Soils and fertilisers

The use of peat in our gardens is leading to the destruction of many natural habitats. Fortunately, there are alternatives, which work just as well or even better.

Go peat-free in the garden

The National Trust has a policy of gardening without peat, and all the plants it sells are grown without its use. Choosing alternatives to peat when you buy soils and fertilisers is one of the most important things you can do to make your garden greener.

Peat-free products are widely available at high street stores and garden centres. Check that the bag says “peat-free” or ask an assistant.

Common uses for peat in the garden, and the alternatives you can choose, are:

Mulch

If you’re looking for mulch (material placed on top of soil to keep down weeds and conserve moisture), consider bark or leaf mould based materials. These work much better than peat, which breaks down too easily.

Other growing products

When you want to grow plants and seedlings, look for products that contain:

bark
wood fibre
coir (coconut fibre)

These alternatives can work well as peat, provided you follow the feeding and watering instructions.

Soil conditioner and fertiliser

Try improving your soil with conditioners based on wood waste, leaf mould, farmyard manure or home compost.

You can also use 'green manures' to improve the condition and fertility of your soil. Green manures are fast-growing plants sown to cover bare soil. When used in the vegetable garden, their foliage smothers weeds and their roots prevent soil erosion. When dug into the ground while still green, they return valuable nutrients to the soil and improve soil structure.

Get advice on peat-free products

Check that the bag says peat-free or ask an assistant if it’s not clear. The Wildlife Trust have produced a leaflet with information about where to buy peat-free products and can tell you about visiting a peatland reserve near you to see what you have helped look after. If you can't download the PDF file below then you can request a copy by phoning 0870 036 7711.

If you can't download the PDF document on composting and peat-free gardening, you can request a copy free from

Natural England
PO Box 1995
Wetherby
West Yorkshire
LS23 7XX.

Phone: 0870 121 4177.

Start making your own compost

Having a compost bin or starting a compost heap means you can use your kitchen and garden waste to improve your soil. It’s a greener way of gardening because:

you can avoid using peat
you don’t have to rely on artificial fertilisers, which take a lot of energy to make and can cause water pollution
you throw less away
you can save money

Some councils provide composting bins or sell them at reduced prices.

The wider issue

Peat bogs provide unique wildlife habitats. Large areas of these important habitats have been damaged by the commercial use of peat. Although some UK peatlands are now protected, many in Europe are not and this is where most of our garden peat comes from.