I haven't had much luck with peat free compost especially in sowing
seeds, though I once got a solid block of coir from the Worm compost
people as a freebie and I found that newly rooted cuttings of shrubs etc
did superbly well. (Never sure why though!)

I came across this website about coir on the net when looking to compare
the price of proper seed composts.
http://www.fertilefibre.com/

What do the experts think? It seems expensive but useful if you want to
stay as 'green' as possible

For some seeds I have used vermiculite with a bit of success, sweet peas
I germinate on kitchen towel and then pot up when they start sprouting,
for hardy plant seeds however I prefer something 'soil based' to see
them through a possible freezing period so I can leave them outside for
ages.

Specialised seed compost in particular JI no 1 is quite expensive around
Amersham so wondered if I could order a quantity and get a price
reduction or failing that I didn't mind travelling 20 - 30 miles to pick
up a load if the price was better.

Janet

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Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk