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HortWeek presents The End of Peat, a new four-part podcast series that will hear from leading horticulturists and garden retailers as they navigate a transition to peat-free that is piling pressure on a sector facing stresses on all sides.
Peat is one of the most popular and reliable types of growing media for plants, but peatlands are also a valuable store for carbon and as the UK Government tries to meet net zero targets, a peat ban is on the agenda.
Over the four episodes, Christina Taylor explores the story of the UK peat ban, how the horticulture industry is facing up to the challenge, and how it might shape the future of the sector.
Christina asks:
- Do we need a peat ban?
- Why is the transition to peat-free causing so much division and proving so difficult?
- And as the sector navigates the numerous challenges, she asks what is needed for the sector to survive, if and when peat ban legislation actually comes into effect.
In Episode 1: Do we need a peat ban? Christina unearths why a peat ban is being proposed and outlines some of the arguments for and against.
It examines the history of peat use in the UK, the properties of peat and peat-free growing media, and begins to unearth why the topic has so bitterly divided the horticulture industry.
Series writer, producer, editor and presenter is Christina Taylor
Listen to other Episodes
- Episode 1: Do we need a peat ban?
- Episode 2: From multipurpose to pick 'n' mix
- Episode 3: The cost of trial and error (to be published 11 November 2024)
- Episode 4: A whole new take on horticulture (to be published 11 November 2024)
If you have enjoyed The End of Peat, please consider rating and reviewing the series on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your podcast platform of choice.
Contributors
(In order of appearance)
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| Melanie Asker - managing director at Greenwood Plants | Eliot Barden - aftercare, purchasing and training director at Majestic Trees | Scott Smith - TV gardener (Beechgrove Garden) and head gardener at the Mayen Estate | Andy Bunker - owner of Alton Garden Centre |
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| Sally Drury - horticulturist and technical editor at HortWeek | Tony Johnson - managing director of P B Horticultural | Dr Neil Bell - bryologist at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh | Sam Rivers - technical manager at ICL Horticulture |
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| Nikki Barker - RHS peat free transitition coordinator | Ben Raskin - head of horticulture and agroforestry for the Soil Association | Tony Juniper - chair Natural England | Jonathan Sheppard - plant collection holder and grower |
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| Bunny Guinness - garden designer and broadcaster (Gardeners' Question Time) | Ken Cox - managing director of Glendoick Gardens | Guy Watts - owner of Architectural Plants | Darren Everest - Darren Everest Dahlias and Sweet Peas |
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| Steve Carter - general manager of Fleurie Plants | Boyd Douglas-Davies - garden centre consultant and chair of the environmental horticulture group for the Horticultural Trades Association | Alistair Griffiths - director of science, RHS |
Series writer, producer, editor and presenter is Christina Taylor
Special thanks to Jonathan Sheppard for his permission to use clips from his podcast In Conversation About Peat Free with the RHS.
Editor: Matthew Appleby
Further reading, listening and useful links
Hortweek Podcast: Should we ban peat for horticulture? Plant collection holder Jonathan Sheppard and dahlia and sweet pea grower Darren Everest debate the peat ban
Explore HortWeek's unrivalled and exclusive peat and peat-free coverage
The International Peatland Society: https://peatlands.org/
RHS Peat-free Hub:- https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/peat
It’s time for every gardener to play their part and ditch peat. pic.twitter.com/gEJXiqz6kL
— Monty Don (@TheMontyDon) October 16, 2021
