Why is peat-free compost different to use?
Because peat has physical properties that are genuinely difficult to replicate, and peat-free mixes behave differently enough that watering habits must change.
Why peat was used. It is remarkably well suited to container growing: consistent, low in nutrients so feeding can be controlled precisely, lightweight, sterile, slightly acidic, and — crucially — it holds a great deal of water while retaining air. It is also easy to rewet.
Why it is being phased out. Peatlands are among the most carbon-dense ecosystems on Earth, storing more carbon per hectare than forest. Extraction releases that carbon and destroys habitats that took thousands of years to form and cannot practically be restored on a human timescale. The UK has moved to end retail sales of peat compost, with professional use following.
What peat-free is made from: composted bark, wood fibre, coir (coconut husk), green waste compost, bracken, sheep's wool and various blends. Quality varies substantially between brands, more than it did with peat.
How it behaves differently:
It dries out faster at the surface while often remaining wet lower down. This is the main practical difference and causes most failures — the top looks dry so people water, and the roots drown. Check by weight or by pushing a finger in, not by looking.
It is harder to rewet once genuinely dry, and water can channel straight through. Rewetting requires slow, repeated watering or standing the pot in water.
Nutrients run out sooner. Many peat-free mixes have a shorter feed charge, so start liquid feeding earlier — often after four to six weeks rather than six to eight.
Wood-based mixes can lock up nitrogen temporarily as they decompose, showing as yellowing leaves. Feeding addresses it.
It is heavier when wet, and settles more.
Buy a good brand and stick with it — variability is the real difficulty, and results improve once you know how one behaves.