Helping growers make the switch to peat-free

Sustainability and environmental credentials are at the forefront of grower’s minds and never more so than with peat.

Transitioning to a peat-free mix is not without its challenges, our Growing Media and Fertiliser Specialist, Sean Whitworth, has been working with selected nurseries to trial a range of peat-free growing media, tailored with the right balance of ingredients and nutrients to ensure healthy and continuous growth, throughout the whole season.

We also took the time to discuss with Sean, some of the most important factors when switching to a peat-free mix.

What ingredients are found in peat-free growing media?
Peat-free growing media is made up of materials like wood fibre, coir, bark without any form of peat. It contains a mix of essential ingredients which are required for the overall development of roots and for supporting plant growth. Peat-free growing media is great for water retention but, for plants that require good drainage, adding grit and sharp sand to the mix will help support growth.

Can peat-free work as well as peat-based growing media?
Yes, peat-free is good quality if it is professionally made with the correct ingredients. Most peat-free growing media are carefully blended to provide optimum growing conditions, the quality and reliability continue to improve. Where necessary, a liquid feed can be used in conjunction with peat-free compost to boost nutrient levels.

What are the main benefits of growing with peat-free growing media?
Peat-free growing mediums are free draining and hold onto moisture reasonably well and helps to release nutrients slowly over time while having the plus points of being better for the environment. Peat-free growing media is a fantastic soil improver and unlike peat-based growing mediums, can help to improve the overall quality of the soil.

When it comes to peat-free growing media, how can I ensure my plants get the essential nutrients they require?
Peat-free growing media can have a high PH so this will need observing when it comes to planting. Peat-free growing media requires more feeding over time, so, extra nitrogen is sometimes needed to help what is lost to the wood fibre and bark ingredients in the mix.

How to ensure peat-free compost performs at its best
It's important we choose the right ratio of ingredients so that the mix suits the crop grown and is sustainable in the long term. Using the correct fertiliser methods will be different for different growing environments and systems.

What kind of care should be taken when using peat-free compost as opposed to traditional peat-based compost?
In peat based growing media we can control the PH through liming for the crops we grow. Peat based growing media has more holding and buffering capabilities when watering and feeding. With peat free growing media we are finding the PH starting point is a lot higher than peat, so in a lot of cases we do not need to use lime; but can look at different ingredients to help to keep the PH where we need to be, but this is a lot more difficult then peat.  

There is more AFP and drainage noted, so we have to make sure the mix has water holding capabilities and the right fertilisation for the crop.

How can growers create the perfect growing environment while using peat-free compost and what is your essential watering advice?
We work with growers to ensure the peat-free mix we choose suits their growing conditions, environments and systems, and also look at different feeding ideas like organic fertilisers as they leech less in the peat-free mixes which gives you a better balance in the feeding programme. The main aim is to produce a mix for the grower which can be sustainable, good AFP, has good water holding capabilities, good nutrition values and helps them to produce the quality crops their customers expect.