Discover: Peat Free

No, it actually needs a little less. Peat free needs less water but more frequent applications. Water moves in a different way through peat free, so checking is key. Ideally lift the plant from its pot to check water levels.

This is only the case if the plant is not being watered correctly or in periods of heavy rainfall. Over-watering causes the nutrients to run off, and you would then need to feed. Heavy rainfall will also wash away nutrients more quickly. With correct watering you should not need to feed more often. Controlled release fertilisers are a good way to feed pots with a steady trickle of feed through the growing season.

Water distributes differently in peat free and you may have a wet bottom and dry top. Ideally lift the plant from the pot to see if the bottom is wet through. Peat free should be dry on top to reduce weeds and prevent water loss.

No. Once the plant is in the garden it will adjust to the natural environment, plants still need extra care and watering when first planted to help establishment.

No. Once the plant is rooted properly it becomes easier to manage, at Hillier we make sure we’re establishing the plant well on the nursery before it reaches the garden centres. We have thoroughly tested peat free compost over several years to ensure that by the time Hillier plants reach our garden centres, we are confident that our customers are receiving only the highest quality plants available.

Yes. There are specialised peat free ericaceous mixes available to buy in the garden centre.

Yes. A multipurpose peat free compost is recommended for container planting, just be mindful of not overwatering and losing nutrients, it should be dry on top with a wet bottom but not have water flowing out of the bottom.

• BIO3, our peat replacement, is a game-changer in the realm of sustainable gardening. Comprising three key elements, BIOFibre, West+, and Coir+, it ensures optimal plant growth and nourishment.
• BIOFibre*: A natural, nutrient-rich fibre that supports plant roots as they grow. This assists a fast and efficient transfer of nutrients and moisture to the plant, promoting robust growth.
• West+*: Utilising unique wood fibre technology, West+ creates an ideal compost structure with optimal air spaces. This fosters the very best root growth, ensuring your plants thrive in their peat-free environment.
• Coir+*: Acting like a sponge, Coir+ stores and releases moisture and nutrients for extended periods. This element contributes to the overall resilience and health of your garden plants.

You should still use different types of compost as you always have done, for ericaceous plants for example you will find a specialised peat free ericaceous compost. You’ll find many different options in the garden centres to choose from.

Many peat free composts can be a little coarse for seed propagation, sieving it through a garden sieve (as you would with a multi purpose compost) will make a finer mix more suitable for seed germination.

No, this is just another compost and there’s no reason to expect more weeds, in fact with careful watering the top sits drier which should prevent weed seed germination.

Everything you need should already be carefully mixed into the bag – remember that when growing in a pot, the plant only receives what you give it, so when a plant is in active growth or flowering hard it will rapidly deplete the nutrient resources in a compost and will need feeding to maintain peak performance.

Mainly the materials used, significant research has gone into understanding the components and physical structure of growing media and where possible we are looking at developing peat free that handles, looks and performs in a similar way to peat.  The big changes are a/how water is stored and moves through the compost, peat was very good at moving water evenly through a pot and could store water, peat free has less ability to store water and wont always move it round so you can get wet and dry regions even within a pot – watering carefully then becomes important.

Loam is a very specific type of soil which is dug up and used as a component in growing media, its very good at holding waster, nutrients and water and gives a buffering effect helping plants to grow well.

A good structure in which the plants can anchor their roots, a long decomposition period so the compost doesn’t slump, good air holding so roots can breathe and the compost drains, water holding to prevent drying, the ability to hold nutrients to release back to the plants, a brown colour so it resembles compost.