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Peat free seed compost?

mrssparrowhawkmrssparrowhawk Posts: 2
in The potting shed
I'm finding it easy enough to get peat free multipurpose compost but not seed compost. The ones I've looked at on Amazon have very mixed reviews. Can anyone advise me on a good reliable brand?
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  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 11,162
    There was a report in this month's Gardening from Which magazine. Unfortunately l've now passed my copy on to a neighbour, but there is some information online.
    https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/compost/article/best-compost-ahUv44C6lrR5

  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,123
    Accessing the site for you, the best five peat free composts for seed sowing were

    Fertile Fibre seed compost (85% Which score, 37p a litre)
    B&Q Verve seed and cutting compost (79%, 20p)
    Bathgate MPC, peat free (75%, 13p)
    Fertile Fibre MPC (75%, 37p)
    B&Q GoodHome MPC (65%, 12p)

    A perennial favourite in Which trials is Melcourt Sylvagrow which has a seed sowing option but because the formulation has recently changed results could not be included

    Rutland, England
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 9,971
    I've been sowing and growing for 50+ years and never used seed compost - ordinary peat-free multipurpose compost will do fine, but I'm sure some are better than others.
    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 11,162
    I mix in some vermiculite with multipurpose compost. For some reason l could never get on with seed compost .
  • mrssparrowhawkmrssparrowhawk Posts: 2
    Thank you all that is really helpful! I had a disaster one year when I didn't move my cosmos seedlings on from seed compost to general quickly enough... at least I think it was that ... and they all went very sad and weak looking presumably because not enough nutrients, so I don't know, maybe will try some in multipurpose as Pete suggets and others in specific seed compost.
  • puschkiniapuschkinia Posts: 203
    edited February 2022
    B&Q Verve seed and cutting compost (79%, 20p)

    Maybe I just had back luck, but this B&Q compost had horrible texture imo (became rock solid after 2 days!). Everything I sowed in it either didn't germinate or went mouldy :weary: I'll put my hands up and admit I'm an absolute beginner though, so maybe it was my fault.

    Crocus had this on sale until recently:

    https://www.sarahraven.com/products/grochar-seed-compost?gclid=Cj0KCQiA0eOPBhCGARIsAFIwTs6B7LPj91eqX-yMUQ51RInr2bsvZA3gb2Bbk1_JP8_fobtrI87jm4gaAszyEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

    It was £9 for 3 bags and it's amazing, but I know it's very steep... maybe it'll go back on sale sometime?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 50,221
    Seed compost is really only needed when sowing in autumn, because it contains less nutrients, and you don't want loads of growth through winter.
    You can use MPC at this time of year, but it's always worth adding some Perlite, Vermiculite or grit for extra drainage, and that cuts down the nutrient level a bit too.

    You may also need to sieve the compost - virtually every compost has lumps etc in it. However, that also depends on what you're sowing. Many seeds are fine with a few lumps in the growing medium.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 9,971
    puschkinia said:
    B&Q Verve seed and cutting compost (79%, 20p)

    Maybe I just had back luck, but this B&Q compost had horrible texture imo (became rock solid after 2 days!). Everything I sowed in it either didn't germinate or went mouldy :weary: I'll put my hands up and admit I'm an absolute beginner though, so maybe it was my fault.

    Crocus had this on sale until recently:

    https://www.sarahraven.com/products/grochar-seed-compost?gclid=Cj0KCQiA0eOPBhCGARIsAFIwTs6B7LPj91eqX-yMUQ51RInr2bsvZA3gb2Bbk1_JP8_fobtrI87jm4gaAszyEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

    It was £9 for 3 bags and it's amazing, but I know it's very steep... maybe it'll go back on sale sometime?
    I had exactly the same experience with Verve compost - awful stuff.
    Once wet is seems to stay waterlogged for ages then dries out and is difficult to dampen again.
    As far as I recall all of my seeds failed in Verve compost and I'd never buy it again.
    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 13,278
    I am another one who doesn’t use seed compost at all. I used to, but now find MPC works fine.
    There are ashtrays of emulsion,
    for the fag ends of the aristocracy.

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • StephenSouthwestStephenSouthwest Posts: 443
    edited February 2022
    I've found the Sylvagrow multipurpose performs well as seed compost, the Sylvagrow organic doesn't perform quite as well, and other brands not so good.
    It's expensive, so I tend to sow in small containers.
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