Peat-free compost has been a hot topic for years, but while most gardeners acknowledge it is good for the planet, they’re not always so sure it’s great for their plants. Currently, 88 per cent of amateur gardeners support a complete ban on the sale of peat-based products, but only 30 per cent consistently buy peat-free compost, according to Sizzle and Defra.
Up to now, those who have avoided peat-free mediums have complained it dries out prematurely, while in fact, the opposite is true. Last November, the RHS revealed its trials had shown peat-free compost retains water better than its peat-based counterparts, and can produce higher-quality plants. It’s the top layer that dries out, leading gardeners to overwater it.
Jump to: Expert tips for growing in peat-free compost
We need to stop blaming the compost
Landscape designer Jack Wallington believes there’s too much blame put on the growing medium as we transition to using peat-free compost: "Suddenly, everything is the compost’s fault. In fact, set-backs are more likely to be issues with timing, temperature, light levels, watering, slugs and snails, or simply personal growing experience.”
Jack admits he’s struggled to replicate the issues some growers told him they’d experienced. Over the past decade, he’s exclusively used peat-free compost “to grow every plant imaginable, from carnivorous plants to peas, tomatoes to grevillea, cacti to padron peppers – without pesticides, using organic seaweed-based or homemade fertilisers.”
Ultimately, Jack’s success cultivating thousands of varied plants in organic, peat-free compost is reflected in the thousands of home and professional growers who get in touch to share their own positive experiences.
Finding the right peat-free compost
Just as with peat compost, there are good brands and bad brands when it comes to peat-free compost; and gardeners have reported mixed results after straying from trusted brands or trying coir-based composts – which “no sensible grower has been using for two decades”, says Jack.
Jack lists SylvaGrow, New Horizon and Dalefoot as quality peat-free composts made of composted bark, plant waste such as harvested bracken, and other natural products like sheep wool, and recommends adding a little extra fertiliser than usual.
Another highly rated compost is Thompson & Morgan’s Incredipeatfree, which recently earned a 92 per cent satisfaction score in independent reviews. Made with wood fibre and a wetting agent, it’s designed to allow for good aeration and drainage, and comes with a pouch of slow-release fertiliser to support healthy plant growth.
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As the UK moves towards a total ban on peat gardening products by 2030, Jack is confident we can look forward to even better peat-free composts. “The fastest way for it to improve in quality, affordability and availability has always been to ban harmful peat-based compost completely to help fuel market competition. It’s classic market economics.”
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Visit peat-free gardens for inspiration
There’s a growing amount of inspiration and guidance out there when it comes to using peat-free compost. Last summer, the RHS showcased a colourful peat-free garden designed by Arit Anderson at Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, where visitors could learn more about seed sowing, propagation and watering with peat-free compost in a series of talks and workshops.
Kew has also announced it will open a new, permanent Carbon Garden in July, focussed on sustainable planting and reflecting the damaging emissions caused by peat extraction in carbon-storing peatlands. It will feature stripes of herbaceous perennials representing the gradual rise in global temperatures; a rain garden and bioswale to showcase water management techniques; and drought-resistant planting to show how London gardens may look in the coming decades.
The best online resources for help
The RHS is also launching a new advice app specifically designed to answer gardeners’ questions about peat-free growing, with queries answered by the RHS Peat Free Transition Technical Co-ordinator, Nikki Barker. It’s the first RHS advice service available for everyone, including non-RHS members.
Demonstrating just how important it is that we master peat-free gardening, 20 organisations including the RHS, the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and a selection of retailers, manufacturers and charities, are joining together to launch a new campaign encouraging gardeners to buy and use peat-free compost.
An easy-to-follow booklet gives clear tips on buying, using and storing compost, and points to other resources like the Responsible Sourcing Scheme for finding quality products.
There’s also a free RHS email service; just send queries to peatfree@rhs.org.uk.
Be part of a wider movement
While gardeners are moving towards peat-free planting, experts at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) are working to restore already-damaged peatlands, leading the UK in an EU-funded project, Paludi4all.
The work is all about finding new ways to support paludiculture – the productive use of wet and rewetted peatlands – across Europe, which involves introducing crops for waterlogged soil and adapting land use practices with the aim of improving biodiversity and water quality, and protecting against climate change.
At a time when 80 per cent of the UK’s peatlands are degraded, and generate four per cent of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to Vera Eory at the SRUC, innovative projects like Paludi4all are vital to protecting the 12 per cent of the UK’s land area taken up by peatlands. Find out more on the SRUC website.
Expert tips for growing in peat-free compost
Gill, one half of the wife-and-wife team behind the Suffolk-based plant nursery Woottens of Wenhaston, recommends keeping these tips in mind to grow healthy plants in peat-free compost:
Gives roots air
We have found numerous peat-free composts to be excessively dense and they tend to compact very quickly, which can deprive the roots of much-needed air. Mixing Perlite with your compost will help as each particle contains tiny channels that facilitate air access for the roots, as well as aiding drainage.
When potting plants, avoid forcefully packing the compost into the pot as this only compacts it further; simply fill the pot and gently tap it on the bench to settle the compost. The subsequent watering will do the rest.
Master pH levels
Many peat-free composts tend to have elevated pH levels. If you live in a hard water area and use tap water to irrigate then it can increase the pH further. Try to use rainwater when watering your pots.
Consider getting a compost pH test kit and if the pH of the compost is found to be too high, you may need to adjust it.
Pay attention to moisture levels
Peat-free compost does not dry evenly like peat does; it tends to dry from the top of the pot first. This gives the impression that the compost is completely dry. However, if you were to remove the plant from its pot, you might discover that the compost retains adequate moisture further down.
Relying solely on the surface condition of the compost may result in overwatering your plants. We like to lift the pots to assess the weight when deciding if they need water. You can also measure the soil's water retention with an inexpensive moisture meter.
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