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THECOMMERCIAL GREENHOUSEGROWER • MARCH 2018
• GROWINGMEDIA
It’s almost eight years since theGovernment’s
EnvironmentWhitePaper first set out targets to reduce
the use of peat ingrowingmedia. However, the issue
is still firmly on the agenda. Defra’s recently published
25Year Environment Plan includes thepolicy goal of
‘Restoring vulnerablepeat lands and endingpeat use
inhorticultural products by 2030.’ ReportsRichard
Crowhurst.
Thedocument warns that if sufficient progress is not
seenon the introductionof peat alternatives by 2020, the
government will ‘look at introducing furthermeasures.’
However, other than committing to continue joint funding
of industry research intopeat alternatives and ‘support
the industry as it puts theResponsibleSourcingScheme
for GrowingMedia intopractice’, the 25Year Plan include
little firmdetail.
This iswhere the onus falls on industry todrive the
agenda. Defra’s key fundingon the issue has been
directed at theAHDB andADASmanagedproject CP
138 - Transition to responsibly sourcedgrowingmedia use
withinUKHorticulture, which isworkingwith key suppliers
such asSinclair and ICL. Themain aims are to construct
amodel of growingmedia that will produce thedesired
mixes at least cost, while evaluating responsibly sourced
mediablends as alternatives topeat in commercial crop
production systems.
Aswell as the focus onpeat, proposals from the
SustainableGrowingMedia Task Force stressed that
all sources ofmaterial used ingrowingmedia should
be sustainable. ¸Set upby theHorticulture Trades
Association in conjunctionwithDEFRA, theGrowing
MediaAssociation andother interested stakeholders, the
GrowingMedia Initiative has respondedby designing the
Project 4ResponsibleSourcing andManufacturingof
GrowingMedia scheme,¹ explainsDaveStewardof ICL.
¸This sets out todifferentiatemore responsibleproducts
from less responsible and enables comparisonof the
samematerial fromdifferent sources. This voluntary
scheme has beendesigned tobepractical, simple, robust,
meaningful and cost effective.¹
¸There is now an acknowledgement of the key role of the
industry in the ethical and responsiblemanagement of
peat harvesting sites including the long-term commitment
to aftercare and thepositivebenefits of restoration to
carbon-sequestering, peat-formingwetlandhabitats,¹
points outMarkHamill of Sinclair.
As the government hoped, customer demand is driving
many of themoves to reducepeat use. ¸We are seeing
many growers in thismarket using apeat reducedmix,
normally around 30per cent,¹ saysStephenGodfrey,
Sales andMarketingManager for 1iffyProductsUK.
¸Most garden centre chains andmultiples are looking to
reducepeat and inmany instances nursery stock and
beddinggrowers are seeinggood results fromproduction
inpeat freemixes.We also supply thepeat free coir grow-
blocks for B 8’s Easygrowproduct, and 1iffy, alongwith
most growingmedia suppliers, arepart of theGMA. At a
European scalewe are alsomembers of GrowingMedia
Europe.¹
¸Most growers are now usingor transitioning to
peat reducedmixes
and those growing for
organisations such as the
RHS,WoodlandTrust,
Local Authorities and the
National Trust are all using
peat freemixes,¹ adds
Mark. ¸A few years ago it
was the government’s 2015
target for all government
and local authority
contracts tobepeat-free
that drove sales, but that
target has come andgone
sonowwe find that the
GROWINGMEDIA FIRMS RECEIVING
MIXED SIGNALSON PEAT
1iffySubstrates, highquality
mixes for excellent roots.
Proven substrates and consistent quality for every crop.
