Best compost for veg seeds

Discussion in 'Compost, Fertilisers & Recycling' started by Aidan mc, Feb 4, 2022.

  1. Aidan mc

    Aidan mc Gardener

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    Can someone please help me with choice of seed compost.
    Previous years i used John Innes seed compost, liked it ok but can't manage to get it this year!
    Would John Innes No. 1 be a good alternative? I can get that.
    I also have some coco coir and Vermiculite,
    Could i add that to the John Innes No1?
    What would you recommend.
     
  2. Tomcat

    Tomcat Gardener

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    J.l seed compost has less feed and more coarse sand in it than J.l 1 , so l would add 10% sand to No 1. Then the only difference would be the feed , which l don’t think would worry most seeds. Personally l would leave coir out of the mix as it holds a fair amount of moisture and could make watering problematic. The vermiculite could be used as a thin layer on top once your seed is sown and covered , to retain moisture .
     
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      Last edited: Feb 4, 2022
    • JWK

      JWK Gardener Staff Member

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      What type of veg seed? Generally I think you should be able to do that with bigger seed like cabbages. Better to mix in a little vermiculite in the top layer as Tomcat suggests just to give them a safe start.
       
    • john558

      john558 Total Gardener

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      For the past few years I used equal parts of JI No1, own sifted Compost, Coir & a little Perlite, never any problems.
       
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