National Compost Week 4th - 10th May01 May 2008
Today the pressure from consumers for change in the content and performance of garden composts heralds the first real transformation in the sector since the 1950s. Today’s regular launches of new products reflect the increasing demand for peat free and peat-reduced composts.
To coincide with National Compost Week (4th–10th May), Westland Horticulture, the UK’s brand leading producer of domestic garden composts, goes back in time and looks at how compost has developed and how the horticulture industry has foreseen the future for reductions in the use of peat.
Focusing on the Victorian period, plants rarely thrived after consuming nutrients from compost made up from locally sourced material including animal waste and leaf litter - a trend that latest well up until the 1930’s.
During this time researchers at the John Innes Research Institute began producing composts that contained loam, sterilised soil, grit, sphagnum peat and fertiliser. These formulations proved very successful and this achievement is still evident today by the wide usage of John Innes mixtures amongst gardeners. Westland was the first company to add the John Innes mixture into their own compost, instantly boosting the quality of performance.
The 1950’s introduced new methods of peat harvesting and new peat-based composts were manufactured and became commonly known as Multi-Purpose. This is a very popular choice of compost by gardeners and consumers.
However, since the 1990’s there has been considerable pressure to reduce peat use and the UK’s government set the garden industry an ambitious target of a 40% cut in peat use by 2005 and 90% by 2010.
Gardeners are also searching for composts that have significant benefits towards the environment. Westland Horticulture has fulfilled both the government’s and consumer’s requirement with the launch of the West+ range.
This growing media demonstrates how again Westland Horticulture is continuing to lead change and drive performance and innovation in this sector with the launch of West+ Advanced.
West+ consists of natural wood fibre, which has been taken from trees grown in forests managed in accordance with the FSC scheme. Mixed with 50% peat this combination works effectively to boost root development, keep the plant hydrated and prevents the roots from getting waterlogged.
It is 50% lighter than conventional composts and all the ingredients are sourced locally so carbon emissions are heavily reduced during transportation.
Westland Horticulture recognises that National Compost Week focuses heavily upon home composting which the company wholly endorses and supports. If this is not an option then it is worth knowing that retailers and manufacturers are taking huge steps towards meeting the government’s peat usage targets. At the same time they are providing consumers and gardeners with compost that offers even better performance as well as being kind to the environment.
