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.

2025 Events

12 February RHS peat-free workshop
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scotland

6 March RHS & HTA peat-free workshop
The Potters Heron Hotel and Hillier Nurseries, Hampshire



​25 November RHS Peat-Free Annual Conference
RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey

Register for next workshop

RHS & HTA growers’ workshop | 6 March 2025 in Hampshire

Now open for booking (40 places total)

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 in the pre-populated email to register.
Please note: this workshop is for growers only. Due to limited places, registrations will be vetted and any ineligible registrants advised of retraction of their booking.


Workshop agenda: 6 March

The data-driven nursery to optimise plant establishment and performance in peat-free growing media

09:00–09:20 Registration and refreshments at The Potters Heron Hotel, SO51 9ZF

09:20–09:30 Introduction to the workshop – Wayne Brough, HTA

09:30–10:00 Practical demonstration of the key physical and chemical properties of growing media, and how to monitor them using handheld equipment – Wayne Brough, HTA and Raghavendra Prasad, RHS

10:00–10:30 Sensors, technology, and how data is facilitating better decision-making on nurseries – Charles Carr, Hillier Nurseries

10:30–10:45 Break and refreshments

10:45–11:15 
Plant establishment and the importance of irrigation, nutrition, and biostimulant use in peat-free production – Geoff Caesar, Allensmore Nurseries

11:15–11:45 Understanding sensors, their possibilities and limitations, managing the important data generated and avoiding data overload – Vincent van Walt, Van Walt Ltd

11.45–12.15 The importance of growing media management – the need for specifications, on-site quality control, and the correct storage of growing media – Raghavendra Prasad, RHS

12.15–12:30 Questions and wrap-up

12:30–13:15 Lunch

13:15–13:30 Travel to Hillier Nurseries

13:30–15:15 Tour of Hillier Nurseries. Following a welcome from Charles Carr and the nursery team, attendees will split into two groups for the tour

  • Group 1: Brentry site – Peat-free lavender trials
  • Group 2: Woodland container unit – Peat-free ericaceous trials

15:00 Wrap-up and depart from Hilliers

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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