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

About the workshops

Welcome to the RHS peat-free workshops. Aimed at growers, these free workshops 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.

2024 Events

28 November RHS peat-free horticulture conference
Peat-free propagation
RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey

Upcoming: RHS Peat-Free Horticulture Conference

Peat-Free Propagation | 28 November at RHS Garden Wisley 

Please note: only a very limited number of places left

Privacy notice: Your name and email will be used by the RHS to provide you with updates related to these events and the RHS Peat-Free Project. Your personal data provided for this event will not be used for any other purposes. It will be kept for the duration of the RHS Peat-Free Project, which is up to 6 years. Please read our full RHS Privacy Policy for more details on how we process personal data and how you can exercise your rights under the Data Protection Legislation.

Email us to book

The conference is free to attend. Please fill out the details requested in the pre-populated email to register.

Conference agenda

28 November 2024 at RHS Garden Wisley

09:00 Arrival, registration and refreshments   

09:45 Welcome from Clare Matterson, RHS Director General, and Alistair Griffiths, RHS Director of Science and Collections

10:00 RHS peat-free research update

10:40 Trade stands open

11:00 Workshops (select one)  

  • Young plant irrigation – Neil Bragg 
  • Peat-free growing media for propagation and young plant production – Melcourt 
  • Peat-free propagation in perennials – Fargro, Jiffy and Mentha Nurseries

11:45 Workshops (select one)  

  • Irrigation management in peat-free growing media – RHS
  • Coir myth-busting – Southern Trident 
  • Nutrition for peat-free growing from beginning to end – ICL  

12:30 Buffet lunch provided

14:00 Workshops (select one)  

  • Environmental data equipment and analysis – Van Walt and Hillier Nurseries 
  • Peat-free growing media for propagation and young plant production – Westland Sinclair 
  • Holistic growing – Fargro and Jiffy 

14:45 Workshops (select one)  

  • What gardeners are asking about peat-free – RHS and Garden Centre Association 
  • Peat-free growing media for propagation and young plant production – Southern Trident 
  • The view from Europe – Zelari Piante 

15:30 Industry panel  

16:00 Summary of the day   

16:15 Event closes

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. The project is led by dedicated research fellow Dr Raghavendra Prasad. 

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, Vitacress and Volmary.

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

Dr Raghavendra Prasad, RHS Peat-Free Fellow, says, “It’s truly remarkable to witness so many industry leaders and experts under one roof. Our events are a platform for growers, growing media manufacturers and 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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