Last updated: 3 December 2025
Peatlands, from which peat is extracted, are the world’s most efficient carbon store on land. This makes them invaluable in the fight against climate change. Peatlands also provide unique habitats for wildlife and play a key role in flood mitigation.
The RHS shares public concern about the damage peat extraction does to our natural environment and climate, and will continue to push for the end of peat use in horticulture. We stopped selling peat-based compost in 2019, and from 1 January 2026, all RHS operations, including plants grown in RHS Gardens, sold in our retail outlets, and on display or used in show gardens at RHS Shows, will be ‘no new peat’.
‘No new peat’ means plants that have been grown entirely peat-free, or older plants containing peat that was already in the production cycle before the end of 2025. There is no environmental benefit to destroying plants or removing historical peat from plants that already contain it within the potting system, so our focus is on ensuring that no new peat is introduced.
Harnessing the expertise of scientists, horticulturists, members and the wider horticultural industry is important to us. It ensures that we can act effectively and meaningfully on the issues facing gardeners, growers and the environment.
RHS achievements on peat so far
1. Leading scientific research
We have been researching growing media for more than two decades, and are dedicated to supporting the UK horticultural industry to transition sustainably and successfully away from peat.
Our scientists are collaborating with leading industry stakeholders to undertake ground-breaking research into growing media and growing practices, including extensive trials in leading commercial nursery settings and working with growing media manufacturers, to find new ways to eliminate the use of peat at the RHS and in UK horticulture.
The RHS Transition to Peat-Free fellowship is the largest peat-free research project globally. We are working with Government, seven growing media manufacturers and eight leading UK growers – collectively producing around 143 million plants per year – to develop solutions and research sustainable alternatives to peat in large-scale commercial settings.
2. Advancing peat-free advice for gardeners and growers
As one of the largest member-led charities in the UK, the RHS has a responsibility to deliver leading advice and support. We have focussed on advancing our peat-free advice for gardeners, for example around
peat-free propagation, peat-free
compost choices,
top tips for growing peat-free, and growing advice for
carnivorous plants that have traditionally been grown in peat.
We keep a list of
peat-free nurseries to help gardeners source 100% peat-free plants, as well as a
list of retailers who stock only peat-free compost. We highlight the
Responsible Sourcing Scheme as a useful tool when choosing compost. All our information and advice around peat-free can be found on our publicly accessible
peat-free hub.
In 2025, we launched a dedicated peat-free advice service, free and open to everyone, so that gardeners could ask us anything they wanted about gardening without peat. Questions can be sent to
[email protected].
For growers and industry, we launched a
peat-free hub for industry in 2023 to share latest findings and news from the RHS Transition to Peat-Free fellowship and commercial trials. This includes insights into peat-free
irrigation and
nutrition; two of the nuances most commonly cited by growers, and a
guide to carrying out trials.
We run a series of
peat-free workshops each year, as well as an annual sustainable horticulture conference, to bring together industry stakeholders and share knowledge and best practice. We also work on site with nurseries and growers to help them set up small-scale trials and progress their transition to peat-free.
3. Peat-free RHS Gardens
RHS Gardens have used only peat-free compost for many years, and have been ‘no new peat’ in terms of plant sourcing since 1 July 2025.
4. Peat-free RHS Shows
RHS Show gardens, and all plants on display through judged floral displays and tradestands, will be ‘no new peat’ from 1 January 2026.
Owing to the lack of government legislation and consequent lack of a level playing field for growers, we introduced an exemption for peat starter plants, which may have started life growing in peat but have since been grown peat-free, to be sold by exhibitors at our shows until 2028.
5. Peat-free RHS retail
We want to encourage all gardeners to only use peat-free compost. We have long sold peat-free composts in our retail outlets, and after 2019 we stopped selling any compost containing peat.
From 1 January 2026, all plants sold at RHS Garden Centres and at RHS Plants online will be ‘no new peat’. This gives our customers confidence that no new peat has been extracted to grow the plants we sell.
6. Working with Government
As a member of the Peat-Free Partnership, an NGO forum on peat-use reduction and peatland protection, we continue to apply pressure on Government to introduce legislation banning peat use in UK horticulture. In November 2025, we joined forces with other members of the Peat-Free Partnership to launch a
peat-free petition calling for a ban to be implemented.
As part of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Horticulture and Gardening, we have a direct line to members of both the House of Commons and House of Lords, who share our passion for making Britain a more greener and beautiful place through plants.
The RHS is a founding member of the
Environmental Horticulture Group (EHG), formerly the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group (OHRG). This puts us in the unique position of being able to bridge the gap between gardeners, growers and government. As a charity we have the ability to collaborate and provide the evidence and advice needed on how we can pull together to end the use of peat.
Ongoing peat-free ambitions
We will continue to work with industry, and trade bodies such as the Horticultural Trades Association and Garden Centre Association, on a sustainable and successful peat-free transition across the UK horticultural industry. We will continue scientific and commercial trials to support sustainable growing practices, and continue to share the latest knowledge and advice with both gardeners and industry. Finally, we will keep pushing for clarification and timelines from Government regarding a ban on the use of peat in UK horticulture.
Definitions
The Government has not defined what ‘peat-free’ means for consumers, given there is old peat in the supply chain for plants that have been growing for several years. To provide clarity for gardeners wanting to choose the best plants for the planet, the RHS created its own definitions in spring 2025 to help the public make informed choices:
- No new peat plants – plants grown entirely peat-free, or older plants containing peat that was already in the production cycle before the end of 2025
- Peat starter plants – plants that started their life in peat (as a plug plant or liner) but have since been grown peat-free
- Peat plants – grown in peat after 31 December 2025.
Our ‘no new peat’ policy ensures no new peat enters the system across RHS operations, while preventing wastage of older plants that may have started life growing in peat.
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