The Horticultural Trades Association continues to lead work to support and share member knowledge on the transition to a peat-free horticulture. A grower workshop, ‘Optimising nutrition and nutrient delivery in peat-free crops’, was the latest in the HTA’s technical workshop programme, aimed at helping growers with their peat-free journey, sharing both their challenges and successes.

During the workshop, held in Cambridgeshire, one of the sessions examined the most common nutritional problems associated with peat-free production and the fertiliser options for addressing them. Attendees learnt about the latest technical research and developments from the RHS Peat-free Fellowship, and the day concluded with a nursery tour of HTA member Chapel Cottage Plants, where growers saw first-hand the peat-free practices they have already implemented and heard more about the challenges they have faced.

Wayne Brough, Technical Horticulture Manager at the HTA, said:

“Many HTA grower members, like Chapel Cottage Plants, have made significant progress in their journey towards peat-free plant production. It hasn’t been an easy journey to move from peat-reduced to peat-free; and there continue to be challenges. Events like we have held this week remain an important tool for our members - to share the excellent progress and knowledge that is out there, to hear from those involved with the RHS peat-free fellowship and growing media manufacturers too. We must celebrate and recognise the success and investment many businesses have made and work together to support the continued transition to peat-free”.

The HTA represents more than 1,400 UK businesses, including growers, retailers, suppliers, growing media manufacturers, designers and landscapers. The entire sector delivers £38 billion to the economy and supports 722,000 jobs. Huge investments, innovation, and progress have already been made in the industry towards the transition to peat-free, but more certainty over the UK peat-free policy is needed. The HTA is calling for a supported transition, including clear guidance from the Government and a focused roadmap.

According to the latest HTA Grower Peat Data (2025), there was a continued reduction in peat usage in the professional growing sector, with overall usage in 2024 at 34.4%. That marks a 5% reduction from 2023 (39.5%). A quarter (25%) of growers reported being peat-free, but there is still a lot of uncertainty around timescales for going peat-free, amongst the majority of growers.

Along with timescales, some of the main challenges HTA members face include managing nutrients and fertilisers, costs and profitability, and irrigation. Many growers have stressed the importance of better knowledge transfer. The HTA is committed to supporting growers with ongoing resources and workshops focused on sustainable growing practices.

HTA members can access guidance and technical information to assist with the transition to peat-free growing media on the Grower Technical Support pages. More information and in-depth reports can also be found at hta.org.uk/peat.