Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: “I applaud this commitment as a hugely positive step towards a peat-free future for the UK’s gardening trade, ahead of our proposed ban on peat in the retail sector by the end of this Parliament. This bold move will help gardeners across the UK to make the sustainable choice and go peat-free - to protect our peatlands, cut carbon emissions, and safeguard our environment for generations to come.” Peatlands currently occupy around 12 per cent of the UK’s land area. When healthy they can store large volumes of carbon, with research showing they can hold up to 30 times more carbon per hectare than a healthy tropical rainforest. They can also help to prevent floods and contribute towards biodiversity.

Morrisons move to 100 per cent peat-free compost is its latest initiative to reduce carbon emissions, following commitments such as being directly supplied by net zero farms in the UK by 2030, and to become net zero across its business by 2040. With peat-free composts becoming more popular, B&Q is on the bandwagon with a budget option for multipurpose use. B&Q states that this multipurpose compost helps to reduce moisture in soil and will continue feeding for eight weeks after planting, and it contains 100% coir, green compost and composted bark as ingredients. Smart Release System: Smart-release feed granules release nutrients only when conditions are warm and moist, providing complete nutrition for up to 6 months. A proportion of Morrisons indoor and outdoor plants now come in coir and non-peat composts, with reduced peat in others. Morrisons is also running a series of peat-free trials at its wholly-owned Lowlands Nursery to understand the best compost alternatives for growing plants.The patented Fibre Smart Technology hollow wood fibres ensure an optimum balance of air and water for strong roots to grow healthy. Wood fibres are 100% natural. Fibre Smart Technology: The patented Fibre Smart Technology hollow fibres ensure an optimum balance of air and water for strong roots to grow healthy. Wood fibres are 100% natural.

Container compost (sometimes called potting mix) is what you’ll use for anything you plan to keep in a container; usually houseplants but occasionally potted plants outside, too. Lighter in texture than garden compost, it’s not designed to improve the soil around it. Just to make it more complicated, there are plenty of variants of these potting composts, too, even if they’re in a different field to garden compost.Miracle-Gro Premium All-Purpose compost is designed to offer the best start for a wide variety of plants. Generally speaking, the cost will depend on the type of compost and the size of the bag, as it’s often more cost-effective to buy 20 litres instead of five litres. A general rule of thumb many gardeners go by is that the cheapest option will be the worst quality. Price doesn’t always reflect a compost’s quality, though: sometimes a cheaper brand can actually deliver preferable results. However, 80 per cent of British peatlands have been lost or damaged. They have both been; drained for agriculture, forestry and construction; and, reduced in size by commercial peat extraction for horticulture. As a result these carbon sinks have released greenhouse gases accounting for five per cent of the UK’s total emissions. The Wildlife Trust has reported that the peat extracted for UK horticulture in 2020 alone could release up to 880,000 tonnes of CO2over its lifetime. One of the ways in which peatlands can be restored is by ‘re-wetting’ or reinstating the natural flow of water and soil saturation. Morrisons will phase out peat-based compost at its 497 stores and 303 garden centres across the UK by the end of the year, to help customers to garden more sustainably. Smart release feed granules release nutrients only when conditions are warm and moist, providing complete nutrition for up to 6 months.

Dan Townend, Gardening Buyer at Morrisons, said: “More people are gardening and our research shows that customers also want to protect our natural habitats. Peatland is actually the country’s biggest natural carbon store and its removal is affecting the environment. Our new coir range is just as good as traditional composts - and means we’re using the natural waste materials from coconut growing to fertilise our gardens instead.” Miracle-Gro Premium All Purpose Compost for all plants absorbs 25% more water than ordinary compost.

Grow the healthiest and strongest plants possible with our pick of the best seedling, peat-free and multipurpose composts

Containers and baskets: Place a layer of compost in the base of the pot. Tap out the plant from the old pot, loosen the root ball and place in the centre of the pot. Fill the space around the root ball, ensuring the compost level covers all the roots. Firm lightly, water thoroughly and let drain.

Over two million bags of compost are sold by Morrisons a year. In the place of peat, Morrisons is introducing a variety of sustainable composts for its customers. The range will include coir compost, which is made using the waste husks and fibres of coconuts that are a by-product from the food industry. For cuttings: Fill the pot with Levington Multi Purpose Compost, take the cutting (according to the type of plant), water, cover and keep warm. For hanging baskets: Line the basket if necessary and part fill it with Levington Multi Purpose Compost. Insert plants through sides of the basket where possible to ensure a ball of colour. Fill the basket with compost and arrange plants on the top with trailing ones around the sides. After everything is planted, firm lightly and water thoroughly.

The best compost you can buy in 2023

Acid-loving plants such as azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons need an ericaceous compost that has a lower pH, meaning it’s veering into acidic soil territory. Seed compost is designed to provide the low levels of nutrients needed at the early stages of a plant’s life and can contain additional ingredients that aid germination. It’s fine and lightweight, and usually more expensive than multipurpose. The best compost you can buy in 2023 1. Westland John Innes Seed Sowing Compost: Best compost for sowing seeds