How-to Guide
How to Use Peat-Free Compost Successfully
The short answer
Peat-free compost is now the norm as the UK phases out peat in gardening, and it looks and feels much like peat-based compost and is used in similar ways. The main differences are in watering and feeding, so the key is to adjust your habits rather than expect it to behave identically to old peat mixes.
Water little and often, and check lower down the pot before watering, because peat-free compost can look dry on the surface while still holding plenty of moisture around the roots. Start feeding a little earlier than with peat, and follow any feeding or fertiliser advice on the bag, since different formulations are balanced differently. Read the packaging, because peat-free products vary between brands.
Why watering is different
Peat-free composts can hold moisture lower in the pot even when the top looks dry, so judging by the surface alone can lead to overwatering or underwatering. Watering little and often, and checking the moisture further down the container before you water, gives more reliable results.
- Water little and often rather than in occasional heavy soakings
- Check moisture lower in the pot, not just the surface, before watering
- A dry-looking surface does not always mean the roots are dry
Feeding peat-free mixes
- 1Start feeding earlier — You may need to feed a little earlier than with peat: give seedlings their first feed once they have their first true leaves, and feed potted plants from around three to four weeks after potting up.
- 2Feed regularly, not every watering — You do not have to feed every time you water, but feed often enough to keep plants looking healthy, perhaps around once a week, increasing if needed.
- 3Follow the pack — Use the fertiliser and feeding advice on the packaging; a recommended feed is not just marketing, as different peat-free formulations carry different nutrient balances.
Getting good results
Because peat-free products differ between brands and formulations, always read and follow the advice on the bag. Treat your first bag of a new brand as a chance to learn how it holds water and how soon it needs feeding, and adjust from there. For building your own soil health, see our guide on how to start composting.
✔ Push a finger a few centimetres into the pot before watering. If it feels moist down there, hold off; peat-free compost often hides plenty of water beneath a dry-looking top.
Sources
Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.
- RHS — Peat-free compost choices — Peat-free composts look and feel similar to peat-based and are used similarly, but watering and feeding may differ; water little and often and check moisture lower in the pot as it can look dry on top while moist at the roots; feed a little earlier than with peat; feed regularly but not necessarily every watering; follow packaging advice as formulations differ.
- RHS — Using peat-free compost for seeds and cuttings — First feed for seeds when they develop first true leaves, and around three to four weeks after potting up in peat-free.