Beginning of gardening

@Bestgardener Sweetcorn start indoors on a light windowsill in fairly deep pots April to June depending on where you are. Mine get started end of April early May and planted out when 6 to 12 inches tall. They will need to be planted outside, as plants can reach 6 ft. Need plenty of water. Plant in a square or patch rather than a row, as this helps with pollination.
For compost try local garden/hardware shop or garden centre; give them till mid Jan to get the Xmas tat out of the way.
What other seeds have you got?

 

It's tempting to use garden soil, isn't it? But resist... It's full of bacteria, fungal spores and 'wildlife' that will attack the seeds and seedlings. It's also usually not the ideal texture to help the seeds germinate. Proprietary seed compost should contain peat, sand and something like perlite or vermiculite to keep it well-drained. Try to avoid compost with a high proportion of wood or vegetable waste as it usually needs sieving to get the chunks of wood etc. out of it. False economy! For containers, there are lots of options for recycling clean food trays, disposable coffee cups etc. Just make plenty of drainage holes and stand them on a waterproof tray. Clingfilm or a sheet of glass or plastic over the top keeps moisture and a bit of warmth in.
One other option if you're still struggling to find compost (although you'll still need some eventually) are ziplock freezer bags and kitchen roll. Dampen the paper, space the seeds out on it, cover with another sheet of damp paper and place in the bag. Put in a warm, dark place and check everyday for signs of sprouting. As soon as the seeds germinate, move to a light, warm place, open the bags a bit more each day to gradually acclimatise the seedlings until they're big enough to pot into compost. Good luck

 

Its to early for these type of stores to stock gardening products, unless the store is stated as having a Garden Centre. Our local poundland, b&m and home bargain stores general start stocking late Feb early March with composts etc etc.

 

I have used compost from £land & it has been alright for me. Don't use soil from the garden to grow things in pots, it's not sterile & you could end up with lots of weed seeds as well as pests that are invisible to the human eye but which can kill your seedlings.

Another thing is that bought compost is specially designed/formulated to not compact, it remains open so water can get out easily without drowning your seeds or get so dry the seeds die before germinating or that the seeds can't germinate properly & give you the best results. As some seeds can be expensive you would want to get the best value from them, which means you want as many as possible to sprout & grow.