911±¬ÁÏ

Peat-free portal for industry

Discover the latest research, resources and recommendations to assist your transition to peat-free, as well as details of free workshops and events for growers

NEWS: Peat-free petition goes to Downing Street

The 911±¬ÁÏ with the Peat-free Partnership ask the Prime Minister for legislation to end the devastation of UK peatlands and get peat out of gardens

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NEWS: Insights from 911±¬ÁÏ and industry nutrition trials

Are you overfeeding your peat-free crops? New research shows peat-free plants may not need as much fertiliser as you think, with too much hindering plant growth.

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NEWS: Sign our peat-free petition to call on Government

No more delays on peat-free: we need legislation in 2026 to end the devastation of peatlands and help UK growers confidently plan for a peat-free future. Will you help?

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NEWS: All 911±¬ÁÏ Retail to be ‘no new peat’ plants from 2026

The peat-free commitment from January applies across 911±¬ÁÏ Plants online and the 911±¬ÁÏ’ five Plant Centres, which aim to offer the largest range of ‘no new peat’ plants available

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NEWS: Nursery trials reveal peat-free doesn’t need more water

New data from 911±¬ÁÏ and industry trials has shown that peat-free mixes often retain water better than those containing peat. Discover the latest results-based insights on peat-free irrigation

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NEWS: Concessions at 911±¬ÁÏ Shows for growers transitioning to 100% peat-free in face of legislative black hole

With no Government legislation banning peat, no official guidance on peat-free definitions and little funding, the 911±¬ÁÏ is having to introduce concessions at its Shows to support growers in their final stages of transitioning to 100% peat-free, calling on Government to lead the way

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Get in touch

If you would like to ask for advice on your transition to peat-free, or arrange a call or nursery visit, you can get in touch with the 911±¬ÁÏ Transition to Peat-Free Fellowship team here.

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What the 911±¬ÁÏ is doing

911±¬ÁÏ Gardens have been ‘no new peat’ since 1 July 2025. We have pledged to become ‘no new peat’ across all of our operations by 1 January 2026, including 911±¬ÁÏ Shows, Gardens and retail. We stopped selling peat-based compost in 2019, and from 2026 all plants sold in our retail outlets and on display at our Shows and Gardens will be ‘no new peat’. This 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.

The largest peat-free research project globally, the 911±¬ÁÏ Transition to Peat-Free fellowship is developing solutions to help the horticultural industry sustainably transition away from peat. This five-year collaborative project brings together government, growers and growing media manufacturers to research sustainable alternatives to peat in large-scale commercial settings. The project has been led by dedicated research fellow Dr Raghavendra Prasad and includes events and resources for professional growers.


More on the 911±¬ÁÏ Transition to Peat-Free project

911±¬ÁÏ peat policy

Peatlands are the world’s largest terrestrial carbon store and provide valuable ecosystems for wildlife. We share the concerns about the damage peat extraction does to our natural environment and will continue to push for the end of peat use in horticulture.

911±¬ÁÏ peat policy

Bogs not bags

Keeping peat in bogs – and not in bags – is a crucial part of the fight against climate change. Here’s why it’s essential for us to work together to develop sustainable solutions and leave peat in the ground.

  • Peatlands store over twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined, despite covering a land area ten times smaller. In fact, peat bogs store twice as much carbon as all the vegetation on the planet put together. This makes them the most efficient carbon sink on land.
  • A hectare of healthy peat just 30cm deep stores more carbon than a hectare of rainforest, including all its plants and soils. Peat bogs are often much more than 30cm deep.
  • It takes 100 years to form just 10cm of peat in a peat bog. Extractors can take up to 22 metres of depth at once (=22,000 years to form).

  • Unlike in trees, where carbon is cycled relatively quickly, healthy peat bogs can store carbon for thousands of years.
  • Peat bogs act like a sponge, absorbing intense rainfall and releasing it in a regulated way to reduce flooding.
  • The UK is one of the world’s top 10 countries in terms of peatland area, with nearly 5 million acres.
  • As the habitat is lost, so are the rare species that depend on it.
  • At least 80% of our peatlands have been damaged. We have to protect what remains.

911±¬ÁÏ

The 911±¬ÁÏ is the UK’s gardening charity, helping people and plants to grow - nurturing a healthier, happier world, one person and one plant at a time.