There is still huge disparity between the quality of different composts according to new research from Which? Gardening.

The annual seed and seedling compost trial from the consumer champion shows that gardeners may be wasting their money on products that should be avoided as they produce small, sickly looking plants.

B&Q Multipurpose, B&Q Sowing and Cutting composts and consistent performer New Horizon Organic and Peat Free Growbag all received Best Buys for seed sowing composts, while B&Q Multipurpose, B&Q John Innes No.2 and Westland West + Multi Purpose Compost were given Best Buys for growing on small plants.

However, Which? Gardening awarded Don’t Buys to two composts – Homebase Multipurpose Peat-Free and Vital Earth Seed and Cutting Compost.  Both these products performed poorly overall in the seed sowing tests, with less than 40 per cent of seeds germinating when sown in these products.

Richard Gianfrancesco, Head of Research for Which? Gardening, says:

“One of the best things a gardener can do to help seeds or plug plants do well is grow them in good-quality compost.  But, with so many different products on sale it can be really tricky to know which to choose.

“As our rigorous research has shown, choose well and young plants should thrive, but pick the wrong compost and you could end up with plants that either look sickly and unhealthy, or simply don’t germinate at all.”