What’s in the bag?
Peat and its alternatives:
garden centre training
Objectives for the training session
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For garden centre staff to understand what’s in a bag of
growing media
To build confidence talking to customers about peat and
the alternative materials
To build an understanding about why it is important to
move away from peat
What’s in a bag: potted history
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Early 1900’s – used soil and domestic compost
1930’s - early growing media based on the ‘John Innes’
mixes from blends of ‘loam’ (composted grass turves),
peat and sand
1970’s – new lightweight mixes based in peat
Recently – reduced peat mixes and peat free using
alternative materials
Message: peat is still widely used but alternative
materials are replacing it
How much peat do we use in the UK?
3 billion litres used by UK horticulture a year:
 69% by amateur gardeners
 30% by professional growers
 1% by local authorities and landscapers
Message: garden centres are a key outlet for
peat-based growing media or plants grown in peat
How much peat have we stopped using?
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The UK horticultural market is 57.5% peat free for all
bagged products
Approximately 6.3 billion litres of peat have been saved
through using alternative materials
Why is using peat an issue?
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It’s not renewable
Peat extraction
Previously extracted area
left to re-grow – mostly
reeds with sphagnum
moss starting to
reappear
Same area with no peat
extraction. It will take
thousands of years to
grow the peat back to
this thickness
Why is using peat an issue?
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Healthy, undisturbed peat bogs bring so many benefits
such as drinking water quality, a huge store of carbon,
homes to special flora and fauna and recreation
Why is using peat an issue?
 90% of UK’s peat bogs are already destroyed
 Alternative materials to peat are increasingly delivering
good results for the amateur and professional grower
 Retailers are increasingly specifying peat-reduced
products
 Defra has set targets to phase out peat use in
horticulture by 2020 (amateur) and 2030 (professional)
Do we need to use peat?
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Customers want a growing medium that grows good
plants, is consistent, safe to use, looks and smells nice
and is reasonably priced
Most compost is already peat reduced and not many
people have noticed
Many alternatives to peat bring as many, and in some
cases even more benefits to the customer than peat
Challenges with peat replacement
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Peat reduced and peat alternative materials need to be
treated differently to peat to get good results –
particularly watering and feeding regimes
Alternative materials have, in the past, suffered a few
setbacks in quality. Garden centres need to contribute
to rebuilding confidence with their customers
What are the alternative materials?
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Coir pith
Green compost
Composted bark
Pine bark
Wood fibre
Other wood by-products
Coir pith
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Produced from the husk of the
coconut and a by-product of making
coir products
Produced mainly in India and
Sri Lanka
Used as 100% peat free material or
used as a peat diluent
Very lightweight, easily transported
Stable and good with seedlings
Good natural water holding properties
May need extra feeding
Green compost
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Derived from green waste and
made under BSI PAS 100
Used as high quality soil
conditioner and as a diluent in
growing media
Readily available in the UK
Good levels of natural nutrient
e.g. NPK with good slow release
qualities
Can be heavy to handle so often
diluted with lighter materials
Composted bark
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By-product from forestry
Used in multi-purpose
composts as a diluent for peat
and as the main ingredient for
peat free mixes
May need extra feeding,
especially if over 6 months old
Bark
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By-product from forestry
Used in tree and shrub
mixes and more specialist
products such as orchid
composts
Adds good drainage
structure and air into
compost for more mature
plants
Wood fibre
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By-product from forestry
Major peat diluent in
multi-purpose composts
Good shelf-life
Very light material and so
good for handling
Excellent drainage
properties
Other wood by-products
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By product of forestry and
manufacturing of wood
based products
Readily available and
often locally sourced
Often found as a peat
diluent and has similar
characteristics to
composted bark
Good air holding qualities
May need extra feeding
What’s in the bag?
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Credible labels for origin of raw material
Growing Media Initiative
Means that the bag contains 50% peat or less and the
manufacturer has signed up to an initiative to reduce peat
in their business.
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Forest Stewardship Council
Means that the bag contains wood from a well managed
forest.
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Recycle Now
Means that the bag contains recycled materials
What’s in the bag? Statements and claims
 ‘Which ‘Best Product’ Award - performance of the
product has been independently tested and found to be
the best for the year stated. Does not refer to origin of
raw materials
Defra’s Green Claims Code states that:
‘the claim does not use vague, ambiguous words’
 Terms such as ‘low peat’ or ‘peat reduced’, ‘organic’, ‘
made from 100% naturally occurring ingredients’ or
‘100% sustainable’ or ‘helping protect the environment’
– are all completely ambiguous statements and need
clarification with the manufacturer
What can garden centres do to reduce peat
usage?
 Understand the alternative materials to peat and how to
use them successfully
 Know what raw materials are in the growing media you
sell
 Provide better point of sale information to customers on
peat, the issues and the alternatives
Summary
 There are many environmental reasons to reduce peat
use
 Good alternative materials are available
 Defra targets mean that peat will be phased out in
horticulture
 Everyone can play their part