Seed sowing compost

[Two_Sheds]

Home made compost is going to be full of weed seeds. Bought compost has already been sterilised

[Maccabee]

Fair enough, but if you can recognise the seeds you've sown surely that wouldn't pose a problem. Just pluck out the weeds as and when they come up. It's got to be less hassle than microwaving compost little tupperware boxes at a time.

[mrpaulbradley]

I'm thinking about being brave and using my own compost, particularly as I have some lovely loam to mix in after lifting the back lawn last year to make more room for veg.
Is there a 'smug' smiley face on here?

Personally I've always thought 'seed compost was a bit of a con. You pay more for something that's 'less', ie compost with sand mixed in? Or am I wrong?

Still a wee mite fresh up here in the west of Scotland, although my window sills will be getting fuller very soon (cue annual argument with OH) :-)

[Potstubsdustbins]

I don't use my home grown stuff for cutting seed I find it to rich. I use a mix of 50/50 old and new MPC which seems to work for me.

Colin

[mrpaulbradley]

I don't use my home grown stuff for cutting seed I find it to rich. I use a mix of 50/50 old and new MPC which seems to work for me.

Colin

I was hoping the loam would have done that for me, but I'll throw in some used compost for good measure!

[singleseeder]

Our lottie shop sells Humax. I bought one sack of the seed compost (60ltrs) and a few of the MPC (75ltrs). £4.75 each

When I fill the modules, MPC fills the bottom 50%, then I put in some seed compost, then the seeds then top off with more seed compost. I know I'm not saving much, but it makes me feel as if I am.

[kathyd]

I buy the cheapest mpc I can find, pick out the biggest lumps by hand and then sow... as another poster said, seeds have to make it in all conditions in the wild without any help from us - I sometimes think we molly-coddle things a bit too much. Although if I was paying £1 per seed I might think twice about this, yes!

[Two_Sheds]

if you can recognise the seeds you've sown surely that wouldn't pose a problem. Just pluck out the weeds

Yes, that's what I do. Lots of people don't know weedlings from seedlings though (yet). I use homemade leafmould in the bottom half of pots, then top with (sterile) MPC. I still get the odd determined weed (usually dead nettle) and, like you say, pluck them out

[Ian_5]

I normally use whatever MPC I have to hand but this year picked up a bag of Homebase seed compost - nice fine stuff it is.

[Kaiya]

When I fill the modules, MPC fills the bottom 50%, then I put in some seed compost, then the seeds then top off with more seed compost. I know I'm not saving much, but it makes me feel as if I am.

I'm doing this this year, especially for the bigger modules that the seedlings will be in for a bit longer. I have peat free B&Q Verve (which so far doesn't seem to be as bad as others have said) and (I think) Westland seed compost. They had an open bag and I was seduced by its looks. Normally I just use MPC. Beans and peas don't get seed compost - they get MPC only.

Verve peat-free MPC
http://kailyn.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/SAM_0114-300x168.jpg
http://kailyn.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/SAM_0108-300x168.jpg

Probably Westland seed compost on top of MPC
http://kailyn.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/SAM_0106-300x168.jpg

[vegnut]

I use whatever is on offer at the time, if westlands is offering 3 for 2 then thats what the seeds are gonna get this time. Any big bits just go back on the compost heap to break down a little, and that will end up on the soil one way or another soon enough.

[salome2001]

I like seed compost because it is generally finer and easier to fill small module trays with. This year I've used left-overs of last year's B&Q bag, New Horizon and Wilkos own brand. All very different- the B&Q one was very peaty, the NH very light/ fluffy (and once tamped down a little and watered, doesn't seem to go very far) and the Wilko one quite sandy. But everything seems to be germinating. I have had a couple of rogue seedlings in the Wilko one though.

[plymouthred]

New to potting up and I have picked up a couple of bags from Wilkos to give it a try. As you say Salome2001 it does seem kind of sandy with some big bits of soil in there but very easy to break up by hand.