Going peat-free at home: a simple guide for UK gardeners

Shwmae, everyone!

Peat-free is at the heart of everything we grow, and it's one of the easiest changes any gardener can make. Here's why it matters, and how to make the switch without any fuss.

Why peat matters

Peat bogs build up incredibly slowly, roughly a millimetre a year, so a bag of peat compost can hold centuries of growth. Peatlands are vital carbon stores and home to specialist wildlife. When peat is dug up for compost, that carbon is released and the habitat is lost. Wales has its own precious bogs, so for us it feels very close to home.

1. Read the bag

Look for the words "peat-free". Labels like "multi-purpose", "organic" or "reduced peat" don't guarantee there's no peat inside.

2. Water a little differently

Peat-free compost can look dry on top while it's still damp underneath. Push a finger in before you water, and water little and often rather than drowning your pots.

3. Keep the goodness coming

We don't use artificial fertilisers at the nursery, and you don't need them either. A top-up of garden compost or leaf mould each spring keeps pots and borders well fed and full of life.

4. Make leaf mould this month

November's falling leaves are free compost in waiting. Rake some up (leave a few piles under hedges for hedgehogs), pop them in a bin bag, poke in a few holes, add a splash of water and tie it up. Tuck it somewhere out of the way, and in a year or two you'll have dark, crumbly leaf mould for mulching and potting.

5. Start a compost heap

Vegetable peelings, spent plants, grass clippings and torn-up cardboard all rot down into rich compost. A simple bin in a corner is plenty, and it soon becomes a hotspot for worms and beetles too.

Good for wildlife, too

Peat-free, pesticide-free soil is full of life. Worms, beetles and fungi feed the birds and keep your soil healthy, so every bag of peat you don't buy helps wildlife twice over. Even a pot of common dog violet by the door, which attracts butterflies when it flowers in late spring, does its bit.

Every plant we sell is grown in peat-free organic living soil at our nursery in Wenvoe. You can read more about how we grow on our growing practices page.

Until next time, happy gardening!
Garden City Cymru