2025 Growing Media Market Report research finds growers prefer standard mixes

Substrates are just as important as the plants they nurture.

While plant varieties may shift with market fluctuations and ease of production, it seems the highly technical substrates used by growers are more constant.

And in a survey sent to greenhouse and CEA owners and operators in May by our sister publication, Greenhouse Management, the majority of respondents said they purchased standard growing media mixes from a manufacturer.

A significant percentage, though far fewer, will supplement standard mixes by blending some of their own growing media in-house. The same percentage of owners and operators who purchase custom mixes from manufacturers only blend their own growing media in-house.

In a market where sustainability language and processes are important, the desire for water conservation is important to very important for nearly three-fourths of respondents, while only about a quarter place less importance on this quality.

To see more data from the 2025 Growing Media Market Report, click here.