Latest News

SylvaGrow® has been a consistently high-scoring compost in Gardening Which? trials since its launch, whilst SylvaGrow® with added John Innes is regularly among the top-scoring peat-free composts for sowing seeds and raising young plants in their annual trials.* “There’s a commonly held but mistaken view that peat-free composts don’t produce the same results as peat-based products,” says Melcourt Technical Director Catherine Dawson. “These and other independent tests conducted over the years...(more)

We were delighted to welcome MP for the Cotswolds Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown to unveil our new Royal Warrant plaque on Friday 1st March. Melcourt was awarded a Royal Warrant from HRH the Prince of Wales for the supply of peat-free organic growing media last year and Friday’s unveiling by Sir Geoffrey was a fitting celebration. In front of assembled staff Managing Director Andy Chalmers welcomed Sir Geoffrey and gave a short resume...(more)

If you live in the Horsham area try to make time to visit the 'Growing Together' event at Kinder Living Home Show organised by Friends of Horsham Park on 2nd March. The event includes talks and workshops with proceeds from many of the activities going to Chestnut Tree House Children's Hospice. One of the talks will be given by Melcourt’s very own Senior Technical Sales Manager Neil Grey in partnership with...(more)

Our new stockists catalogue and catalogue for builders merchants are pack full of new products including the SylvaGrow peat-free planter for organic growing which is a Soil Association approved first for UK gardeners an entirely new range of Natural Choice sustainable decorative aggregates You can download the Stockists Catalogue (designed primarily for garden centres and retail nurseries) here and the one for builders merchants here. We hope you'll find lots of interest,...(more)

We're looking forward to seeing friends old and new at GroSouth tomorrow. There is so much happening in horticulture just now and, of course, the #peat-free clock is ticking. Come and see us on stand 40. We hope to see you tomorrow but in the meantime, catch up with our latest copy of growersolutions by clicking on the image(more)

Demand for Melcourt peat-free products has increased across the board to the point that we need to expand our production facility by creating more storage and mixing capacity. This means going into land which is immediately adjacent to us, a move, on the face of it, which is extremely straightforward even though it involves an investment of around £250,000. Enter stage left, Great Crested Newts and, stage right, Badgers. There is an...(more)

The environmental impact of throwaway plastic bags, packaging and other containers is increasingly plain to see in our cities, towns and villages and on every roadside verge. The less visible but no less toxic impact on marine life is visible to anyone who watches a river flow to the sea and is increasingly highlighted on TV news programmes and documentaries. Most people now say we should use less plastic, but where...(more)

Mark Ridsdill Smith, otherwise known as “The Vertical Veg Man“ discovered by accident in 2009 that it is possible to grow a lot of food on a balcony. He also discovered that while he loves living in a city, he loves it even more when he can grow in it too: he and his family eat better food, chat to more neighbours, recycle their waste food in a wormery, watch the...(more)

Andrew Brain, Catherine Dawson, Rebecca Davis and Melanie Lesser with one of the Sylvamix peat-free hanging baskets Environmental credentials, including peat reduction, play an increasing part in the judging criteria for Britain in Bloom. The Bury St Edmunds in Bloom team decided to pick up the gauntlet and we are delighted that that their hanging basket supplier strongly recommended Melcourt Sylvamix® as the chosen peat-free product. Melcourt is sponsoring the compost...(more)

We were delighted to hear from Vicky Geary of the 5th Kettering Scout Group that their Plant Sale, held on 26th May and  to which we’d donated some SylvaGrow® in which to grow the plants, was the best ever. “Beautiful healthy plants, which were eagerly bought by our friends, family and members of the local community. We had people queuing from 9.15am and we didn’t open until 10am!” reports Vicky. “Our...(more)

Nursery Melcourt product used Award Hardy Cottage Plants Grow in Sylvamix® and use Potting Bark™ to dress the stand GOLD Penberth Plants Grow in Sylvamix® and use Propagation Bark™ to dress the stand SILVER-GILT Ashwood Nurseries Grow in Sylvamix® GOLD Binny Plants Grow in Sylvamix® and use Potting Bark™ to dress the stand SILVER Brookfield Plants Use Potting Bark™ to dress the stand GOLD Rivers of Flowers Grow in SylvaGrow® Organic SILVER Crug Farm...(more)

There are no plants on sale at RHS Chelsea but you can look out for the following who will be exhibiting plants grown in our products or using them to finish of their presentation Nursery Melcourt product used Hardy Cottage Plants Grow in Sylvamix® and use Potting Bark™ to dress the stand Penberth Plants Grow in Sylvamix® and use Propagation Bark™ to dress the stand Ashwood Nurseries Grow in Sylvamix® Binny Plants Grow in Sylvamix® and...(more)

There are busy scenes on the Showground as everyone gets ready for the RHS Malvern Spring Festival which runs from 10 to 13 May. We're pleased to say that many of our customers will be showing and selling a range of plants grown in Melcourt Sylvamix growing media RHS Master Grower Avon Bulbs (using Melcourt Potting Bark) Bluebell Cottage Gardens Caves Folly Nursery D’Arcy and Everest Desert to Jungle Frank P Matthews...(more)

Our friends at Nailsworth Rotary Club who we have sponsored with SylvaGrow since last spring have reported great displays again which we can see in the picture above.  Organiser Thorold Cox writes: "Despite extremely difficult weather during the protracted winter, I thought you might like to see the current situation with our primroses which were planted in SylvaGrow compost last October. I am delighted with the showing and have had many...(more)