The other day we used the tip that Alan mentioned a few posts ago about adding some home-made garden compost into peat-free seed compost to give it a bit of added goodness. We looked at our compost heap thinking we’d have to clear the many layers of rotting vegetables, cardboard and egg boxes to get to the bottom and then remembered last year we found a way to the bottom from the side of the heap (above). All we did was move an old floor tile and voila we were rewarded with some fresh “Black Gold” (below), wonderful stuff!
We only put a few handfuls of it with the remaining peat-free seed compost we had left as we didn’t want it too nutrient heavy and kill the seedlings but just enough to make a difference. Once we mixed it up we filled one of the seed tray, tray lid and bottom set we got from a large DIY supplier (their name rhymes with T&Q) for the bargain price of £4. You can’t even get a pint for that sort of money these days.
In the tray went some self-saved seeds of sweet pea we grew last year, some jalapenos, the black moon tomato we got from Thompson & Morgan and also from T&M, “great stuff” peppers that grow to the size of a human hand! We’ll keep you posted when the seeds germinate and we’d love to hear what you’re starting off at the moment. Remember it’s only February.
Weeds up to me knees 
As you say it is still early but my aubergines, onions and broad beans have germinated and all go the allotment in due course. No sign of the chillis though. Spuds are chitting and I’ll start tomatoes next month. I agree about not making the compost too rich so I put in about 25% garden compost which is not scientific and totally trial and error.
Hi Alan.
Good stuff on the aubergines, onions and broad beans.
We’ve two lots of seed sowings, pre garden compost in the mix and post garden compost in the mix! The pre garden compost seeds have germinated and showing some signs of growth but lets see how the second lot get on as they only went in the other day.
Good idea on delaying the tomatoes as for many years we’ve had tall and leggy tomato plants on the kitchen windowsill waiting to go outside after the chance of frost has disappeared.
I got excited that the compost from the heap looked so good I had to stop myself from adding more into the mix but then you don’t want to kill the seedlings.
25% is a good one I think.
Hope the chillies germinate and do give us an update on how things are progressing.
Cheers
Pete