What’s in the bag?

Peat and its alternatives: garden centre training

Objectives for the training session For garden centre staff to understand

what’s in a bag of growing media To build confidence talking to customers

about peat and the alternative materials To build an understanding about why it is

important to move away from peat

What’s in a bag: potted history Early 1900’s – used soil and domestic

compost 1930’s - early growing media based on the

‘John Innes’ mixes from blends of ‘loam’ (composted grass turves), peat and sand

1970’s – new lightweight mixes based in peat

Recently – reduced peat mixes and peat free using alternative materials Message: peat is still widely used but alternative materials are replacing it

How much peat do we use in the UK?3 billion litres used by UK horticulture a year:

69% by amateur gardeners 30% by professional growers 1% by local authorities and landscapers

Message: garden centres are a key outlet for peat-based growing media or plants grown in peat

How much peat have we stopped using? The UK horticultural market is 57.5% peat

free for all bagged products Approximately 6.3 billion litres of peat

have been saved through using alternative materials

Why is using peat an issue? It’s not renewable

Peat extraction

Previously extracted area left to re-grow – mostly reeds with sphagnum moss starting to reappear

Same area with no peat extraction. It will take thousands of years to grow the peat back to this thickness

Why is using peat an issue? Healthy, undisturbed peat bogs bring so

many benefits such as drinking water quality, a huge store of carbon, homes to special flora and fauna and recreation

Why is using peat an issue? 90% of UK’s peat bogs are already destroyed

Alternative materials to peat are increasingly delivering good results for the amateur and professional grower

Retailers are increasingly specifying peat-reduced products

Defra has set targets to phase out peat use in horticulture by 2020 (amateur) and 2030 (professional)

Do we need to use peat? Customers want a growing medium that

grows good plants, is consistent, safe to use, looks and smells nice and is reasonably priced

Most compost is already peat reduced and not many people have noticed

Many alternatives to peat bring as many, and in some cases even more benefits to the customer than peat

Challenges with peat replacement Peat reduced and peat alternative

materials need to be treated differently to peat to get good results – particularly watering and feeding regimes

Alternative materials have, in the past, suffered a few setbacks in quality. Garden centres need to contribute to rebuilding confidence with their customers

What are the alternative materials? Coir pith Green compost Composted bark Pine bark Wood fibre Other wood by-products

Coir pith Produced from the husk of the

coconut and a by-product of making coir products

Produced mainly in India and Sri Lanka

Used as 100% peat free material or used as a peat diluent

Very lightweight, easily transported

Stable and good with seedlings Good natural water holding

properties May need extra feeding

Green compost Derived from green waste and

made under BSI PAS 100 Used as high quality soil

conditioner and as a diluent in growing media

Readily available in the UK Good levels of natural

nutrient e.g. NPK with good slow release qualities

Can be heavy to handle so often diluted with lighter materials

Composted bark By-product from

forestry Used in multi-purpose

composts as a diluent for peat and as the main ingredient for peat free mixes

May need extra feeding, especially if over 6 months old

Bark By-product from

forestry Used in tree and

shrub mixes and more specialist products such as orchid composts

Adds good drainage structure and air into compost for more mature plants

Wood fibre By-product from

forestry Major peat diluent

in multi-purpose composts

Good shelf-life Very light material

and so good for handling

Excellent drainage properties

Other wood by-products By product of forestry

and manufacturing of wood based products

Readily available and often locally sourced

Often found as a peat diluent and has similar characteristics to composted bark

Good air holding qualities

May need extra feeding

What’s in the bag? Credible labels for origin of

raw material Growing Media InitiativeMeans that the bag contains 50% peat or less

and themanufacturer has signed up to an initiative to

reduce peat in their business.

Forest Stewardship CouncilMeans that the bag contains wood from a well

managed forest.

Recycle NowMeans that the bag contains recycled materials

What’s in the bag? Statements and claims ‘Which ‘Best Product’ Award - performance of

the product has been independently tested and found to be the best for the year stated. Does not refer to origin of raw materials

Defra’s Green Claims Code states that: ‘the claim does not use vague, ambiguous words’

Terms such as ‘low peat’ or ‘peat reduced’, ‘organic’, ‘ made from 100% naturally occurring ingredients’ or ‘100% sustainable’ or ‘helping protect the environment’ – are all completely ambiguous statements and need clarification with the manufacturer

What can garden centres do to reduce peat usage?

Understand the alternative materials to peat and how to use them successfully

Know what raw materials are in the growing media you sell

Provide better point of sale information to customers on peat, the issues and the alternatives

Summary There are many environmental reasons to reduce peat use

Good alternative materials are available Defra targets mean that peat will be phased out in horticulture

Everyone can play their part