The ‘Practical Management of Peat-Free Growing Media’ workshop (14/09/2023) brought together growers and industry experts to share knowledge of the latest insights and trials on peat-free plant production. The workshop highlighted the importance of quality control, monitoring, and actively managing peat-free growing media to obtain the best results. Additionally, to understand how fellow growers have approached their own trials while learning how to instigate technical crop monitoring to manage media performance and prevent nutritional deficiencies.

The event featured presentations from RHS Fellow Dr Raghavendra Prasad, Dr Gracie Barrett (The Farplants Group), Dr Neil Bragg (Bulrush), and Andrew Wilson (ICL).

Dr Raghavendra Prasad, RHS Peat-Free Fellow, said: “We were delighted to hold the first in what will be a series of workshops, providing growers with the latest information and technical expertise to help their transition to peat-free. The RHS knows that we will only achieve peat-free by working together with the industry and government, sharing knowledge and success stories. We felt it was particularly important to give an insight into peat-free trials being undertaken by the RHS with the partners in the Fellowship and demonstrate the ways horticultural businesses can conduct their own trials in a commercial setting for their plant ranges. Presentations and key messages from the workshop will soon be made available so that all growers can have the chance to learn from this event, and we will be sharing more details of further regional workshops very soon.”