Could the compost mix be killing my seedlings?

Our number one reason why your seedlings may not have taken off in the way you’d hoped.

The compost mix
When your seed has transformed from being a seed to a seedling, it is at its most delicate. Therefore it needs a delicate but efficient mix to perform at it best. It can’t have too much nutrients and it definitely can’t have too little. So selecting the best compost will help with that process.

The seeds can be the best quality seeds, but if the soil and compost is bad — it’s a no go. Your seeds just wont grow as they should. This year, I changed the brand of soil I used to grow, and it turned out to be a bad batch. I wondered why all my seedlings were stunted. I then noticed that there was one thing in common, the soil. I changed the soil - and two weeks later. Purple stemmed tomatoes got all it’s nutrients and returned to a green colour, and they grew!

Things to look out for:

• Select a seedling mix - if you’re aren’t making your own mix, select a mix that has been cultivated for seedlings, and avoid bags of compost that states that it’s not for seedlings.

• Opt for peat-free compost. It’s better for the environment.

• Fine grade compost is better than a mix that has been developed as a potting mix.

• Vermiculite - will support with drainage. A mix that is too clay heavy, will likely be too heavy for a new seedling to burst through and to grow.