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How to go peat-free at home
Going peat-free at home and in the garden
Peat has been a major ingredient of the compost used in gardening for many years. This peat is dug out of wild places, damaging some of the last remaining peatlands in both the UK and overseas in places like Eastern Europe. This process also releases carbon into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change. Sadly, more than 94% of the UK’s lowland peat bogs have been destroyed or damaged, and a wealth of wildlife has disappeared along with it. This vital habitat isn't easily replaced.
Use peat-free compost
Look for retailers that are committed to phasing out peat sales.
Try out the alternatives, like bark, woodfibre, coir, or plant-based compost (each has slightly different properties so investigate if one is better for specific gardening needs.)
Try looking for locally sourced peat-free compost.
Create your own compost heap or collect fallen leaves in a leaf mould bin.
Buying peat-free plants
Buy peat-free plants: use this nursery list from the RHS as a starting point. RHS Nursery list
Ask retailers for peat-free plants: by showing there is demand incentivises production of peat-free plants.
Check wording: if the labels doesn’t specifically say ‘peat-free’, it likely isn’t
There is no garden, however beautiful, that justifies the scale of environmental damage or contribution to climate change that peat use causes. The extraction of peat for horticultural use is an act of environmental vandalism.gardener and presenter
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