Flower Growers. Are You Listening?

With our peat bogs in fast decline because of drainage for agriculture, forestry and the commercial extraction of peat, mainly for the horticultural industry. If we continue in this manner it will have a devastating effect in more ways than one. Peat bogs in many ways are good for the environment, as long as they are left alone. They provide areas of great natural beauty, they are rich in wild plants, insects and animals, but still gardeners are using this product.

Environmentalists have been preaching about the need for gardeners to use alternative materials, but despite this sales are still strong. Around 90% of Britain’s peat lands have been destroyed, but peat mining is still on going. 

Peat bogs are rich in the diversity of plants and wildlife. They are home to thousands of insects including butterflies, dragonflies and spiders. Birdlife is abundant, as well as mosses, fungi and lichens. Peat bogs are also rich in social and biological history.  They contain irreplaceable materials dating back to the ice age. Many historical objects are preserved in ancient peat bogs.

Peat was originally used for centuries as a fuel, but now gardeners get through huge amounts. By the end of 2015 the use of peat in public parks should have been phased out in the UK. By 2020 in your own gardens and by 2030 from commercial plant growing. But listen flower growers.  

There are extremely good alternatives. 

Home made compost – a great soil improver, and reduces your garden and household waste.

Coir (coco peat) – this is the most popular alternative to peat when used as a growing media.  A by-product of the coconut industry.

Leaf Mould – a very environmentally friendly material. After two years leaf mould can be sieved and used as a great substitute.

Manure – well rotted horse, chicken and cow manure are particularly good.

Bark chippings – these can make an effective mulch.

Flower growers.  Are you listening?

The clock is ticking….

CHRISTOPHER HUNT
BOYCE AGRO
UK

Growing Plants - Truly Exciting Experience

Ok, so my first attempt at growing plants in coco peat was not a great success. But at least I managed to get some colorful flowers. But to be honest I didn’t read the instructions on the pack. Whoever does read instructions? It’s like when you purchase a piece of flat pack furniture from your local Ikea or other budget store. 

You lay out all the individual pieces on the floor, discard the large empty box, rip apart the plastic bag full of nuts and bolts, screws and panel pins along with the standard allen key, and away you go. Instructions are left to one side whilst you attach piece A to piece B. Three hours later. There it is, the completed  sideboard. Three screws and four metal brackets left on the floor. You have a door that doesn’t close correctly and a slightly chipped surface where you had to dismantle it because you forgot to put the internal shelf in. So back to my planter. Yes I did follow the instructions up to a point where I had to feed the plants. I placed the coco peat into the container, scattered the seed on top and covered with a thin covering of coco peat. Watered with a spray bottle, then put into a warm dark space. It must have been several weeks later I witnessed signs of growth. The seedlings looked weak, but I still persevered. I had to move them from the dark and into the light. 

The container was in the garden but due to the typical English weather we were still experiencing frosts in May. So the container was moved indoors. After several days with no growth activity realized I should have fed my plants. I went and bought some baby bio fertilizer. Again without measuring I just tipped several drops straight into the container, followed by a splash of water. Hey presto! Within two days the plants shot up, so high that they couldn’t stand upright. I immediately thought they were dying, so poured more water in, then some more feed. I tried moving the container back into the warmth, hoping that the heat would help. But the plants were not responding to any specialist care. 

Buds did finally appear, and within days I had flowers, but as for healthy stems, unfortunately not. But this will not put me off. Once the blooms have finally faded I will reuse the coco peat and try again. 

In an effort to stop using our peat from a diminishing source we should all try using alternative materials such as coco peat which is a waste product from the coconut.  A truly natural product. 

CHRISTOPHER HUNT

BOYCE AGRO

UK