Peat free potting compost.

Not wanting to get into any environmental arguments here, but do any of you find as I that peat free compost is nowhere as good as peat based?. This does not include John Innis of course which is great. We have been trying to boost up this modern medium with various stuff which does help a bit, but it does not stop it from drying out too quick. Water just seems to run out of it with little retention. I think that as peat was born in water it is far more adapted to retain it.

We are now working on a home brewed potting/seed compost recipe. We take 50/50 of sieved garden soil and compost from our heap. Two kilo of this is put into VENTED polythene bags and microwaved for thirty seconds. Initial results looks promising.

Yep, I found the same thing. The peat-free composts are, I find, too free-draining and, subsequently, the nutrients get washed out so the seedlings'growth is impaired.