RHS Peat-Free Workshops

A series of free workshops sharing insights from the RHS Transition to Peat-Free team and experts from across the industry
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About the workshops

These free events are aimed at growers to provide a forum to share knowledge and bring together industry experts to speak on various aspects of peat-free growing, along with insight from the RHS Transition to Peat-Free fellowship. These events are run by the RHS peat-free team in partnership with leading UK growers, growing media manufacturers and the Horticultural Trades Association.

Details of upcoming workshops will be published on this page. Resources from past workshops can be found here.

2026 Events

26 November 2026
Sustainable Horticulture and Peat-Free Conference
RHS Hilltop, RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB

Agenda: Sustainable Horticulture and Peat-Free Conference

26 November at RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science at RHS Wisley

This industry conference for growers, buyers and garden retailers will look at all aspects of sustainable production, including growing peat-free, from propagation to the end user. To book your place please get in touch.

09:00–​09:30 Arrival, registration and refreshments 

09:30–​09:35 Welcome – Clare Matterson, RHS Director General 

09:35–​10:00 Growing, marketing and selling sustainable plants – Mike Burks, The Gardens Group & Tammy Woodhouse, former Managing Director of Millbrook Garden Centres

10:00–​10:35 RHS, Industry and Defra Transition to Peat-Free Fellowship research and trials update – Dr Yusra Zireeni, RHS 

10:35–​11:00 PhD updates – three RHS collaborative PhDs on aspects of sustainable horticulture

11:00–​11:15 Break. Trade stands open from 11:00

11:15–​11:45 Breakout workshops

  1. Hortifeeds – Tailored fertigation for sustainable growing 
  2. Westland Sinclair –​ Managing peat-free production
  3. Sustainable packaging and the plastics tax

12:00–​12:30 Breakout workshops

  1. Melcourt – Managing peat-free production
  2. RHS Trials team – Trialling plants and climate-resilient cultivars
  3. Commonwealth War Graves Commission – Skills gap and apprenticeships 

12.45–​14:00 Lunch 

14:00–​14:30 Breakout workshops

  1. ICL – Managing peat-free production
  2. Holistic growing and IPM

14:45–​15:15 Breakout workshops

  1. Managing peat-free production
  2. RHS Plant Health team – Plant health legislation
15:30–​15:45 Summary and thank you

The RHS Transition to Peat-Free fellowship

Currently the largest peat-free research project globally, this five-year project led by the RHS convenes government, growers and growing media manufacturers to research sustainable alternatives to peat in large-scale commercial settings.

Areas of focus include peat-free plant production, new growing media technologies to replace peat, growing protocols, best practice use of the latest products, and developing peat-free solutions for challenging groups such as carnivorous and ericaceous plants. Onsite trials with UK growers are helping to inform peat-free approaches across a range of plant types, growing conditions and timescales within a commercial setting.

The following partners are supporting the project financially or in kind: Allensmore Nurseries, DEFRA, Fargro, Hillier Nurseries, Hills Plants, Johnsons Nurseries, The Farplants Group and Vitacress.

The RHS peat-free team visits nurseries and growers to assist with peat-free trials


More about this project

Get a taste for what our events offer

Professor Alistair Griffiths, RHS Director of Science and Collections, says, “It’s remarkable to witness so many industry leaders and experts under one roof. Our events are a platform for all industry stakeholders to exchange knowledge and stay abreast of cutting-edge developments around peat-free.
They’re a chance to forge connections, share experiences and collectively contribute to the sustainable transition to peat-free horticulture. Please come and join us at future events.’’

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