Westland's Boost compost, Mr Fothergill's Enriched Seed Compost and Sipcam's Slug Stoppa were amongst new products promoted by suppliers to the media at the Garden Press Event, held in London last week.

Westland's Boost All Purpose Compost is now in production and should be available for sale during March.  Stuart Staples told GTN Xtra: "Boost compost is peat free growing media and we've built on top of that a water management system. So it will deal with some of the legacy problems of moving to peat free, understanding how to water and how to water effectively. The water management system built in gives us an extra buffer between overwatering under-watering and at least get better plant health.

"And we've designed the two systems, Boost Liquid Feed and Boost compost to be worked together. So the Boost liquid will then complement the Boost growing media."

Westland also launched their new Houseplant Potting Mix with Seramis.

"It's a peat free mix, utilizing the ceramic Seramis granule, and that gives it lots of really good benefits in terms of water and nutrient holding.

"It allows when we are maintaining the plants for it to be less likely to dry out. Therefore, you need to water less often and through the watering regime we can then manage the likelihood of things like scarab flies and fungus gnats."

Mr Fothergills launched their Enriched Seed Compost to the media, with the product also available on sales during March.

Mark Wooton explained: "It's been a late launch because we wanted to get it right and it's taken us 2 or 3 goes to get it right, i.e. the product, the bag and the packaging. We are about to go on sale in 20% of our outlets, the people we sell seeds into, for the first launch in first and second week of March.

"We've done this because the biggest complaint we've had from anybody with seeds or success with seeds stems from the growing medium which the product is grown.

"So we've created this compost ourselves, slightly different from that which is in the market in terms of micro granules, slow release and enrichment seaweed. Which means it gives four weeks of perfect life and thriving for all seeds.

"It's in a very small, compact, block so that you can pick it up and take it away with ease. Each pack fills three propagators/seed trays."

The coir based product will be available for sale in display units which sit as part of the existing seed POS material.

GIMA Sword of Excellence winners Sipcam were showing their future pouch packaging for all their liquid products, which uses up to 70% less plastic and launched their new liquid Slug Stoppa.

The liquid product creates a physical barrier on the actual plant.  "For the amateur gardener, it's ideal because they don't like pellets and are nervous about it, because the pets and children, that kind of thing, explained Spicams Matt Jones. "You have wool pellets and barriers that we do as well, but this is an invisible solution. It creates a physical barrier on the leaf. If you looked under a microscope, it is slightly spikey. So it's basically not palatable for the slug to eat it. 

"And we've got a brand new trigger that I don't think has been used in the industry yet. Rather than holding the bottle and using your fingers, to take the weight, you're holding the actual trigger and it's really ergonomic. It's very, very easy for the more elderly gardener and to use while you're bending down weeding and things like that."

At the event, Blue Diamond won the best stand award for their display of British Grown Peat Free Houseplants, Primeur were displaying their range of Bree Merryn doormats as seen at Spring Fair, and Dobbies were promoting their Indoor Gardening ranges for this spring.

Watch out for more coverage from The Garden press Event in GTN magazine and see our gallery of photos below.