Along with nearly all growers of ornamental plants, they used to use peat-based compost. Peat is a wonderful material for growing plants in. It holds on to moisture and nutrients well, and it’s lightweight for transporting.
The peat has, by and large, come from our bogs or those of some European neighbours. These bogs are an oasis of life, full of biodiversity, both flora and fauna. They also act as carbon banks, holding on to it when they are wet but releasing it when they dry out and are cut for peat.
And we’ve dried out a remarkable number of these bogs, often to burn the peat for heat in our homes or to fuel power stations. We’ve been slow to realise that it is important that these natural habitats are saved for future generations. Realising the damage being done as a result of its mass extraction, Paul and Orla Woods of Kilmurry Nursery decided to innovate — to lead the way by going peat-free.
And, recently, I visited to see how the change was going. Paul Woods told me the process hasn’t been straightforward or easy. Known for producing quality plants, it was a challenge for the family to find an alternative growing medium that would produce the same excellent product.
Four different products were trialled for a year. The products were pretty similar — mostly a mix of composted bark of different sizes and a wetting agent. The new peat-free composts didn’t hold on to nutrients as well as peat, so trials of new mixtures of slow-release fertiliser were require.