Frequently Asked Questions

Peat-free composts require slightly different handling to peat based products. For example peat-free composts need to be watered little and often, because they tend to retain water better than peat.  This can be great during the summer months but will need to be watched in the winter when you may need to reduce the amount of water that you put on. You can also try mixing grit and sharp sand with the product, to help it to drain properly.

Nutrients in peat-free compost tend to be released slowly and over a longer period of time so plants may need supplementary feeding earlier on in the growing season.

Peat bogs are superb environments for a unique selection of specially adapted wildlife including carnivorous plants, colourful bog mosses, beautiful dragonflies, rare insects and a wide range of birds. These peatlands are now very rare in the UK: 94 per cent have now been lost. Today, lowland peat bogs and their wildlife are threatened through peat extraction for garden composts and other uses. Peatland wildlife depends on peat for its survival – gardeners can choose alternatives. Buy peat free – it doesn't cost the earth and is the perfect solution for the environmentally aware gardener.

Peat-free composts can include ingredients such as bark, wood chip, coir, and garden waste. Recycle Now recommends using peat-free compost containing recycled materials – a growing media which can include garden waste which would have previously been sent to landfill sites but is now being recycled on a large scale commercially for use in peat-free products. 

Over 55% of households now have green bin collections in their area, which means that waste from their garden is recycled on a commercial scale.. In a commercial composting plant, garden waste is sorted, to sift out any unsuitable items, and then shredded to speed up the decomposition process. At this point it is formed into large prism shaped piles known as windrows, which is when the composting process really begins. The windrows are turned several times during the process to ensure thorough and even decomposition of the material. After around 12 weeks of composting and constant monitoring to ensure quality, a fully composted, nutrient rich and natural product is ready for use as an ingredient in peat-free growing media.

You can buy peat-free compost from most garden centres and DIY stores. If the bag doesn't say peat-free then it most likely isn't. Wording such as 'environmentally friendly', 'compost' and 'organic' can often confuse gardeners into thinking they are buying peat-free products. Check the label of the bag to see if it is recommended for particular plant groups. Many peat-free products are blended with certain plant groups in mind.

Peat-free compost and home compost are very different. The reduced peat and peat-free composts you buy in a garden centre are formulated products which have been carefully blended to ensure the right level of nutrients, minerals and organic matter to provide the optimum correct growing conditions for the majority of plants.

Composting at home is all about recycling the green waste from your garden. The product you end up with is almost 100 per cent organic matter; it is usually very high in nitrates. It's really to be thought of as a soil improver rather than a growing media, so scatter it on the surface of the soil, or dig it in lightly, and you'll find that it breaks open soil particles, relieves compaction, increases drainage capacity, increases water holding capacity, increases nutrient retention and increases rooting. Although very nutritious, homemade compost is not suitable for growing seeds or bringing on young plants and needs to be mixed with other materials to make potting compost.