Garden Compost

Be very careful of cheap recycled compost, the quality is very variable, I bought some from Lidl, it was rubbish and I used it for mulch.
For seeds use a good quality fine compost, a John Innes seed formula should work well.

Miracle gro every time for me, especially since they have developed a peat free range. I usually use it mixed with garden compost for pots and containers. Seems to keep the plants happy.

Beth20 - have you tried the peat free Westland Horizon? If so, how does Miracle Gro compare?

We had a dreadful peat-free delivered by our milkman. Can't remember the make.

Last year my bought compost grew me a fine crop of mushrooms, thrusting up through my beans and uprooting them.

And I wasn’t even confident enough to eat them??

Bags of compost I have bought from the supermarket are not great. I think you get what you pay for.

I bought some from idealworld.tv when on free delivery, but it comes with no list of contents, so not sure if peat-free. Plants grow well in it and it is light to carry.

Those containing loam I would say are the best but with RA affecting my wrists I struggle to carry the heavier bags or pots containing it.

Peasblossom

We also had some bought compost that bred mushrooms amongst my house plants.

DH was cross, he said it should have been heat treated or similar to kill off all the ‘bugs’.

Wool compost. Expensive but at least environmentally friendly. I bought some this year for the first time and it seems fine.

If it doesn't actually say "peat free" shysal it won't be. Even organic compost is apparently not peat free (unless it says so).

We really shouldn't still be digging up peat in my opinion (though I really do miss the smell of peat fires in Ireland to be honest).

I've bought the big compressed bales of B & Q general purpose compost for many years and it's been absolutely fine (for all those being sniffy about 'cheap compost').

They have reformulated it this year to cut out most of its peat content. I've bought that, too and it has also been fine. It's just a bit more coarse than usual.

I think the OP has been unlucky.

P.S when you see the conditions in which seeds 'in the wild' germinate you begin to get quite unfussy as to what to use for starting them off indoors

Westland Jacks Magic has been consistently the best multi compost for the past 5 years in my experience. A lot of others.. including brand names seem to have gone downhill.

My OH has bought Jacks Magic for the last couple of years, very happy with it. His brother also uses it.

Wow, thank you so much everybody. I am going to see which of your recommended products are available to me locally.

MaisieD thanks for the explanation that the B&Q compost has been reformulated to be peat free. Just seeing the fungus over my seedlings makes me feel that I should no longer buy any from B&Q.

Gransnet is great for recommendations. ?

See if you can go to your local allotment society supplies shop.

Ours even sells to the public at reduced prices.

They will usually have a bag open so you can see what it’s like.

They would not sell an inferior product
To serious gardeners as nobody would buy it. With compost bought in the supermarket it’s more about profits than quality I think.

Another vote here for Jacks Magic.

Calendargirl

Peasblossom

We also had some bought compost that bred mushrooms amongst my house plants.

DH was cross, he said it should have been heat treated or similar to kill off all the ‘bugs’.

Its not bugs, its mushroom spores! Spent mushroom compost is sold to compost producers to use as an ingredient so that its not wasted. Its good stuff, just pick off the mushrooms if any appear.

Esspee

Wow, thank you so much everybody. I am going to see which of your recommended products are available to me locally.

MaisieD thanks for the explanation that the B&Q compost has been reformulated to be peat free. Just seeing the fungus over my seedlings makes me feel that I should no longer buy any from B&Q.

Gransnet is great for recommendations. ?

again probably mushroom spores and harmless.

Our local recycling centre collects garden waste, fortnightly. This is turned into super, and cheap compost. Perhaps you have a similar system near you.? Your local council website will tell you.

Commercial growers do not use recycled compost for raising plants, there have been several very costly compensation cases because of contaminated product.

For seeds it’s wise to use the best available, once the plants are strong they will probably be OK in most general compost.

BBbevan I know of councils which allow locals to collect compost free of charge but I live in Glasgow and have no idea where our garden waste ends up.

Esspee, MaisieD actually said they had cut out most of the peat.

We buy Westlands or John Innes too and look out for offers at the garden centres.

P.S when you see the conditions in which seeds 'in the wild' germinate you begin to get quite unfussy as to what to use for starting them off indoors

And how come the desert blooms when it rains after 10 dry years but my out-of-date by one year lettuce seeds did nothing?
Sod's Law
In fact, all last years seeds were disappointing.

John Innes contains some peat
As far as I can find out, Westland compost does too although they do a peat free range, as mentioned above.
Beth20 - have you tried the peat free Westland Horizon?

Why is the ban on peat based compost taking so long to be implemented? Not until 2024.

A mix of manure, home made compost and garden soil works well for more mature plants.

Seedlings seem to germinate in just good garden soil conditioned with home made compost.

Callistemon. If I had poor germination rates with all of my seeds one year I would be thinking the growing medium might be to blame.

Jacks Magic is made from peat. I save the tea leaves from used tea bags to add to the garden. It is a bit like peat. (We do drink quite a lot of tea!)