A coalition of horticultural businesses and environmental NGOs, the Peat-free Partnership is working to end the commercial trade in peat across the UK. Whilst they push legislation to achieve their goal, the organisation has launched Hort Shorts to shine a light on the businesses that have already made the switch.

Throughout the series, industry professionals are invited to show off their peat-free success and assist in combatting common myths that surround growing without peat. The series will be hosted on the Peat-free Partnership’s YouTube channel and website, as well as being shared across all social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn and BlueSky.

For the first episode of the series, British brand, RocketGro is in the spotlight. Established in 2020 by Toby Thomas and Tim Roe, RocketGro boasts a substantial portfolio of 24 peat-free growing products, from composts to liquid plant feeds. RocketGro products are chemical free, 100% organic approved, British grown, sourced and manufactured, and are the by-product of renewable energy production. In the UK, RocketGro is distributed by the likes of Crocus, River Cottage, Kew, the RHS, Haskins.

Filmed at RocketGro’s 6000 acre farm in North Somerset, Managing Director Toby Thomas explains that “peat free was a choice” from the very inception of the business and prides themselves on being one of the few growing media producers in the UK to have “never touched peat”.

RocketGro Managing Director Toby Thomas, said:

“I was very happy to take up the Peat-free Partnership’s offer to feature in their first Hort Short and really enjoyed having them down to film at our site. People are finally waking up to the realisation that we cannot continue mining peat and can see the detrimental effect it is having on the environment, so it is important that legislation catches up!

“RocketGro is already doing its bit by offering a truly sustainable peat-free alternative and we are on course to be the World’s first climate positive compost producer this year, which is why it’s great that we, and other like-minded professionals in the horticulture industry, are being given the opportunity to share our journey.

“As I said in the film, we all want to do what’s right for the environment, we all have a common purpose… and peat-free is a no-brainer!”