Back in March the RHS was the subject of industry complaint when it announced concessions up to 2028 at Flower Shows for growers still transitioning to peat-free. Highlighting the continued silence on legislation from Labour, RHS Director General Clare Matterson CBE said “it’s not a level playing field for growers leading the charge and the RHS as a charity can’t steer this ship alone”.

Today the RHS reaffirms its commitment to peat-free with a public statement confirming that from 2026 all plants sold at its retail outlets and online will be grown fully peat-free or only contain peat already in production cycle before the end of 2025.

Despite a complete lack of legislation, the industry has made huge strides in the peat-free transition, but remains reliant on peat-grown young plants imported from Europe which make up 60% of plants grown.

The RHS’ five gardens have been No New Peat since June 2025.

The RHS aims to be the largest supplier of “No New Peat” plants, a category they introduced in their March announcement to define the complex ways in which peat is present in horticulture. RHS Gardens have used 100% No New Peat plants since June 2025.

Redoubling their commitment to peat-free retail represents an important step in consumer education, as 56% of gardeners who purchase plants report not knowing if these plants are grown using peat. The lack of labelling around peat-free is a frequent complaint we hear at the Peat-free Partnership, from amateur gardeners who care about doing their best for the environment and addressing the climate and biodiversity crises.

We know that voluntary reductions in peat use have not worked. The most recent figures published by Defra show that voluntary reductions slowed almost to a stop in 2023 as it became clear the Government’s promise to legislate would not be fulfilled. That year, the horticulture industry still used over 700,000 cubic metres of peat – more than 280 Olympic swimming pools.

And yet, the Government remains silent on horticultural peat. The RHS say they will continue to support an end to end peat sales:

• They will work with charities, industry, and our nation of gardeners to lobby government for a peat ban with clarity on a timeline and a just transition for industry
• At point of sale and in its communications they will raise awareness of why UK peatlands are vital carbon stores
• They will encourage buyers to question whether the plants they buy elsewhere are 100% peat-free

The pressure to legislate is mounting. Just how long can this continue?

For action you can take to support legislation on peat sales, sign up to the Peat-free Partnership’s newsletter here. Watch this space – we’ve got a big announcement coming soon.