Trouble with germination using peat free compost

I bought peat free compost as we decided to grow some zinnia and cosmos from seed . Not one germinated. I put some zinnia directly into a large pot with soil and they are doing fine. I won't use peat free again. A gardener I know said they use allsorts of waste and rubbish to add to it . Horrible.

I have had similar problems; the soil seems to be rock solid on the surface and my onion seedlings are simply not growing.

Well, I'm no expert but in recent years I haven't had much problem with seeds. I do use Seed compost and don't mind the price cos I need so little (you don't want it to be "rich", but for the larger veg (toms, cukes, courgettes etc) I use a little electric propagator (kitchen windowsill) that I've had for years. Everything came up quickly this year.

But for the next stage I used Westland Multipurpose (used it for years) and it's taking its time. I even used a bit of tomato food to bring things on but they are still way behind (though look healthy enough.

All is peat free, has been for some years, and it seems to look fine now (after some years of rubbish). I usually aim to get things outside/in the greenhouse by the end of May - which it now is - but most things are still very small.

I am potting up my one cuke into its final pot (doing it in the kitchen cos its tipping down outside!) but I bought that (no point in buying a pack of seeds for one cuke!).

Not really started on the flowers yet, but bought them all in.

My real problem this year (and last) is botrytis on my strawbs. I bought new raised beds last year and all new plants so I am pretty heartbroken. I replanted them all about 6 weeks ago to spread them out more but I don't think it has worked.

I think it’s rubbish compost. Ideally, you could mix it with your own homemade stuff.

I agree with all.
My problem is that I don’t have a garden, only a tiny flower bed and pots. I bought some compost and it’s rubbish. Limited finances and no car. No idea where to go to next.

I agree with all previous letters in that the bag of peat-free compost (costing around a fiver) seems not to be very good. Time is getting late for sowing beans, but now mixing content of the bag with my own compost - no longer have a glasshouse, but am still trying!

I m like you grandmattie no car, live nowhere near a garden centre so ??? A bit snookered and the stuff they are selling in town is sooooo useless I ve put some really tiny shoots outside much sooner than normal but they are growing now they are in real soil !!!

My daughter works in horticulture. They use Melcourt peat free seed compost. Last year they tried a reduced peat alternative, as were desperate, and got great results. Adding perlite to the mix helps to reduce damp off (a type of fungi that destroys the base of seedlings). Interesting to read other people’s experiences. I might experiment with various mixes of homemade compost and a peat free seed compost.

Peat free was OK for most things here, but my courgettes didn't germinate. I couldn't find any small plants in the shops either, maybe I wasn't the only one?
My homemade isn't really good enough for seedlings, I use it to mulch (all the sunny spots are on grass & the rats dig under & get in - so I compost on patio & it's shady).
I agree it's really difficult to get the watering right, but I'm glad they don't dig up peat-beds for us gardeners any more.
I am having a torrid time with greenfly, blackfly & whitefly this year (strangely greenhouse is OK) I'm putting it down to the dry weather. Anyone else found this?

Yes, Valdavi re greenfly, aphids, whitefly etc! The weather may well be the cause…
Lettuce, rocket, roses, everything really… sigh…

grandMattie and BlueBelle I order all of mine online, have done for a few years

Melcourt Sylvagrow is the only peat-free seed compost to work for me. Monty Don in GW magazine advocated making your own but it’s only viable if you have access to leaf mould as it includes this as well as vermiculite, loam and garden compost. I hope this is correct as I’m currently in France and the relevant GW magazine is at home!

To those grans who can't drive - our allotment has an advert up for a lady who delivers compost/manure/bark etc to your door.
She's a one man band and her prices are really reasonable. I wonder if it might be worth seeing if you might have someone who provides a similar service in your area?

Unfortunately no such messages on the back of our Allotment Shed door. Like my garden, our allotments are tiny (2.5 rods) and no room for compost making. Good news is, with the Irish compost I mentioned earlier, I have 2 tiny sweetcorn shoots poking through and hopefully more to come, although it might be too late to get a crop before winter arrives.

I'm also experiencing really poor germination .
I started planting seeds as a four year old and was thrilled at the results .
Now in my early seventies with what is considered good gardening knowledge and experience I feel like a novice .
I'm using Jack's Magic ,sieved fresh top soil or John Innes and experimenting with mixtures .
I'm also wondering about the weather .
Perhaps this is my last year of planting seeds .
I'm too tired to pffaff (spelling?)around !

No no messages on my allotment either Aely
Certainly not weather for me Esmay as I start them all off in my conservatory I have got plenty of plants now but they were incredibly slow and some I had to sow twice

Ah, Blackfly. Taking the tender tips out of plants is useless. The little beggars haave totally invaded my broad beans, aphids on top of aphids from tip to root. I am loathe to use soapy water as I have heard it kills worms and we have few enough of those in our sandy soil. The dry weather has definitely caused the birds to redouble their efforts on my ripening red currants, for the moisture, but that is ok so long as they leave me some on the lower and more hidden branches.