The Horticultural Trades Association ( HTA ) and the Royal Horticultural Society ( RHS ) marked a pregnant milestone in sustainable gardening with the launch of the first peat - free workshop , part of the RHS Transition to Peat - Free Fellowship . The shop , host in Hertfordshire on Thursday , September 14 , bring in together growers and diligence experts to partake in noesis and delve into the late insights and trials on peat - free plant life output .
The ‘ Practical Management of Peat - Free Growing Media ’ workshop highlight the importance of character control , monitoring , and actively managing peat - free produce media to obtain the good results . Participants gained worthful insights into various peat - free growing media performances across a range of plant species from the RHS Transition to Peat - Free Fellowship . to boot , there was an opportunity to understand how fellow growers have come near their own trials while learning how to instigate technical craw monitoring to wangle media carrying out and prevent nutritional deficiencies .
In addition to the sixth sense from the RHS Fellow Dr. Raghavendra Prasad , the effect feature presentation from Dr. Gracie Barrett at The Farplants Group , Dr. Neil Bragg of Bulrush , and Andrew Wilson from ICL . The day concluded with a sojourn to Allensmore Nurseries , giving participant a firsthand look at the RHS trials being stag there , along with the nursery ’s own trial and peat - devoid commercial crops .
Wayne Brough , Technical Horticulture Manager at the HTA , said :
" This partnership underscores our joint dedication to sustainability . It ’s heartening to witness our penis actively participating in the RHS Transition to Peat - Free Fellowship ’s peat - free trials , contribute to a more environmentally conscious future . Our members stay resolute in their mission to reduce professional peat custom , as bear witness by the significant diminution show in the mature Media Monitor . In 2022 , peat be just 24 % of the entire volume of growing medium , compare to 36 % in 2021 , and this trend continues to decline . Credit goes to the collaborative efforts of UK supplier , growers , and retailer in embracing peat - liberal practices . The shop highlighted that despite many successes , there are still challenges , include the need for more support for businesses to transition . ”Dr Raghavendra Prasad , RHS Peat - Free Fellow , contribute :
“ We were delighted to bear the first in what will be a serial of workshops , providing growers with the latest information and technical expertise to help their transition to peat - free . The RHS knows that we will only achieve peat - complimentary by work together with the industry[i ] and government , sharing knowledge and winner history . We mat up it was particularly crucial to give an brainstorm into peat - costless trials being set about by the RHS with the partner in the Fellowship and demonstrate the ways horticultural businesses can conduct their own trials in a commercial setting for their plant ranges . presentation and key messages from the workshop will shortly be made useable so that all growers can have the chance to learn from this event , and we will be apportion more item of further regional workshops very soon . ”The HTA is place to ongoing support for growers through regular Grower Technical Workshops and upshot such as their National Conference next month ( 5 October ) .
On 20 November , the RHS is hold a ‘ modulation to Peat complimentary and Sustainable Practices ’ event at Lindley Hall , Vincent Square , London . The upshot will bring together expert from industry and the RHS Transition to Peat Free Fellowship to partake in information and technical support with cultivator from across all sectors of gardening . grower , manufacturers , suppliers , and manufacture expert will be holding technical workshop , and there will be trade stand spanning sustainable horticulture , including grow medium , biological controls , sustainable packaging , irrigation , fertilizers , and plug plant provider . For more information , please get in tactual sensation with Nikki Barker at[email protect ] .
[ i ] Partners in the fellowship are Allensmore Nurseries , Hills Plants , Johnsons of Whixley , The Farplants Group , and Vitacress , with more to be announced imminently .
For more data : Horticultural Trades Associationwww.the-hta.org.uk
