Which Seed Compost

The current issue of Gardening Which has a report on a selection of seed composts. It is noticeable that all their recommended buys contain a minimum of 55% peat and in one instance is pure peat. We all know that peat is a perfect growing medium, but we also know that (whatever the compost companies may say) peat is a finite resource that is being extracted from unique habitats and in the process is releasing carbon that has been locked into the soil for thousands of years. Which also listed their ‘Don’t Buys’ which included Carbon Gold’s GroChar Seed Compost which I trialled in its early days and have been using successfully for some time now. It is 100% peat free and – like other peat free formulations – it is essential that you follow the instructions to ensure good results. It is particularly important that you water a lot less than is normal with peat composts. The accompanying photo shows my current crop of GroChar grown seedlings – they look pretty good to me.