Best compost/conditions to grow seeds

sgun

Of course, a 20% peat compost is much better than a 90% peat compost but small scale vegetable growing does not in any way off-set the damage to the carbon sinks that removal of peat causes.

Yes, sorry but growing your own vegetables is a leisure activity, its great to do and I highly encourage everyone to do so but in reality unless you are completely self-sustainable it is an activity that is fun but not essential. I don't really buy any salad or root crops through the summer and autumn and it takes a lot of time to care for the plot but I still consider it a hobby rather than essential.

There are some excellent peat free composts, readily available. I have mentioned a few (dont get the old brown bags of New Horizon, its the red ones you want). We can carry on making excuses for unsustainable gardening practices until the cows come home - this isn't helping. We have 11 odd years before climate change becomes irreversible and although it is the big businesses and powers that be who really need a rocket up their ar*e we all have a responsibility to do everything we can too.

I don't have kids, I don't eat meat, I recycle and reuse pretty much everything. I car share. I rarely fly and always offset the carbon use - not ideal but with family abroad I have little choice. I don't use any of this an an excuse to use peat based compost!

The bigger picture is surely the future of the planet.

sgun

a4007035 wrote: »

Hi,

I am relatively new to gardening so I was wondering if you could help.

I want to grow some flowers such as cosmos, marigolds, etc in some planters that I have.

I have bought the seeds but I was just wondering what compost and conditions is the best to grow the seeds. I have Miracle-Gro All Purpose Enriched Compost 50L but I am not sure if this is what I should use.

Cheers,
Gavin

Thought it might be better to bring it back round to the original question. Hopefully the peat/peat free discussion is food for thought.
The information that you need should be on the back of the seed packets. Generally you need around 21 degrees to germinate seeds (this is NOT set in stone but a good ball park figure if in doubt, some need much less, some more)

I would sow cosmos and marigolds thinly in trays to start with and !!!!! them out when they are large enough (google it). Alternatively use modules which are easier to pop the plants out from when they are large enough. Both of your flower choices are easy to sow direct into your planters but you have more control over the temperatures if you sow into trays first. If you do sow direct then you will probably need to thin out the seedlings when they get to around 5cm high.

If you can keep the seeds at a fairly constant temperature they will germinate faster, not to worry if you have to sow direct, they will still grow. Beware late frosts however, not good news for seedlings (if in a tray they can be on a windowsill).

A._Badger

It's depressing the keep reading the same old codswallop about peat so, for a change, why not take a look at what an expert has to say? He's not an 'eco' activist who learned all about it from a Friends of the Earth leaflet, nor a television 'Green' guru, but a retired horticultural academic whose methods are probably more genuinely 'environmentally friendly' than most.

http://www.nodiggardener.co.uk/search?q=peat

I don't agree with everything he says, by any means, but on this subject he knows whereof he speaks.

Back on the OP's theme. Do not use ;enriched' anything. High levels of N and K can inhibit germination. Use the best seed compost you can find, sow seeds on the surface and cover with seed grade vermiculite which offers the advantage of allowing some light through (many seeds require light to germinate - though not all do) and keeps the atmosphere around the seed moist yet with air spaces. Only cover with compost if the seed packet tells you to. The advice (above) to sieve is excellent - most commercial composts are rubbish (Levington seed compost this year is the worst I have seen for a long while - Westland is better but far from perfect). Get the lumps and twigs out of it as they are going to make life very difficult for small seeds.

!!!!! out into a compost containing decent levels of fertiliser as soon as possible. Give them plenty of light once they germinate!

I see MSE's resident nanny software objects to the word 'pr***k', What an illiterate world we live in.