I wonder do people use the seedling specific composts for starting off seeds or
just use the general purpose stuff?

On 13/04/2013 15:34, Judith in England wrote:


I wonder do people use the seedling specific composts for starting off seeds or
just use the general purpose stuff?



Depends on the seed. Most compost is just too coarse for small seeds.

I have just germinated 60+ sweet pea seeds between sheets of damp
kitchen roll and a layer of bubble wrap. Beats the hell out of all that
messing around with pots. I have dropped some of the seedlings straight
in the soil, so we'll see what happens. Not a single failure by the way :-)

"Judith in England" wrote in message
...



I wonder do people use the seedling specific composts for starting off seeds
or
just use the general purpose stuff?
..................................................

The Gardener says she uses Seed and Cutting Compost for seeds and cuttings.

Mike

On Sat, 13 Apr 2013 15:34:57 +0100, Judith in England
wrote:



I wonder do people use the seedling specific composts for starting off seeds or
just use the general purpose stuff?


After a bit of experimenting, I now use a 2:1 mix of seed compost and
coir. If I cover seeds, I always use vermiculite, never compost.

I've used both pure coir and pure seed compost in the past and had
reasonable results but I find I get better germination rates and far
better root growth with the mix I now use.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East end of Swansea Bay where the
showers of April have arrived!

In article 14rim81tqsja5fbq45iael2s2v48i5l4su@
4ax.com, says...

I wonder do people use the seedling specific composts for starting off seeds or
just use the general purpose stuff?

Unlike most responses to date, I just use a
multipurpose compost for eveything, and I do not seem
to have any problems. Just come in from planting some
brassicas in trays, ground is still too cold.

Thinking about that, my ground is very difficult to
break down into a fine tilth, so any seeds that are
planted straight outside have to battle with large
lumps and small stones as well.

Mind you I do not plant much in the way of flowers,
being mainly a vegetable gardener, although I always
plant swmbo sweet pea seeds, again in multpurpose
compost. I use some collapsable ploythene pots that
must be approaching 25 years only, they came with us
here some 18+ years ago. They've spent today outside
in the rain, and it looks like next week, I'll be
pinching the tops out as they reach the 3/4 leaf
stage.

--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales

On 13/04/2013 15:34, Judith in England wrote:


I wonder do people use the seedling specific composts for starting off seeds or
just use the general purpose stuff?

I always used B & Q multi-purpose compost, put thorough a 1cm sieve then
with 1 part to 6 of medium Perlite added.
Now having bought bales of peat I will be mixing my own since they
ruined B & Q compost last year.
Regarding covering seeds, some seeds require light to germinate, these I
either cover with perlite or sow onto a covering of perlite, (You could
use vermiculite). then a sheet of glass.
Seeds that require darkness I cover with compost then glass then paper.

In article ,
says...

In article 14rim81tqsja5fbq45iael2s2v48i5l4su@
4ax.com, says...

I wonder do people use the seedling specific composts for starting off seeds or
just use the general purpose stuff?

Unlike most responses to date, I just use a
multipurpose compost for eveything, and I do not seem
to have any problems.

Ditto

Janet

On Sat, 13 Apr 2013 15:34:57 +0100, Judith in England
wrote:


I wonder do people use the seedling specific composts for starting off seeds or
just use the general purpose stuff?

Our Fuchsia society had a visit from David Coop, a representative of
'Westland's' (he works on new projects and improving their products)
He bought with him all the different types of composts that his firm
produced, and spent time explaining the differences and why one was
better than the other for a particular task. Yes he promoted
'wetlands' but by the end of two hours with all the questions /
answers he had only completed half his 'session' and so was invited
back to complete a most informative talk.
His main job is training Garden Enter staff , but if you have a chance
to attend a 'talk' you will not be disappointed.

-
-
-
Lincolnfuchsiasociety.info

(Any Olympic GameMakers here?)

stuart noble wrote:
I have just germinated 60+ sweet pea seeds between sheets of damp
kitchen roll and a layer of bubble wrap. Beats the hell out of all that
messing around with pots. I have dropped some of the seedlings straight
in the soil, so we'll see what happens. Not a single failure by the way :-)

I always* do my sweet peas in root trainers. They seem to enjoy it!

On 14/04/2013 11:12, wrote:
stuart noble wrote:
I have just germinated 60+ sweet pea seeds between sheets of damp
kitchen roll and a layer of bubble wrap. Beats the hell out of all that
messing around with pots. I have dropped some of the seedlings straight
in the soil, so we'll see what happens. Not a single failure by the way :-)

I always* do my sweet peas in root trainers. They seem to enjoy it!


For me 2012 was a bumper year for sweet peas, which I put down to the
detailed preparation of the plot, manure etc.
When I came to dig them up I was surprised that the root run was so
shallow, and the root balls so small. Actually, I might just as well
have grown them in 6" pots :-(

Judith in England wrote in
:



I wonder do people use the seedling specific composts for starting off
seeds or just use the general purpose stuff?




Best results I have had is to sow the smaller seed, such as brassicas, in
trays of soil from the garden. When they have 2 nice leafs and you are
confident they can be pricked out into compost of any kind IMO.
After that the world is your lobster!

Baz

On Sat, 13 Apr 2013 15:34:57 +0100, Judith in England wrote:

I wonder do people use the seedling specific composts for starting off
seeds or just use the general purpose stuff?

Up until last year I always used a multi-purpose compost for everything.
At one time GroBags were much cheaper than bagged compost so I always used
those.]

With the very variable weather last year I had several germination
failures for small seeds such as tomatoes, and after much searching
managed to find some seed compost.
[They don't seem to stock it much in the sheds, for some reason.]

I had good germination with this, but then again the weather had improved.

I find the peat free multi-purpose composts far too coarse for germinating
small seeds.
I suppose that the peat gives a fineness to the compost that hasn't been
matched by other means yet.

Anyway, I would suggest seed compost for small seeds and almost anything
for larger ones.

Cheers

Dave R

In article ,
lid says...

Avoid local authority free compost. We have patches of celandines
growing where we used free compost in the garden.

I'd happily risk a bit of weeding, in exchange for free compost :-)
Compost is like diamonds, and being thin..

Janet.

Avoid local authority free compost. We have patches of celandines
growing where we used free compost in the garden.

A very under rated garden flower.
Celandines can really light up a garden in early spring in the right place

In article ,
Martin wrote:

Avoid local authority free compost. We have patches of celandines
growing where we used free compost in the garden.

"Free compost" from the Council? I can tell you live in Holland! Our
lot sell it back to us at ?3.00 a bag (to be accurate, the contractor,
SITA, sells it back to us).

(Not particularly complaining about SITA by the way: the refuse site is
a paragon of cleanliness, efficiency and convenience.)

John