]

If the issue for you is getting the compost, then, believe it or not, your milkman can deliver that to you! Have a look at milk&more.

No, its not that. It was just that I had run out and got to thinking that there may be some other way of getting seedlings going long enough to plant out on lottie.

I used to have a milkman and he did do compost (not that I ever got any from him), but things changed and I stopped the deliveries. Thanks though.