peat free seedling compost

[janemcgary]

As Kathleen Sayce wrote, I have never sterilized my seed-sowing mixture or my potting soil. Since my containers are always outdoors, not under lights, I assumed microorganisms would get into the pots anyway. Being in the USA, I use Canadian peat for the seed mix, along with ground pumice (fines included) and coarse, sharp sand, in a ratio of about 1:1:2. I detest perlite but I realize some growers have no practical alternative. I don't like using bark products for bulbs because it appears that the same organisms that break down the bark also tend to attack the tunics of dormant bulbs. However, now that I don't have an alder woodland to exploit for humus, I have to resort to sieving the least bark-based, most carefully tested compost I can buy. Leafmold is not available to purchase in the USA, as far as I know -- even among the many special mixtures marketed for cannabis growing. Composted garden debris can be had here from the city, but I don't trust it not to contain herbicide residues.