Deep dive into peat free compost
I understood that peat based compost would be banned from sale to the public from the end of 2024, however, this is not the case. According to a report on the GOV.UK website dated 21 February 2023 (a lengthy read that I did not read all of!) entitled ‘Impact of a proposed ban on the sale of horticultural peat in England’, the decision to ban compost containing peat has been delayed, with no future ban date specified other than 2030. This report found that ‘consumer demand for peat-containing growing media is....no more than one in 10’ whereas ‘at least 4 in 10 are motivated to buy peat-free growing media’. So although the Government is being woolly about this issue, gardeners’ consciences are speaking up, as are the retailers’ who say ‘60% of all growing media is sold by retailers who have made a public commitment to only stock peat-free growing media’. So although it is still possible to buy peat-containing compost from some retailers, the majority available now is peat free. What follows is a deep-dive into peat free compost.
For clarity, peat free compost will say those specific words, ‘Peat Free Compost’ and if it doesn’t, then it isn’t. ‘Sustainable’, ‘organic’ and ‘environmentally friendly’ do NOT mean peat free. Peat free composts are made with some or all of the following ingredients:- coir, composted bark, recycled green waste, sheep’s wool, bracken, perlite, sand, grit and fertiliser. It’s a good idea to try different brands to find one that works best for you. There are now many options to chose from, although most of us will be led by what our local retailer stocks. My nearest retail outlets are British Garden Centre in Pulborough and Rotherhill Nurseries and Aylings on the Midhurst to Petersfield road.
I am more persuaded by brands endorsed by The Soil Association and/or the RHS and these are:- Melcourt Sylvagrow, Carbon Gold Biochar, Fertile Fibre, Westland New Horizon and RocketGro. However, I buy local from the British Garden Centre in Pulborough and so I use Miracle Gro Multi Purpose Peat Free Compost for container planting and potting on. This contains fibre smart technology (wood fibres infused with nitrogen) that enable good air flow in the compost, plus 14 nutrients that feed for 3 months and waterlock technology which absorbs more water than ordinary compost. I also buy Westland’s John Innes Seed Sowing Compost for seeds and this contains vermiculite, coir and loam for moisture retention and nutrients, and sand for drainage, and feeds for 3 weeks.
From my own experience, it is no longer possible to buy a ‘one size fits all’ compost and it is important to buy tailored compost for each specific purpose, whether it be seed sowing, container grown mature plants, etc. Peat free is often much more expensive than it’s peat containing predecessor, presumably because of the amount of investment retailers have had to put into producing and researching the effectiveness of alternatives.
I have had many failures with peat free compost and it is an annoying learning curve when our seedlings and precious plants depend on their growing medium. Everything we learned up till now from peat-containing compost must be erased. They are completely different entities. The most common failure I’ve experienced is death by overwatering. Peat free composts, due to the ingredients they contain, take on the appearance of being very pale and dry leading to excess watering by us to try to make the top layer of the pot look ‘dark and moist’ like it used to with peat containing composts. However, just below the surface, the compost is very likely to be quite saturated due to the additives to the peat free compost that assist water retention. The result being death by overwatering. The time consuming way to tell what actually needs watering is to test each and every pot, below the surface, with your finger to see if it does truly need watering.
Although I have not trialled and compared different peat free composts myself, there is a list in Gardener’s World Magazine (27th March 2025) of the best peat free composts which you can find at The best peat free compost for delivery 2025 | BBC Gardeners World Magazine (some financial incentives do perhaps cloud the picture though). And Beth Otway, Horticulturist and Garden Writer who writes for Vantage Point Magazine recommends Dalefoot compost after conducting trials over the last 10 years, she also recommends Heart of Eden, Bulrush and Sylvagrow.
From my research into peat free composts, it has become clear that we should think of peat free compost as the main ingredient but not the only one, when it comes to potting. We need to go back to the old days of blending our own mix and I am working towards making my own potting compost. I do have compost heaps in the garden and this compost is great to form the basis of a home made mix, however home compost on it’s own is not a suitable growing medium. Home compost is a soil conditioner rather than a medium all on it’s own. It does not have the substance to be used on it’s own to grow plants, but it is a priceless additive. You too can make your own potting mix by using sieved home compost, plus leaf mould if you have it, vermiculite or grit to loosen the mixture, and garden soil for substance, or well rotted sections of turf from your garden rotted down under tarpaulin to create loam. And add some sort of fertiliser, such as Fish, Blood & Bone.
The key important facts to remember with peat free composts are:-
The shelf life of peat free compost is limited as the ingredients are still biologically active and continuously composting so it should be used fresh, just buying what you need and using it all not storing it. This creates problems for retailers too, because the ingredients do not store well and quickly loose their nutrient content.
There will be a need to feed earlier with peat free compost as they have very limited nutrients that only last 3 weeks or so, so further feeding will be necessary and much sooner than we are used to. You can water planted containers with a liquid seaweed to provide extra nutrients.
The ingredients of peat free compost hold more water than our old composts, although the top layer will belie what is going on underneath. It is best to test compost with your finger before watering, and to water little and often. The benefits of a drier surface are that less weeds and algae will grow on the surface. This is a real problem though for surface sown seeds which will dry out immediately, so the advice is to mist seeds regularly to assist in germination.
One last grievance, the annoying little black flies (sciarid flies or fungus gnats) that love peat free compost and cause problems in the house with houseplants planted in peat free. The advice is to apply a thick layer of grit on top of the compost to hinder these flies.
So yes, it is a steep learning curve for us all. But we can do this! It’s the right thing to do and surely Government will catch up soon and ban peat based compost completely. Good luck!