Without supportive government legislation, nor official guidance on peat free definitions and little funding, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) says that it is having to make concessions for 40% of nurseries in its Floral Marquees.
The RHS has been working to be Peat Free across all its operations in 2026. In 2021, the RHS pledged to be 100% peat free by end of 2025, including all plants at RHS Flower Shows. The original RHS Peat-free Policy in 2021 stipulated that all plants at RHS Shows after the end of 2025 would be 100% – No New Peat Plants e.g. 100% Peat Free plants or older plants potted into peat extracted before 31 December 2025.
RHS Director General, Clare Matterson CBE, says: “Every decision we make is about growing an environmentally sustainable industry and maintaining our position as world leader in peat free horticulture. However, without any Government legislation on banning peat, it’s not a level playing field for growers leading the charge and the RHS as a charity can’t steer this ship alone. Despite the lack of legislation, we along with the industry, have made great headway, but it’s disappointing with so much effort, investment and trailblazing work we’ve had to make this decision today.”
In 2022, the government announced the ban on sales of retail peat at the end of 2024. In March 2023 a further announcement followed on a peat ban for commercial growers at the end of 2026 – with some exemptions such as for plug material and conservation plants. The ban didn’t come into effect at the end of 2024 due to change of government, the legislation process has stalled and wasn’t part of the current government’s manifesto.
RHS exhibitors, show gardens and trade stands
In 2026, an estimated 40% of nurseries exhibiting in the Floral Marquee at RHS Shows will be allowed to sell Peat Starter Plants. These plants started life grown in a small plug containing peat and were then grown on peat free. Current complex horticultural supply chains are such that 60% of young plants, many grown in peat, are sourced from abroad. Imported primarily from the Netherlands, the industry continues to rely heavily on Peat Starter Plants. Without government legislation on peat imports, this dependence is unlikely to change. According to the RHS, their decision aims to help safeguard nurseries who are vital to maintain Britain’s plant diversity.
“Whilst some nurseries have excelled at going peat free, it would be damaging not to support the nurseries still making huge investment in their transition to be peat free. As the UK’s gardening charity, we need to support them, not punish them, for their efforts and through the final stages of changeover. The more growers producing peat-free plants, the better for the planet,” explained Matterson.
The charity added, that in 2026, the RHS President’s Award for nurseries in the Great Pavilion at RHS Chelsea will only be open to growers who have transitioned to No New Peat Plants.
All 2026 Show Gardens, Judged Floral Displays and Trade Stands at RHS Flower Shows will be No New Peat Plants (either 100% peat free plants or plants grown in an element of peat before Dec 2025).
RHS Peat-free definition
To provide clarity for gardeners wanting to choose the best plants for the planet, the RHS has created its own definitions to help the public make informed choices:
- No New Peat Plants: plants grown entirely peat free or older plants containing peat extracted before the 31st of December 2025
- Peat Starter Plants: plants which started their life in peat (as a plug plant or liner) but have since been grown peat free
- Peat Plants: grown in peat since the 31st of December 2025
To date, the RHS has invested £2.5 million into peat free research, engaged over 850 nurseries in workshops and discussions, provided advice for over 200 retailers and is undertaking research projects with growing media manufacturers and ten commercial nurseries who produce circa 500 million plants each year.
The RHS gardens at Bridgewater, Wisley, Rosemoor, Hyde Hall and Harlow Carr will all be No New Peat Plants only by June this year and the aim for its retail outlets is to be peat free by end of 2025, with major work being undertaken on supply chain challenges. There will be no Peat Plants across RHS Operations from 2026. The RHS has been growing No New Peat within its own nurseries for the last two years and has been 98% Peat Free for nearly 25 years.
Matterson added: “We need to save precious reserves in our peatlands to help with carbon storage and sequestration, help mitigate climate change and provide a home for nature. We’re an island here with no legislation on peat, little funding for research or knowledge transfer and not enough support for our voluntary peat-free ambitions, we need Government to step in and see UK horticulture continue to lead the way transitioning to become peat free.”
The RHS is calling for funding for research and development into technology and potting compost alternatives and clear legislation.
In response, the Peat-Free Partnership said: “The RHS has been driving the transition to peat-free for over a decade. But due to a legislative “black hole”, concessions have been made for growers who are still using peat plugs to grow plants from seed. We echo their calls for legislation. Long-overdue action on peat equals more destroyed peatlands and continued uncertainty for the horticultural industry, which already faces climate and economic stress. Governments in the UK must act NOW to end the sale and supply of peat.”
Peat-free advocate, author and gardener Sally Nex, said: “This is a kick in the teeth for a charity which has led the way in demonstrating to the industry through painstaking hands-on plant trials raising millions of peat-free plants a year that peat-free is not only possible but produces excellent quality plants at commercial scale. The RHS has done much, much more than anyone else, including the trade bodies who should have been leading on this work but have failed to step up. It is also no surprise, Defra’s failure to legislate means that, as we predicted, industry progress is faltering & could stall without action to end peat sales across the board. The blame for this sits foursquare with government for failing to see through its promise to legislate and give growers and nursery owners the confidence and support they need to transition properly to peat free.”
