8th June 2022. 119 Moss Lane, Hesketh Bank, PR4 6AD.
26th July 2022. Westgate Farm, Guide Road, Hesketh Bank, PR4 6XS.
Based on various materials or blends of materials including coir, wood fibre and bark, peat-reduced and peat-free products are now available from all the major growing media manufacturers. Trials have shown most of these products can perform as well as peat-based media if they are managed appropriately.
Understanding the cultural management requirements of these products is therefore key to getting the most from them.
These workshops build on the Defra/AHDB/industry-funded five year project CP138 ‘Transition to responsibly sourced growing media use within UK horticulture’ and forms part of the AHDB-funded Bedding and Pot Plant Centre project output. Delivered by ADAS Horticulture and facilitated by the BOA, they offer practical advice on managing peat alternative products in ornamental crops. These workshops will focus on the trial plants at the end of the propagation phase (8th June), and then at marketing, planted in hanging baskets (26th July).
| 09.30 | Registration tea, coffee and biscuits |
| 10.00 | Introduction and overview. Chris Need (Need Consulting Ltd) |
| 10.15 | Adopting responsibly sourced growing media blends. Andrew Watson (ADAS Horticulture) |
| 11.00 | Reduced-peat and peat-free media: a supplier’s perspective. Jiffy (TBC) (8 June) and Dean Sandford, Klasmann-Deilmann (6 July) |
| 11.30 | Alternative growing media use in propagation Jill England/David Talbot (ADAS Horticulture) |
| 12.00 | Using reduced-peat and peat-free growing media: a grower’s perspective. Tour of trial. Sarah Fairhurst (Arden Lea Nurseries) |
| 12.30 | Q & A session |
| 13.00 | Lunch |
| 14.00 | Tour of the nursery |
| 15.00 | Refreshments and depart |
