Demand for peat-free crops continues to grow. In the coming years, ahead of legislation in the UK, this demand is also expected to continue to grow. The step towards becoming peat-free is a big one, also realises Jiffy, which has added peat-free substrates to their product portfolio. For every crop, the company looks for a peat-free solution

The issue is not a simple one. "There is still no applicable legislation on the use of peat in the United Kingdom," says product manager Miguel Meneses on behalf of Jiffy. In time, however, that is coming. The year 2026 sounds. "But a certain pressure is already emerging from public opinion. Retailers are responding to that and want to be seen as green. In response, they want growers to make the move to peat-free crop production." That development is happening at a lightning pace. "At Jiffy- we have been working on substrates with less peat for some time. From Sri Lanka, we already supply products based on coir from three factories. It may not be what people expect, because it comes from far away, but the carbon footprint of this is very low."

Mixture

So Jiffy took a lead in producing peat-free substrate. Although that is quite a challenge. "There is no raw material that can replace peat one-to-one," Meneses said. "So we had to look for a mixture with other raw materials that, when you combine them in the right way, can replace peat. "We succeeded. "We now have five different types of wood fiber, five types of coir, two types of pine bark, four types of minerals, two types of compost and four types of clay. All these resources together make a strong mix in the peat-free market." With that, Jiffy not only has a solution that works, but one that meets the highest standards. Whether a grower continues to grow in peat, wants to do so without peat or seeks another solution is up to them. "But whatever a grower decides, we look for a solution that meets as many requirements as possible, Meneses says."

photo: Jiffy