The peat ban spotlight Switches to growers
Gardeners World|November 2022
Our roundup of the month's latest gardening news and views
The peat ban spotlight Switches to growers

Campaigners say the battle to remove peat from compost isn't over yet, despite the Government confirming it will be illegal to sell bagged compost that contains peat after 2024.

While the Government has declared a ban on peat for amateur gardeners, it dropped a proposed deadline of 2028 to remove peat from professional horticulture, meaning growers can still produce plants in peat-based compost. A ban at some point is still on the table, and the Government says it "continues to work closely with the horticulture industry" to help them make the switch.

Nursery growers get through over a million cubic metres of compost a year - and over half (51.7 per cent) 66 Growers million cuba compost a ye just over ha is peat. Fewer than one in 10 of the UK's 1,800 garden centres and nurseries have taken the plunge and gone peat-free, but that doesn't mean they aren't trying, says Horticultural Trades Association president James Barnes.

He says, though growers are making progress towards becoming peat-free, a shortage of substitutes such as wood fibre and composted bark is delaying the process: "The fundamental issue is that there just won't be enough peatfree compost to supply the nation." Like many growers, Suffolk-based Mr Fothergill's is trialling peat-free composts before taking the plunge. This year it grew tomatoes and petunias in both peat-free and peat-based compost. Technical manager David Fryer says those grown peat-free needed more feeding, but it hasn't put him off.

"We know peat isn't sustainable," he says.

"We expect to be peatfree within two years." use over a metres of ar, of which is peat 99 Dr Anton Rosenfeld of Garden Organic says it's too little, too late: "It's like doing your homework on the bus." He says gardeners can avoid buying plants grown in peat-based compost by raising them from seedlings and cuttings at home instead, and looking out for peat-free nurseries.

Esta historia es de la edición November 2022 de Gardeners World.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición November 2022 de Gardeners World.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE GARDENERS WORLDVer todo
A new plot for tasty crops
BBC Gardeners World

A new plot for tasty crops

Taking on a new allotment needn't be hard work. By simply following a few easy tips you can have bumper crops in no time, just like Alessandro Vitale

time-read
7 minutos  |
July 2024
We love July
BBC Gardeners World

We love July

July is an island floating between the joy of June and the slightly fatigued month of August. It's a grown-up month: the year has shrugged off its adolescent exuberances, the weather is (hopefully) warm enough for ice cream to be one of your five a day, the sea should be swimmable without (too much) danger of hypothermia and thoughts will be of holiday shenanigans and family barbecues. School's out this month, the next tranche of glorious summer colour is washing across our borders and it's my birthday. Lots of reasons to give three rousing cheers for July!

time-read
3 minutos  |
July 2024
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
BBC Gardeners World

YOUR PRUNING MONTH

Now, at the height of summer, Frances Tophill shows how to boost your plants' health and productivity with a timely cut

time-read
3 minutos  |
July 2024
Hassle-free harvests
BBC Gardeners World

Hassle-free harvests

Flowers are out in abundance this month and for Jack Wallington, many of these blooms make delicious, low-effort pickings

time-read
4 minutos  |
July 2024
Bite-sized bounties
BBC Gardeners World

Bite-sized bounties

Glorious doorstep harvests can easily turn into gluts, so let Rukmini Iyer's recipes help you savour every last bit

time-read
3 minutos  |
July 2024
Upcycled outdoor living
BBC Gardeners World

Upcycled outdoor living

Create unique and stylish garden features for minimal cost using reclaimed materials and simple DIY skills. Helen Riches shares four step-by-step projects and more inspiring eco tips

time-read
6 minutos  |
July 2024
Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN
BBC Gardeners World

Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN

Buildings and landscapes can play a vital role in supercharging your space, as Nick Bailey demonstrates

time-read
4 minutos  |
July 2024
Greening up a city balcony
BBC Gardeners World

Greening up a city balcony

Looking for sustainable, small-space gardening ideas? Take inspiration from Oliver Hymans' transformed balcony garden in north-east London - now a lush, green haven for humans and wildlife

time-read
3 minutos  |
July 2024
The dry and mighty garden
BBC Gardeners World

The dry and mighty garden

As we adapt our gardens to a more volatile climate, Alan Titchmarsh reveals how to create a drought-tolerant plot and picks his top plant performers

time-read
6 minutos  |
July 2024
Nature knows best
BBC Gardeners World

Nature knows best

Carol Klein explains how to choose plants for specific growing conditions, based on what has naturally adapted to thrive there

time-read
5 minutos  |
July 2024