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[SHADEGARDENS] Unfinished Compost

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone can tell me what is different about finished compost and
almost finished compost and how/why they affect seeds and seedlings
differently. I'm trying to figure out what's going wrong with my seedlings...
I've included a couple paragraphs from the book  START WITH THE SOIL (the
Organic Gardener's Guide to Imporving Soil for Higher Yields, More Beautiful
Flowers, and a Healthy, Easy-Care Garden):

                        Using Finished Compost

...  For most uses, compost should be well-finished--that is, aged long enough
so that the decomposition process has stabilized.  UNFINISHED COMPOST HAS BEEN
FOUND TO RETARD GERMINATION ADN GROWTH OF MANY PLANTS, SUCH AS LETTUCE,
TOMATOES, AND OTHER VEGETABLE SEEDLINGS.  But some plants, such as corn and
squash, seem to thrive on partly finished compost.  Use finished compost when
applying it in seed-starting mixes or shortly before sowing.   You don't need
to be as cautious when applying compost for fall soil preparation or mulching.
    If you want to be sure your compost is aged well enough, perform a
germination test.  Put a few seeds of lettuce or radishes in a tea made by
soaking a couple of tablespoons of your compost in a cup of water, and put an
equal number of seeds from the same packet in a cup of distilled water.  Soak
overnight.  Lay each batch on a paper towel, and keep them both warm and moist
in a plastic bag for a few days until they start to sprout.  If the distilled-
water-treated seeds germinate better, let your compost age longer; before
using it in germinating mixes, store it for a few months in a sheltered
location or in bags that allow it to breathe.
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- - -
If hosta seeds and seedlings are sensitive to unfinished compost then it might
explain why my hosta seeds germinate, grow a little, and then the seedlings
slooowly decline until they die.  I don't think it is damping off because it
is so slow (over a couple of weeks).  The seedlings start to turn yellow at
the tips and then down the leaf until they die... :-(  (not all of them, but
at least 2/3s).  I think I've kept them moist enough and the light is about 6"
to 8" above the seedlings.

Contrary to the way everyone seems to start their seeds, I am starting mine in
mini soil blocks made of soil, vermiculite, peat moss and my compost (which
isn't totally finished, I suspect) because I heard it is a good way to
go...I'm going to test my compost to see if it has aged enough, using the
above mentioned method and maybe try it again (I'm being stubborn, I suppose).
But at the same time I will also try the more conventional way using sterile,
soilless mix with seeds from the same batch and compare results.

This is long enough...could there be a connection between my lack of success
and my compost?

Thanks,
Cindy Johnson
White Bear Lake, MN
zone 4a

p.s. i posted this to both honza and shadegardens, so sorry for those who get
duplicates
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