Making Seed Compost

If you're having trouble starting plants by seed, it might not be the seeds that are the problem, but rather the mix you planted them in. Experimenting with ingredients and proportions allows you to provide the mixture that best meets your plants' needs. With just three ingredients, Dan Hinkley, of Heronswood Nursery in Kingston, Washington, makes an all-purpose seed compost for even the fussiest perennials and shrubs, including firethorn (Pyracantha) and Pernettya (sometimes known as Gaultheria). He uses sand and perlite to improve drainage and aeration; peat to improve the mixture's ability to retain air and water by increasing the amount of pore space; and, in small amounts, superphosphate and dolomitic lime, which act as nutrients and pH balancers.