Interview
Making peat-free work for ever yone
Ahead of Glee this month and the expected Government announcement of a ban on retail sales of peat, industry leaders met in the Glee Studio to discuss how they are working with the industry and their customers to successfully transition to peat-free growing media.
C
haired by GTN’s Trevor Pfeiffer, the Glee round-table discussion with Adam Wigglesworth, Director of Aylett Nurseries, Roger Crookes, part of the senior management team of Pughs Garden Centres, and Marcus Eyles, Horticultural Director at Dobbies Garden Centres, was recorded for airing on the www.gleebirmingham.com website at 2pm on June 14th, in the run up to Glee 2022. The group began by congratulating Dobbies on its new John Innes growing media range which was named RHS Chelsea Sustainable
6 June 2022
Gardening Product of the Year 2022. “We started developing that in 2018,” say Marcus Eyles. “It has taken quite a few years to put together with a lot of support from our suppliers to be able to achieve it and we were very, very pleased to get recognised by the RHS.” Dobbies has stopped selling peat-based compost and since 1st January this year has only offered peat-free growing media options. It now has a full portfolio of products that were previously peat based, from seed to multipurpose. “John Innes was the last part of
that puzzle,” said Marcus, adding: “We’ve had a complete refresh across the whole range, and we’ve got great confidence and would like people to really embrace it.” Ayletts Nurseries in Hertfordshire began its peat-free journey in 2008 when it was approached by Friends of the Earth who wanted to know the ingredients of the growing media it sold. Today it uses its in-house Peat-ometer so customers can, at a glance, see how much peat is in each product. “We’ve seen a huge change this year. Our numbers are now
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