The Royal Horticultural Society ( RHS ) has revealed determination , at its annual industry peat - free conference , from trials that demonstrate peat - free growing media can perform comparably or just than peat - base option using the same amount of water system .
The trials were carry out with four cultivator from across the UK – covering alpines , ericaceous plants , shrub , and herbaceous perennial – and six growing media manufacturing business . The trials evaluated a number of gene including understanding the irrigation and nourishment requisite of different peat - liberal mixes as well as the saleability of flora produced . The take part growers each essay up to six peat - free mixes against a nursery peat - added control .
During the trials , the commercial-grade growers maintain their usual irrigation practice without making any adjustment for the peat - free medium . The issue record that when do by under stock nursery production conditions , some peat - free alternative outperformed the peat - base control when it came to water keeping and use .
In addition , across all four glasshouse , some plants grown in peat - free mixes were considered more marketable than those grow in peat - contract controls , as judge by nursery staff .
According to a resume of more than 400 growers comport out by the RHS in 2023 , irrigation direction was cited as the chief concern for transition away from peat . This has been a key focus for RHS research with growers and growing medium manufacturers to assist in developing new grow media technologies that avoid the want for extra irrigation .
" Peat - barren media ’s ' dry on top ' appearance can sometimes mislead growers into overwatering but these new finding provide an opportunity for growers to review and optimize piddle use . By better understanding the unique water retention property of their chosen peat - free growing media , cultivator can potentially reduce water system manipulation without compromise plant calibre .
Improved water supply management also offers append benefit for nutrient retentiveness . Addressing overwatering and leeching ensures nutrients remain available to plant longer , enhancing increase efficiency whilst reducing environmental impact . These findings reinforce the potential of peat - loose mature metier to indorse sustainable horticultural practices while meeting raiser ' operational needs . Irrigation , sustenance , and propagation will remain the primal focus of the RHS Peat - Free Fellowship . "
The collaborative RHS Peat - Free Fellowship support by Defra works with eight commercial-grade agriculturist - Allensmore Nurseries , Hillier Nurseries , Hills Plants , Johnsons Nurseries , The FarPlants Group , Lovania Nurseries , Vitacress and Volmary – and a range of professional growing medium manufacturer catering to the ornamental horticulture manufacture . The growing media used in these visitation are all commercially available at scale to the industry and source from Bulrush Horticulture , ICL , Jiffy , Klasmann Deilmann , Melcourt , and Sinclair . tryout results and key takeout messages will be made available as shortly as the trials are complete .
Dr Alistair Griffiths , RHS Director of Science , said : " These tryout bring home the bacon racy evidence that peat - spare growing media are as water efficient as peat - base in spite of the preconceptions . This is an exciting development for the environmental gardening industry , as it highlights the forward motion towards accelerate the transition to peat - free and improving body of water and nutritive management . These findings punctuate an important step towards more sustainable , peat - loose practices across the sphere . "
For more entropy : Royal Horticultural Societywww.rhs.org.uk
