Wyevale Nurseries to run peat-free advice hub at this week’s National Plant Show

UK-based Wyevale Nurseries is hosting a peat-free advisory station at the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) National Plant Show for trade customers seeking assistance with the changes to the law around peat usage.

Technical Specialist for the Hereford-based commercial grower, Harry Downs, who has been overseeing the nurseries’ peat-free plant trials, will be at the show, running the advice hub.

Andy Johnson, managing director at Wyevale Nurseries, explains: “Earlier in the year we held our first retail customer forum and one of the key topics that was discussed was ‘going peat-free’ and the associated implications and considerations for this with regards caring for plants ‘Grown in Peat Free Compost’ – which is a new strapline we’re adopting for our marketing materials on this going forward.

“Following on from this, we want to provide a service at the Show where our current and future retail customers can come and ask questions and get advice about the changes in the law around peat usage and how it will affect them.

“Plus, more importantly, how they can best care for the plants they order from us, which are in peat-free compost, as they are proving to be a very different product, when they start being delivered to garden centres.

“We’re also producing a printed A4 flyer for the show to give our retail customers some information about peat-free plant production at Wyevale Nurseries. One side features facts and figures around our production and what we have learnt through our trials.

“On the reverse, we have shared a number of opportunities available to our customers to help address queries their staff and customers may have surrounding this matter.”

Wyevale Nurseries ‘Grown in Peat Free Compost’ advice hub will be at the grower’s National Plant Show stand 200/205, in Hall 1. The event will take place at the NAEC Stoneleigh between 20 and 21 June.

Wyevale Nurseries supplies garden centres, landscape contractors, local authorities, foresters and landowners with a comprehensive array of trees, shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and specimen plants.

Andy Johnson, managing director at Wyevale Nurseries with Pphormium Sundowner grown in peat-free compost.