Why can’t I grow sweet peas ??

Thanks ricky101, I used to buy Jacks magic and it was excellent but they too have changed the contents, the last bag I bought was full of sticks, lumps of clay and what looked like dog hairs! This has been the worst year I’ve had trying to grow from seed I started in lockdown with a few bits and pieces and as a new gardener everything grew well but since the change in compost I’d say starting last year I’ve found less seeds are successful. I also found today that some hollyhocks I was trying to grow had become stuck under the “crust” on the top of the compost, I had to release the poor little leaves! I never had that problem with the original JM which was very free flowing and easy to use, I must admit I’m getting fed up with filtering out all the sticks, lumps, hairs & even bits of plastic in the current composts. Any recommendations on which to use will be gratefully received!!

 

I think soaking them was my mistake - even though it said on the packet to do so! I sowed 4 in a pot without soaking them about a week ago and they've all appeared today.

For seed sowing I use a coir based, compressed compost - mainly because it's convenient to have it in compressed form. This year B&M have been selling a Dr Fothergill branded one with added seaweed extract, and my seedlings have been doing well in it.

For filling up pots for bulbs etc and bigger plants I use a cheap peat free from B&Q, the Verve brand. It has bits of stick etc in it, but I'm mainly using it for bulk. I add garden compost and garden soil to it. Tomatoes grew well in that mixture last year.

 

Well some Jacks Magic we bought earlier this year was still a good consistency as we showed a neighbour who was similarly having seed growing problems with his non peat compost.
Think our bags may have been supplied to the garden center last year and perhaps yours are a newer poorer batch ?

Think we can remember some of the forum members saying they have had seed success with some of the non peat types, though again think many of them were either very expensive and effectively online /delivery only.

What surprised us this year is that Clover 100% peat compost is still is good supply at our local garden centers at similar prices to the non peat stuff, so if you are no averse to using peat would suggest you get a few bags for your future seeds, we did !
Clover do add a few nutients which will fade over time, but otherwise suspect the bags should store well for some years.
eg Clover Multi Purpose Peat Based Compost - 60 Litres

 

I’ll look out for Clover next time I go to a garden centre, it would be useful if they had samples you could look at, in containers, of each compost as I have found you can’t tell what it’s like until you get home. I bought JM last year and it was excellent then the packaging changed and it was awful! I managed to get a couple of bags of what must have been old stock but that was the last of it.