March 25th 2021
The RHS has committed to being 100% peat-free by 2025 as it trials farmed sphagnum moss as an alternative, responsibly-sourced growing media.
RHS gardens are currently 98% peat free with the exception of some rare and exotic plants. Also, in 2019 the RHS stopped selling peat-based bagged compost. As for its retail outlets and shows - they too will stop selling/using peat from 2025.
The commercial horticultural industry is required to be peat-free by 2030, however with an estimated two million cubic metres of peat needed to be replaced, the RHS is calling for greater government support in helping industry to transition to alternatives in a responsible way.
The RHS is also calling on gardeners to go peat-free by:
- Buying peat-free bagged growing media
Composting to create home-grown soil improver or putting garden waste in council bins for wider use
- Sharing peat-free success stories, tips and advice with friends and family
Rebecca Pow, Environment Minister, said: “This is a welcome and important commitment from the Royal Horticultural Society, and it is tremendous to see such innovative alternatives being trialled. Restoring and protecting peat is vital if we are to have thriving ecosystems and a healthy planet.
The Government is fully committed to transitioning away from the use of peat and we will be setting out plans to end the use of horticultural peat imminently, as part of a package of measures to restore, protect and manage England’s peatlands.”
The RHS is surveying its 521,000 members to better understand their awareness of the issue and perceived barriers to becoming peat-free.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/peat