100% peat-free specialist houseplant substrates

Because root systems differ far more than leaves do. A Hoya with wiry epiphytic roots in a 9cm pot needs around 42% air after watering, while a Calathea with fine terrestrial roots and storage tubers wants closer to 22% and a steady moisture film. One compromise mix suits neither well. Each of our blends is tuned to a root type, not a fashion, and the published AFP and WHC figures let you compare them directly.

Yes. There is no sphagnum peat, sedge peat or peat-reduced compost in any bag we sell. Moisture retention comes from buffered coco coir, coco husk, vermiculite and worm castings, and structure comes from pine bark, pumice, perlite and charcoal. Our long-fibre sphagnum moss is surface-harvested living moss, not peat dug from a bog, and it is sold as a separate product.

Kept dry, cool and loosely closed, an opened bag stays usable for 12 months or more. The mineral and bark fractions do not change, but worm castings slowly lose microbial activity and the bag can attract fungus gnats if it is left damp and open in a warm room. Fold the top over, store it in a shed or cupboard rather than a conservatory, and lightly moisten before use.

You can, and many collectors do. Blending the Monstera mix with the Anthurium mix gives a slightly more open aroid substrate for velvet Philodendrons, and adding a quarter of the Everyday mix to the Alocasia blend raises water retention for south-facing windowsills that dry quickly. Keep in mind that the AFP of a blend sits roughly between the two parent figures in proportion to the volumes used.

March to early September, when daylength and light intensity are rising and roots can colonise fresh substrate within two to three weeks. Repotting between November and February is fine for emergencies such as root rot, but growth is slow under winter light, so choose the more open mix in the range and water sparingly until spring. Never repot a plant within seven days of it arriving from us.