I have always started my seeds in a 50/50 mix of perlite and peat. This year I had many extra tomato seeds and planted them in a flat of 50/50 vermiculite/compost. Next year I will be planting all my seeds in the compost mix. peatcompost1121 by tsebmj, on Flickr
After seeing your compost set up and success, there's not wonder your plants fared better. Great job.
The reason I did the comparison was the previous spring I had started my plants in the greenhouse and they were doing very well. Then I cleaned up some oak leaves that had fallen in Winter and Spring. When I went to put them in the compost pile I noticed some volunteer plants growing and they made my plants look puny. I bought a microwave at a yard sale for $5 and used it to pasteurize the compost and then mixed in some perlite.
Some people don't use it because it is a reported diminishing resource. I use compost because peat has zero nutrients. Ok compost only has a few nutrients but a few is better than zero. In my experience compost retains water as well as peat.
Excellent points. My main issue with it is textural, and manifest in the form of dead plants from poor root systems and "overwatering" which should really be called "underdrying." Peat is comprised of tiny particles that lodge closely together, filling all of the air pockets. It then holds moisture for a very long time until it's suddenly so dry that it can't accept moisture (hydrophobic.) Most plants grow well in the opposite kind of situation, in a mix of larger particles, with moist air pockets between them. Using any kind of organic ingredients in a pot is tricky, as they decompose into smaller, more water-retentive particles, and nutritional benefits are usually more short-lived than the length of the intervals between repotting, and may not contain everything needed by plants. I do this also, but in moderation and with recognition that some type of fertilizing may be beneficial for some plants. (Most likely flowering plants and/or fast growers. Plain ol' house plants, slow growers, don't need much.) Retaining water is something I try to avoid as it isn't good for the plants. This is the essence of overwatering/underdrying, the cause of root rot. Death by such starts out with wilting. People can be thinking their plant is so thirsty it can't take up enough water, and keep adding more because it must be drying out, but really the roots are rotting and simply unable to deliver any moisture to the foliage. There can also be faux wilt on a hot afternoon. Checking again after it cools off or the next morning, might look fine. If something is drying too quickly for my watering schedule, I would use a bigger pot. Not much of an issue for pots that don't spend time in afternoon sun but I still try to only water whatever is thirsty in the mornings, although (and this is the meat of the whole thing,) if something doesn't need a drink and I give it anyway, no problem, there are still air pockets in the chunky, porous soil, and the excess will escape through the drain holes. The roots won't rot. Water should be able to run through as fast as you can pour it on. This was put to the test this summer when the sun went on vacation and it rained almost every day (and sometimes several times a day) for over 2 months, mid-June to late Aug. A few new baby succulents couldn't put up with it although I did what I could to not let them get rained on too much. No other potted plants exposed to all of that rain perished from the excess moisture. In total, about 30 pots not under porch roof. I could have moved some of the pots, of course I checked them often, but they were OK, still are. Some plants in the ground were even killed by excess rain, but for everything that also had some in a pot, the potted versions are still with us. This took a lot of rain from the potting bench roof runoff. (I should have removed the dead pecan leaves first, oops.) Crazy Begonia/Tradescantia pot. ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden ) Easter cactus/Callisia pot loved it too. The EC just finishing with the flower bud it formed during that time, and the Callisia is coming into bloom now (although this pic is from a few days ago.) Easter cactus, Callisia. ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )
