The Bransford Webbs Plant Company is developing a sustainable pathway to a peat-free future. During 2023, over 50% of the company's range has been trialed successfully in peat-free compost, and a quarter of a million liners from our propagation unit were grown in peat-free. "Our aim throughout the trialing process is to achieve the same great quality our customers expect from us while using a peat-free substrate that is environmentally friendly, responsibly sourced, and available in commercial volumes," the team explains.
BWPC has already gained experience and knowledge in this area, having grown a proportion of plants in peat-free for the last 20 years. Looking ahead to 2024, the company aims to increase the size and depth of the commercial trials with the aim of becoming completely peat-free in a realistic timescale that allows us to continue to supply excellent plants to garden centers across the UK.
"Bransford Webbs are committed to large-scale trials - trialing three different mixes. While trials overall have been successful, we are aware of the challenges we face with watering, feed issues, and timing, and aim to manage the difference this presents, not the problems", commented Karl O'Neill, Technical Production Director. "We work closely with our compost suppliers, who readily acknowledge the issues we face with peat-free composts. Through training with both staff and suppliers, we are working to understand the difference in the compost, with grower observation as important as scientific monitoring".
Bransford Webbs