2022 - What I sowed today

Supagrow Organic compost is what I bought from Homebase first, lots of it.
https://www.homebase.co.uk/supagrow-peat...1643496809

It's dark and has a funny smell. When so many seeds failed to germinate, I looked closer, and it goes rock hard when the top layer dries, and nothing is thriving in it. I'm going to write to Homebase about it, because it's not great. To be fair, it doesn't say it is for seedlings, but you would've thought that if it's only good for mulch, they'd sell it as mulch?

Anyone else tried this brand?

I wouldn't normally buy peat compost, but it was such a bargain I couldn't NOT buy it. I need lots this year to put stuff into pots that I will be able to plant in the ground next year once we have the summer house in place.

If it's that cheap it's almost certainly green waste compost. There's a composting facility near me which used to sell it direct to landscapers for £10 per ton. If it's the same as this stuff on the Supagrow website - https://www.supagrow.co.uk/products/tops...l-improver - they say it's not suitable for seed sowing, probably due to the nutrient levels being too high. It should be OK for potting on when mixed with something to open it up a bit and improve its moisture holding capacity. Potatoes, courgettes and other things which don't seem to care about what they grow in should be fine with it straight. My peppers are loving the peat free stuff from Aldi, which I was a bit unsure about as it obviously contains green waste compost, but I did mix it 50/50 with homemade compost and a bit of perlite.