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AF
European Growers Continue to Reduce Peat Use in Horticulture
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Greenhouse Grower
New figures from the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) show that U.K. growers and plant producers have continued to make substantial progress in reducing peat use, with peat accounting for just 21.8% of growing media in 2025, down from 34.4% in 2024 and 39.5% in 2023. The findings show that the biggest challenges for growers moving away from peat are nutrient and fertilizer management, costs and profitability, consistency of peat-free growing media, and irrigation management. Growers reported that fully peat-free growing media could cost around 10% more overall, with individual businesses reporting cost increases of between 5% and 15%, before accounting for expenditure on trials, staff training, production changes, and potential crop losses.