A nursery trial of green compost growing media has raised hopes and questions. Some in the horticulture industry are understandably reluctant to stop using peat as the basis of growing media. Anxieties about the quality, reliability and quantity ofpeat alternatives are well-documented. But with peat extraction diminishing and increased pressure from Europe to use less peat, finding alternative sources is fast becoming crucial. Major retailers are setting deadlines to phase out the use of peat in plant production. So if UK growers learn how to grow plants peat free to budget and specification, ahead of overseas nurseries, they will have a significant competitive advantage. It was this that motivated consultants Arnie Rainbow and John Adlam to formthe not-for-profit organisation Peatering Out, which aims to help UK horticulture make the transition from peat-based growing media to more sustainable alternatives. Adlam is the organisation's trials director and Rainbow is its technical director. There is another element to the story though. Under the European Union Landfill Directive the UK is obliged to reduce the amount of waste that is buried and increase composting. So it makes sense for the horticulture industry to work with composting organisations to find out how useful composted botanic residues could be to growers.
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