Seed sowing compost

[Yorky]

I intended to sow veg. seeds today only to discover I had no seed compost.

Having scoured the garage I came across somne B&Q Multipurpose Peat Free Compressed Compost made from coir.

Is this any good for seed sowing? I've seen poor results generally for peat free seed composts in various reports.

Has anyone any knowledge / experience of this specific compost?

If it's no good, can anyone recommend a good seed compost?

Thanks in advance.

[Two_Sheds]

I don't use seed compost, I always just use mpc, as do most people on here

[Yorky]

Yes me too. I'll rephrase the question: can anyone recommend a good compost for seed sowing?

[smallblueplanet]

Although I waxed lyrical about last years New Horizon peat-free, this years is nowhere near as good quality, indeed I'd go so far as to call it pants.

[Shadylane]

Don't talk to me about seed sowing compost - I'm having a bad year. Having said that the B&Q stuff while coarse, did do okay with germinating things. Dunno how it would do with really fine seeds though.

[ugley_matt]

I got some J Bowers stuff and have to sieve it quite a bit. Amazed atcually at how many large hard lumps are in it. Will not get it again. Best stuff i have used is Westlands Organic Veg compost. very nice stuff

[Flobalob]

I also use mpc. £2 a bag at my local Focus store.
I sieve the soil for finer seeds such as Begonia & Petunia, but for my veg seeds its not necessary. Best mpc i have ever bought.

[Florence Fennel]

I usually buy mine from Wickes. Cheap and cheerful and I've not had any problems with it.

[Two_Sheds]

I'll rephrase the question: can anyone recommend a good compost for seed sowing?

I recommended mpc. Puzzled now...?



(I am using New Horizon peat free, B&Q mpc (67% peat) as a comparison, and my own leafmold mixed in 50/50)

[Kristen]

I got some J Bowers stuff and have to sieve it quite a bit. Amazed atcually at how many large hard lumps are in it. Will not get it again. Best stuff i have used is Westlands Organic Veg compost. very nice stuff

I've used Arthur Bowers for years. Its just as you describe it, but I've always had good germination. It seems to drain well. This year I'm using Westland instead (garden centre has changed allegiance I presume!) its beautifully fine but I think it gets very wet and when I have been pricking out its very dense and lacking in air. Its even worse when I try to reuse it for a second batch (never had a problem with Arthur Bowers on that score)

Monty, Gardeners World, looked to be using something much like MPC but whatever it was it was full of Perlite, and I wonder if that would be a better way to go. I'm not sure that fine-soil and sand has enough drainage.

For most veg that are in the germinating phase for only a couple of weeks it probably doesn't matter, but for things that sit in the seed tray for a month or more I think it may be relevant.

Having said that, my Lobelia (they make tiny seedlings so take a while before pricking out) are looking amazing, crammed in like sardines, so maybe this finer stuff is doing the job and I'm worrying unnecessarily about its lack of "air"

[Croila]

Although I'm a beginner at seed sowing, I don't really understand the need for seed compost. I've read that you need a low-nutrient, fine, airy compost because the seed itself contains all the nutrition it needs, then you should grow the thing on in compost that DOES contain nutrients.

But that being the case, how on earth does anyone get seeds to germinate in the ground?

I sowed a load of peas, convolvulus and lobelias in compost from last year's tattie bags and they seem to be coming on fine ...

[Kristen]

Yeah, quite! Seeds will germinate pretty much anywhere. However, the percentage germination varies. A packet of Carrot seed contains thousands of seeds, so having even huge losses doesn't matter very much. F1 Cucumber seed is a pound, or more, per seed. Getting that to germinate 100% is pretty important!

I think its a bit of a red herring for most veg - they germinate so quickly, and strongly, and thus this may only really be relevant for fussier seeds that are difficult to germinate and need to stay in the seed compost for more than 4 weeks before pricking out.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I use Wickes mpc for almost everything except for my final containers where I use my home grown stuff.


Colin

[solway cropper]

The biggest problem I find with shop-bought composts is their variability. I don't just mean different manufacturers but some of them seem to vary their recipes every year depending on what raw materials are available. Just when you find one you really like it turns out to be completely different the next year. I got so fed up I tried mixing my own seed compost but it's a bit of a faff having to sterilise the soil, etc. So I'm back to using Westland MPC, sieved for fine seeds but neat for everything else. Like potstubs I make all my own potting compost as it would be ridiculously expensive to fill 80+ containers any other way.

[Maccabee]

it's a bit of a faff having to sterilise the soil, etc.

Sorry, i'm new to composting and have only ever used shop-bought but why the need to sterilise?