In This Issue
All eyes will be on how Wyevale GCs plans to replace 'unsustainable' growth strategy with core business focus
Historic exhibition and new branding for Dobbies
The 'huddles' that aim to make Wyevale GCs a better place to work
Irish nursery enters the UK garden retail market
Poor quality peat substitutes could damage growing media reputation warns Westland
Legal action taken against travellers at Dobbies in Peterborough
GIMA Buyer Connect declared a great success
Retail Lab @ Glee: Creative Director Romeo Sommers gives his verdict
Retail Lab @ Glee: Interview with WGSN’s Lisa White
Dobbies Christmas Revealed in Botanic Garden
Blake Morgan advises on Bloomin Marvellous deal for plant and flower growing group
Castle Gardens flourishes at The Greatest Awards
PhaB Christmas Opening at Baytree
Who will be The Greatest Garden Centre Teams of 2017?
Nicholas Marshall joins HTA Garden Futures Conference 2017 line-up
Changing customer behaviour, demographics, technology and not losing touch with nature are lead presentations
Countryfile presenter to speak at Garden Futures
Cross-category merchandising, lifestyle trends and Xylella fastidiosa will be hot topics
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Chris Buck joins the Elho team
Cassie King moves to Hornby Whitefoot PR
Planters from Derby go big in Belgium
Dare to be different! HTA Marketing Forum speakers announced
DJ Turfcare launches new RHS range
All the latest news from the world of garden centre catering
lunch! reports ExCeL-lent turnout for 2017
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Poor quality peat substitutes could damage growing media reputation warns Westland

Westland has warned that the increased use of poor quality substitute materials in composts to make up for the current peat shortage could seriously damage the reputation of growing media.

The company says there is often a “silent” increase in the use of materials like green waste when there are shortages of peat, which is still widely used in growing media, despite the programme to phase out its use in horticulture. The Growing Media Association reported last month that many manufacturers had harvested only 60-70% of their budgeted peat volumes because of a wet summer.

Westland, which has invested £30 million in recent years on the manufacturer of ingredients like West+ to reduce its dependence on peat, says supply issues are an industry reality for the coming season, but won’t affect Westland product availability in 2018, although there will be a cost impact. “More importantly, no effect on quality owing to the multi-material and sustainable approach we have taken for many years,” the company says.



Above: A mountain of raw material for Westland's timber-based West+
 

Westland’s marketing director Keith Nicholson said Westland had a proud record of not using green waste in any of its products, factories or facilities owing to highly inconsistent results for gardeners.

 

A company statement said green waste was a material that needed to be treated extremely carefully as it could be potentially damaging to the reputation of growing media with both gardeners and professionals alike.  “It is important that our growing media industry does not take these ‘silent’ short cuts and keeps product consistency at the heart of our valuable market sector.” 

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