Online gardening sales to soar

Online sales of garden and greenhouse products have soared in recent years, according to new figures.

The AMA Internet Garden Products Market UK 2010-2014 report shows that the industry has grown considerably in the past three years, Horticulture Week revealed.

It also predicted that it would continue to do so, possibly doubling over the next four years.

One of the main factors in the rise of the internet gardening market is the increasing number of households getting online.

Figures for 2009 show that 70 per cent of homes in the UK were connected – a 28 per cent rise on statistics from 2006.

"The internet garden products market is estimated to be worth around £160 million at retail prices in 2009, a 28 per cent increase on the previous year," the report reads.

It explained that this was based on both specialist online retailers and non-specialists such as Argos, Screwfix and mail order companies.

Meanwhile, growers wishing to use Syngentas Dual Gold herbicide to control annual grasses and broad-leaved weeds in Begonia plots should get their applications in by the end of this month, according to Horticulture Week.