Europe’s poor peat harvest this summer could lead to insufficient supplies to meet the growing media industry’s needs, the German Garden Industry Association (GGIA) has warned.

Earlier this month, Horticulture Week revealed that compost producers were predicting peat prices could rise by up to 15 per cent because of the poor weather experienced at critical times during the summer harvest (HW, 4 October).

Now a representative from the GGIA’s turf association has warned European gardeners to brace themselves for “sharply rising prices” of growing media and potting soils. Wet conditions in Germany, Ireland, Finland and the Baltic meant in some places only half of the amount obtained last year was harvested.

The representative said: “the situation is exacerbated by the fact that peat turf obtained under these more difficult conditions is wetter and therefore heavier. Reduced load quantities and higher logistics costs can be expected.”

He added that manufacturers were concerned about how European commercial horticulture could be supplied with compost of “sufficient quantity and quality”.