The government has promised to ban peat from bagged composts by 2024, but we think they can go further, and sooner. We need to ban peat from all those millions of plants grown in peat-based compost.

Why?
Peat bogs are one of the biggest carbon capture natural environments – storing more carbon than a forest. According to the Wildlife Trust, peat extracted for horticulture in the UK and Ireland last year released up to 880,000 tonnes of CO2 – equivalent in emissions to driving to the moon and back a whopping 4,600 times. They are also sites of natural beauty, wonder and biodiversity. Peat belongs in the ground, not in our potting composts.

Here are three top tips to help you go peat-free:

Only buy peat-free potting compost. It may cost a bit more, but the best ones actually outperform their peat filled counterparts. And seek out plants grown in peat-free mixes.
Only buy for pots and containers – potting compost mixes are not for spreading on the bed as a soil improver. You need homemade or green waste compost for that extra soil boost.
Make your own peat-free growing mixes. See here for recipes, and here for how to make your own compost.

Join us as we take the peat-free pledge - and march towards a peat-free future!