2025 Growing Media Market Report research finds growers prefer standard mixes

Growing media is just as important as the plants they nurture. But while plant varieties shift and change with popularity and ease of production, it seems that the highly technical substrates used by growers are more constant.

The Greenhouse Management 2025 Growing Media Market Report, informed by greenhouse owners and operators, found that most prefer standard mixes from their manufacturer of choice. Most stick with one or two varieties of growing media, and when they choose something they like, they don’t intend to change.

But not everything is rosy in the land of growing media. While most prefer standard mixes because of their consistency, many report a lack of consistency in their substrate as a challenge. Other challenges include price fluctuations and shipping costs.

The following report digs deep into what owners and operators are saying about growing media, why they stick with the standards and why others mix their own growing media in-house.