Compelling commercial reasons to visit Four Oaks Trade Show 2024

A great mix of new plants, products and seminars ensures a superb show, say Matthew Appleby and Rachael Forsyth.

The Four Oaks Trade Show is the UK’s leading international exhibition for the whole of commercial horticulture. From production to point of sale, the breadth of exhibits on display is the show’s strength, attracting a broad visitor base. It takes place on a 9ha nursery site in Cheshire — close to the Jodrell Bank radio telescope — covering a total of 13,000sq m under glass plus additional outdoor areas.

SHOW DETAILS

Four Oaks Trade Show
When: 3-4 September
Where: Farm Lane, Lower Withington, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 9DU
www.fouroaks-tradeshow.com

More than 300 exhibitors will attend the two-day show (3-4 September). Its importance of the annual event has been discussed on HortWeek podcasts. Zelari Piante’s Stefano Sogni and Wyevale Nurseries production manager Kyle Ross talked about what exhibiting entails as an overseas plant supplier and as a UK nursery, and offered their top tips for getting the most out of the show (see www.tinyurl.com/mrxwxusd).

On another podcast — coming soon — Graham Spencer of Plants for Europe and Matthew Bent of Bents Garden & Home, who have both been attending Four Oaks for more than 20 years, said the show offers plants and products they cannot find anywhere else.

Among this year’s exhibitors, Evergreen Horticulture, Desch Plantpak and Green Solutions are gold sponsors. Peat-free compost will be a theme, with ICL and Hortifeeds both promoting products to help growers transition. Exhibitors returning or debuting include Zest Garden Furniture, Belgian nursery Peers, Chinese grower supplier Oboya and Kimbleton Fireworks.

There will be a series of seminars and debates across the two days, starting on 3 September with “How to grow your international business” (10.30-11.30am). This will be followed by “Optimising spray applications in ornamental crops” (12 noon-1pm), presented by Syngenta, featuring the company’s technical manager, Sean Loakes. Then there will be an ICL technical seminar, “Peat-free in action” (1-2pm), with ICL technical manager Andrew Wilson. The final seminar on day one will be from Fargro, “Holistic growing approach: A comprehensive insight” (2:30-3pm), with Fargro growing media and fertiliser specialist Sean Whitworth.

The schedule for day two will start with “Boosting sales in 2025” (4 September, 11.30am), highlighting “seven things plant buyers expect from your nursery”. It will feature Green Solutions managing director Edwin Meijer offering tips for growers and nurseries on leveraging online channels to increase revenue and reduce costs while processing orders.

This will be followed by “Why equality is good for business: Helping women thrive in the horticultural sector”, a HortWeek industry debate sponsored by Fargro. It will introduce strategies and practical steps that businesses can implement. The discussion will be chaired by HortWeek senior reporter Rachael Forsyth and the panel will include Emma Birkbeck (Fargro), Carole Goldsmith (RHS), Natalie Porter (Young People in Horticulture Association/Happy Plants) and Adrian Wickham (BALI/Glendale).

As an exciting background to this debate, Labour’s landslide election win brought with it more female MPs than ever, reaching a record high of more than 40%, as well as a record number from an ethnic-minority background. In prime minister Sir Keir Starmer’s new cabinet, Rachel Reeves is the UK’s first ever female chancellor of the exchequer. She is joined by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner as well as 11 other women in the team of 25. This is huge progress for those striving for gender equality as well as diversity in the broader sense.

“In today’s rapidly evolving horticultural sector, embracing equality isn’t just a moral imperative, it’s a strategic advantage,” says Birkbeck. “Ensuring that women have the opportunities, support and resources they need to thrive leads to more innovative ideas, diverse perspectives and ultimately stronger business outcomes. Our commitment to gender equality isn’t just about meeting quotas, it’s about recognising the invaluable contributions women make and fostering an environment where everyone can excel. At Fargro, we believe that when women succeed, our entire industry flourishes.”

The afternoon will see another HortWeek industry debate, “Next stage in the peat-free journey” (2pm), sponsored by Southern Trident. A follow-up to last year’s Four Oaks peat debate, this diiscussion will be chaired by HortWeek editor Matthew Appleby. The panel will include Simon Blackhurst (Growing Media Association), Steve Carter (Fleurie Nurseries), Alistair Griffiths (RHS) and Steve Harper (Southern Trident).

Harper comments: “It’s crucial for Southern Trident to showcase its leadership in sustainable growing media and to support its commitment to promoting environmentally responsible practices within the industry.”

Four Oaks has always been number one for overseas growers. In its Flemish pavilion this year, VLAM from Belgium will showcase a record 12 growers, including debutant Deroose, which supplies young plant material.

ADM Greentraders is a merger of two Belgian tree nurseries. Allaert Nurseries is a producer of hedging plants, young trees, flowering shrubs and bare-root conifers. Boomkwekerij Peers produces shrubs, ferns, conifers, grasses and hedging plants for the landscape market. Decock Plants’ production includes Osteospermum, lavender, herbs, Dipladenia, poinsettia and bedding. Denis-Plants is a propagator through tissue culture.

With 70 years of horticultural experience, Floréac offers house and garden plants year-round. Labeau International propagates young plants. Plant Select is an in-vitro propagator. Sylva Nurseries produces bare-root hedging. Van Hulle grows bare-root hedging. Van Poecke & Zn produces pot-grown hedging.

They will be among those competing for the best overseas stand award, to be presented at HortWeek’s free hog roast and drinks event from 5.30pm on 3 September, alongside best new plants, products and people prizes.

Visit HortWeek on stand E45 to get your face on the cover of HortWeek via the Modiform photobooth. Simply pose for a photo and your image will appear on a front cover to be emailed to you during the show for posting on social media. Also, secure 10% off a HortWeek subscription and get a five-user subscription for the price of three.