Actions for Professional Growers

“It’s really important that we give the correct advice and information to our retail customers, many of whom are now asking about peat free growing media.”

Simon Blackhurst, Growing Media Expert

What can you do?  

  • Speak directly with your growing media supplier/ manufacturer. With peat-free growing media, one size doesn’t fit all and it’s likely you will need a tailored formulation that works with your business and plants. 

  • Share your experience with others and be open to change – your nutrition and watering regimes will likely need to be amended to suit the new media. 

  • Try different manufacturers’ growing media to see what works best for you, before you go into mass production. Some plants will only require short trials, but plan for the longer trials early as some plants stay in a pot for a number of years. 

  • Educate your customers. As we transition to peat-free, we must first overcome the technical issues growers may face to ensure retailers have access to consistent and quality supplies of plants.

an illustration of a red and pink dahlia

What are the new challenges?

There are several key points to be aware of:

  • Watering 

  • Nitrogen issues 

  • Feed overall 

  • Customer perception 

  • Pests and disease 

  • It’s been widely reported that peat free growing media requires more water during all stages of growth. Peat-free growing media tends to have a drier surface, however, holds water lower within the pot (where it’s needed)!  

  • If we were using peat-based growing media, we would water when the top of the growing media is dry. But this is not necessarily needed with peat-free - instead, it’s better to check lower into the growing media by using your finger and feeling for dampness or checking whether an inserted BBQ skewer has soil on it. You can also lift pots to see if they are heavy or light.

  • We must adapt watering processes to ensure that no overwatering leaches nutrients or damages roots. 

  • With most peat-free mixes containing wood fibre, Nitrogen lock up can present issues. 

  • Many wood fibres are stabilised, however, stock that remains in store for longer periods of time may see Nitrogen issues.  

  • Most growing media manufacturers are part of the Growing Media Association. To keep up to date with news, trials and developments in the peat-free transition, visit HTA | Growing Media Association.