Blog: I’m not happy with my seed compost, heat mat or memory!
I’ve left my seed sowing to the last minute, and anything that could go wrong has gone wrong – here’s how to save seedlings that are failing.
Luckily, most of the chillies overwintered well, so losing two more varieties wasn’t the biggest deal. However, the collapsed tomato and tomatillo seedlings last Monday were the last straw. A combination of very poor seed compost, an elderly heat mat and me forgetting to open the conservatory windows was to blame.
How to save seedlings – new compost
The seed compost (I don’t want to embarrass the maker), although peat-free, seems to be a combination of dust and sand. It appeared to be damp in the morning, only to be bone dry in the afternoon. It also seems this damn compost has weed seeds in it! I shall be writing in the strongest terms to the manufacturer when the world is back to normal.
I found them flopped, and it seemed the only chance of survival was surgical repotting into modules of decent peat-free compost. The tomatillos were in particularly bad shape (I remember they were very leggy last year).
Last-minute sowings
In went tomatoes, Rosella and Apero, and I said a quick prayer to any listening deity. Someone listened because, in 6 hours, they had perked up. As a backup, I sowed a free packet of Maskotka, even though they’re not cordons and won’t fit into the conservatory! (Actually, they were fine on the shelving units – I might ditch cordons next year.)
My Reisetomate seeds also finally arrived on trial, so they’re ready to pot on. Panic averted (I hope).
