Longer-form research papers, survey findings, and position papers examining specific issues in professional horticulture. Original evidence. Practical recommendations.
The first papers in this series are currently being researched and written. They are designed to produce original evidence on the practical challenges facing small horticulture businesses, not to summarise what others have said.
Each paper will identify a real industry problem, research it with primary and secondary sources, engage with the industry directly, and produce practical recommendations. Survey-based papers will include original data collected from small nurseries, garden centres, and specialist growers.
The strongest evidence is not views or downloads. It is this: a real industry problem identified, researched, discussed with the people facing it, and turned into practical output that helps. That is the standard these papers are written to.
In development · 2026
Small nurseries, garden centres, and local growers face rising professional expectations but most lack affordable systems to manage plant passports, spray records, biosecurity, training, traceability, and audit evidence. This paper examines the gap and proposes practical recommendations.
Biosecurity cannot sit only with large importers and regulators. Every plant business needs simple, workable traceability from supplier to sale. This briefing examines what plant biosecurity looks like at small-business scale and what better practice requires.
Original survey data from small nurseries, garden centres, plant sellers, market gardeners, and specialist growers on compliance confidence, record-keeping systems, biosecurity routines, peat-free challenges, and the paperwork burden. The first original evidence dataset of its kind.
Peat-free is not a product swap. It changes irrigation, nutrition, consistency, propagation, crop risk, and losses. This paper examines what an honest transition looks like, what the industry still gets wrong, and what growers actually need from growing media suppliers and guidance.
Water will become one of the biggest operational risks for horticulture. This paper examines the practical water resilience challenges facing small nurseries and container producers, and argues for irrigation record keeping as a professional standard rather than an optional extra.
Words like sustainable, peat-free, eco-friendly, recyclable, and natural need evidence behind them. Strong businesses should welcome proof standards. This paper examines what honest environmental claims look like in horticulture and what a minimum evidence standard would require.