Last updated: 31 March 2025
Peatlands, from which peat is harvested, are the world’s largest terrestrial carbon store; and provide valuable ecosystems for wildlife as well as important hydrological services. The RHS has long been a force for change, and we share public concern about the damage peat extraction does to our natural environment. We will continue to push for the end of peat use in horticulture.
Harnessing the expertise of RHS scientists, horticulturists and members is important to us. It ensures that we can act with precision and passion on the issues facing gardeners, growers and the environment.
RHS achievements on peat so far
Everyone at the RHS is passionate about improving our communities through gardening and plants. We know all too well how greening Britain will help us deliver improved outcomes for people’s physical, mental and social wellbeing, and how it will help us tackle climate change, safeguard wildlife and improve our environment.
Here are just some of the achievements the RHS has accomplished on peat:
Leading scientific research
We have undertaken research on growing media for more than two decades and we realised quickly that we must leave no stone unturned in achieving the goal of a peat-free future. That is why we harnessed the expertise of our scientists and horticulturists to undertake
ground-breaking research into growing media to find new ways to reduce, and eventually eliminate, the use of peat at the RHS and in horticulture.
The scientific evidence we funded helped us demonstrate to our partners within the horticulture sector that change is possible. We were a partner on a
Horizon 2020 Organic Plus project that looked at the development of alternative peat-free growing media. Our research led us to fully support the previous UK Government’s commitment for the UK to phase out peat extraction.
Advancing peat-free advice
The RHS is one of the largest member-led charities in the UK and with that comes a great responsibility in delivering advice and support. People know us and trust us when we speak about horticulture. That is why we have highlighted to our members the desire for defending our natural environment; advice on the use of peat is no exception to that. We have been advancing our advice on peat-free growing media and informing people about how
they can create their own peat-free mixes for those plants, such as
carnivorous plants, that have traditionally been grown in it.
In 2025, we launched a dedicated peat-free advice service, open to everyone, so that gardeners could ask us anything they wanted about gardening without peat. Questions can be sent to
peatfree@rhs.org.uk.
Peat-free RHS Gardens
Actions speak louder than words. That is why the RHS has taken the decision to make all five of our RHS Gardens peat-free by the middle of 2025. Instead of just accepting that some plants must be grown in peat, the RHS is ensuring all our plants are grown peat-free and ensuring peat is removed from the supply chain.
We do make an exemption for ‘legacy peat’, which is peat that is already in the potting system before our policies come into force. Without this, the plants or growing media grown in peat prior to our policy dates would have to be thrown away, which would be incredibly unsustainable – so we are focused on ensuring there is no new peat use after our deadlines.
Banning the sale of peat-based compost at RHS sites
Not only does the RHS want to stop the use of peat in our gardens, shows and retail, we want our visitors to stop using it. That is why we have been selling peat-free compost for many years and from the beginning of 2020 we stopped selling peat-based compost completely.
We have been, and will continue working with our suppliers to replace peat-grown plants in our gardens. As a retailer of plants, we take our environmental responsibility seriously and we will continue to work with our supply chain to end the use of peat to grow the plants we sell.
Peat-free RHS Shows
Currently exhibitors and designers are not permitted to use peat in the mulching and dressing of beds. We are extending this as we work with exhibitors to transition away from peat use at shows.
Due to the lack of government legislation, we took the decision in spring 2025 to continue to allow peat starter plants to be sold by exhibitors at our shows until 2028. Show Gardens, judged floral displays and tradestands will need to be peat-free by the end of 2025, with the exemptions as above for legacy peat (plants that already contained peat in their potting system prior to 2026).
Read more about the Shows peat policy update
RHS peat-free ambitions
The RHS wants to be a catalyst for change to peat-free gardening. Working with our networks and using our experience, we will ensure that no plants in RHS operations are peat plants – that is, started and grown on entirely in peat – from 2026. We will continue to work with our supply chain to ensure that the remaining elements of peat used to grow starter or young plants is also elimated by 2028 across RHS operations.
Amplifying the voice of our members and visitors who want to see the end of peat use is important to us. One of the ways we will achieve this is via our membership of the Environmental Horticulture Group (EHG) – formerly the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group (OHRG).
The RHS was a founding member of the OHRG, and it puts us in the unique position of being able to bridge the gap between gardeners, growers and government. As a charity we have the ability to collaborate and provide the evidence and advice needed on how we can pull together to end the use of peat.
Our charity is determined to utilise our links with other bodies. That is why we took steps to ensure that we are signed up to the Responsible Sourcing Scheme, which rates growing media against seven environmental and social sustainability criteria.
The RHS are also part of the Non-Governement Organisation (NGO) forum on peat use reduction and protection. This is because we recognise the importance of both eliminating peat extraction and peat burning.
Our charity is also a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Horticulture and Gardening. This gives us a direct line to members of both the House of Commons and House of Lords who share our passion for making Britain a more greener and beautiful place through plants.
There is much more to be done, and we are committed to supporting and helping as much as we can, where we can.
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