Transforming horticulture for a sustainable future.
Hort2thefuture is is a multi-actor four-year project, funded by the European Union in the frame of Horizon Europe, grant agreement number 101157434.
The project turns research into real-world solutions for sustainable, peat-free horticulture… combining scientific innovation with practical application to develop and scale alternative growing media that reduce reliance on peat and support sustainable production systems across Europe.
Who we work with
Hort2thefuture works with partners across the horticulture value chain to develop and demonstrate sustainable alternatives to peat-based growing media. Bringing together growers, industry, policymakers and researchers, we address key challenges and support the transition to more sustainable production systems.
Find out more about our main audience groups:
Growers
Industry & suppliers
Policymakers
Research & academics
Latest
Growing media: Towards an EU policy framework fit for purpose
Overview and purpose: The Brussels Policy Scoping Workshop of the 3rd of March 2026 was organised by the SPINFERT and Hort2thefuture Horizon Europe projects funded under the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’. It brought together EU policymakers,...
PRESS RELEASE: New ‘peat free gardening hero’ leaflet launches in garden centres to inspire green growing
Gardeners are set to benefit from a new, easy-to-follow leaflet designed to make sustainable gardening simpler and more accessible. The 'Peat Free Gardening Hero' guide is being launched this spring and will be distributed through participating...
PRESS RELEASE: Citizens grow Pak Choi and contribute to sustainable gardening research
A new citizen science initiative involves members of the public taking part in a hands-on experiment to help shape more sustainable food production. The Pak Choi Growing Challenge, led by researchers from Newcastle University, in collaboration with...
The challenge of defining “sustainable growing media”: Why the term is used incorrectly and what needs to be done about it
Abstract: The term “sustainable growing media” is widely used in horticultural research, policy, and industry, yet its meaning remains ambiguous, inconsistently applied, and often unsupported by evidence, undermining the very decisions it is meant...
Hort2thefuture tests new growing media with growers in Serbia and North Macedonia
Hort2thefuture consortium partners met with growers in Serbia and North Macedonia to test new growing media mixes developed by Pindstrup. During the three-day visit, hosted by the European Training Academy (EUTA) from 10 to 12 February 2026,...
Oxygen microbubble irrigation: A promising strategy to reduce soil compaction in melon
Within the Hort2theFuture project, Saad Khahli, a master’s student at the Technical University of Cartagena (UPCT), and with the technical support from the JUAN AZCUE company, investigated the use of oxygen microbubbles in irrigation water to...