Ten top tips for peat-free growing success

Growing peat-free is easier then ever, with a wide variety of peat-free composts to suit every need and an increasing range of plants available to buy 100% peat-free too.

There are some differences to look out for with peat-free compost, so the RHS peat-free team have shared their ten top tips for peat-free gardening.

1. Take a bit of time to find the right compost for the plants you are growing. Every brand's peat-free mixes are different, and there's not one compost that will work for everyone. You might need to try a few to find the one that best suits you and your plants. It's important to use compost designed for the job you are doing - so use a seed and cutting mixes early on, either followed by a multipurpose or potting compost, or more specialised mixes for ericaceous, carnivorous or houseplants, if needed.  
2. Look out for the Responsible Sourcing Scheme logo on bags, which rates the ingredients on different environmental and sustainability criteria. 
3. Growing seeds and cuttings may be a little different if you previously grew them in peat, but it’s very easy to do peat-free with a little practice: see our tailored advice for peat-free seeds and cuttings.
4. Water little and often. Always check by poking your finger into the soil to see if it is damp lower down, as some peat-free composts can look dry on top when there is actually plenty of water available for deeper roots. If it’s a small pot, you can also get an idea of how much moisture is in the compost by picking up the pot and feeling how heavy it is. RHS research has shown that peat-free compost shouldn't need more watering than peat, but it wil dl need to be watered differently. 
5. ​Plants in containers might need feeding differently in peat-free compost too. Watch out for signs of deficiency to help you adjust feeding frequency and amount, and for young plants, start with a dilute liquid feed as soon as the first true leaves appear. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and choose the right type of feed for your plants.  
6. Compost won’t keep forever and can degrade if stored for a long time - the fresher the better. Try and use your compost up in the growing season you bought it. If you have gardening friends you could share bags, particularly for specialised composts, so the entire bag gets used up. You may also want to ask how the retailer has stored their peat-free compost, as if bags have been stored outside for a long time, that can also cause the compost to degrade. Some manufacturers now print the production date on the bag, so you can see exactly how old it is.
7. Don’t use potting compost on your beds and borders. A lot of resources go into producing potting compost, so save this for where it is needed – in pots and containers.  You can make your own compost or leaf mould to use for mulching and soil improvement.​
8. You might notice small mushrooms growing on the top of your pot. This isn’t anything to be concerned about – simply pinch them off and add to your compost bin/heap or your garden borders. 
9. Ask whether the plants you are buying are peat-free. The more people ask, the more nurseries can invest in peat-free growing and retailers will try and meet that demand. You can check our list of peat-free nurseries to find out where you can buy plants that have  been grown 100% peat-free, and plants across all RHS Garden Centres and RHS Plants are all 'no new peat' as of 2026.
10. For a cheaper option that saves on resources, consider buying bare-root or root-balled plants in the autumn and winter. These can be planted straight in the ground with some organic matter or in a container with your peat-free compost. 

See also

• Peat-free compost choices
• Why is peat-free better?
• Growing seeds and cuttings peat-free