For many growers, the conversation around substrates has changed from “What works best?” to “What will still be available, affordable, and reliable?”
As 2026 approaches, tightening peat supply, fluctuating coir prices, and rising input costs are reshaping how growing media decisions get made. At the same time, sustainability goals are becoming more concrete. They’re no longer merely aspirational.
The path forward isn’t about a single replacement or quick fix but rather about smarter blends, new materials, and working closely with partners who understand the realities of production.
Here’s what’s changing and how Jiffy is helping growers prepare:
Substrate Trends for 2026: What’s Changing and Why It Matters
The growing media landscape is evolving quickly, driven by both supply challenges and environmental considerations. Over the past two years, several trends have moved from “on the horizon” to “front and center.”
Less Peat Availability Is Reshaping the Market
Peat has long been a cornerstone of professional horticulture thanks to its consistency, performance, and reliability. That role is not disappearing. However, peat availability continues to tighten in many regions due to regulatory pressure and extraction limits.
A recent industry report by the Dutch Association of Potting Soil and Substrate Producers highlights that the historic peat shortage is ongoing and creating uncertainty across global supply chains and pushing growers to evaluate alternatives more seriously than ever before.
We expect that for many operations, this means peat will remain part of the mix, though often at reduced levels and combined with other materials.
Rising Coir Prices Are Changing Cost Calculations
Coir demand continues to grow, especially in hydroponic systems, soft fruit production, and peat-reduced blends. At the same time, coir prices have increased due to supply constraints, logistics challenges, and rising production costs. As a result:
- Growers are paying closer attention to cost-to-performance ratios
- Long-term availability is becoming just as important as short-term price
- Regional and renewable alternatives are gaining traction
How Growers Are Rethinking Growing Media Investments
As input costs continue to draw more attention, growers are taking a closer look at how growing media choices affect day-to-day operations and longer-term planning. The focus has moved away from finding a single replacement for peat and toward understanding how different materials perform in real production environments.
Availability of raw materials, consistency across seasons, and compatibility with existing irrigation and fertigation systems are now front of mind. There’s also more discussion around how substrates fit into automated workflows and future expansion, especially as operations adjust to labor constraints and efficiency targets.
These questions are becoming part of regular planning conversations rather than one-off decisions. Growers are increasingly evaluating options, test mixes, and look ahead to upcoming production cycles.
How to Choose the Right Peat Alternatives for Your Crops
There is no universal solution when it comes to peat alternatives. The right choice depends on the crop, production system, and local conditions. When evaluating options, growers should look closely at:
- Physical properties
Air-filled porosity, drainage, and water-holding capacity - Chemical properties
pH stability, nutrient buffering, and EC behavior - Supply reliability
Year-round availability and consistency between batches
Materials such as coir, wood fiber, and now sugar cane fiber (CanePith) can all perform well when balanced correctly. Jiffy encourages growers to trial small batches under real production conditions and work with technical advisors before scaling up.
Best Practices for Getting the Most From Peat-Reduced and Peat-Free Media
Transitioning to new substrates often requires adjustments beyond the mix itself. Each component behaves differently in the root zone, which can affect water and nutrient delivery. To support consistent results, growers should focus on regular EC and pH monitoring, avoiding over-irrigation, maintaining good drainage and air exchange, and adjusting fertigation schedules to match media behavior.
Using propagation products designed for automation, such as Jiffy Pellets, Preforma, or Growblocks, can also support uniform rooting and smoother production workflows.
Proper storage matters, too. Growing media should be kept dry, protected from contamination, and used within recommended timeframes to maintain quality.
Blended Substrates Are Becoming the New Standard
Across professional horticulture, blended substrates are becoming a familiar part of production planning. Rather than relying on a single material, growers are increasingly turning to mixes that combine peat, coir, wood fiber, and newer components to create a more balanced growing medium.
Doing so offers more flexibility across different crops and production systems while also reducing dependence on any one raw material. Especially as market conditions continue to shift, it helps smooth out supply disruptions and supports more consistent availability over time.
Blended substrates also provide a realistic way to incorporate sustainability goals without sacrificing performance or introducing unnecessary risk into day-to-day operations (which we will discuss more below).
Jiffy Innovations for 2026: New Materials With Real-World Performance
As the industry evolves, Jiffy continues to invest in solutions that support both performance and sustainability.
New Renewable Raw Materials
Jiffy is working on a new renewable raw material derived from sugar-cane fiber, developed to support the future of professional substrate blends. Refined through Jiffy’s expertise, this upcoming solution focuses on consistency, availability, and performance for modern growing systems.
While sugar-cane fiber itself is not new, Jiffy’s approach transforms it into a reliable option designed to help growers adapt to changing market conditions and raw material availability.
More details will be shared soon, including how this new sugar-cane–based fiber can contribute to:
- A more resilient and renewable raw material portfolio Stable supply throughout the year Flexible use in tailored substrate blends for different crops
Jiffy Gel: Supporting Advanced Propagation and CEA Systems
Jiffy Gel is another recent innovation focused on controlled environment agriculture and advanced propagation. Developed through targeted R&D, Jiffy Gel supports clean, consistent rooting in automated systems.
For CEA growers, this means:
- Improved hygiene and food safety
- Compatibility with high-tech propagation workflows
- Reliable performance in soilless environments
Sustainability and Collaboration in Growing Media Development
Sustainability has become a meaningful factor in how many growers, retailers, and distributors make purchasing decisions, and it increasingly influences how growing media are developed. For Jiffy, this work centers on measurable progress, responsible sourcing, and transparency across the supply chain.
The company’s 2024 Sustainability Report outlines ongoing investments in renewable raw materials, efforts to reduce carbon footprint across operations, and continued collaboration with growers and industry partners. These initiatives are closely tied to how new materials and products are developed, tested, and refined for use in real production environments.
Collaboration plays a central role in this process. Jiffy works alongside growers, retailers, distributors, research institutes, and universities to better understand operational realities and emerging needs.
Our current research and partnerships focus on developing sustainable raw materials, creating propagation solutions designed for automation, and working with Concert Bio to explore the role of beneficial microbes in soilless growing systems.
Looking Ahead: Confidence in a Changing Substrate Landscape
The substrate market is changing, and that change brings both challenges and opportunity. With tighter peat availability, fluctuating coir prices, and growing sustainability expectations, preparation matters.
When growers take time to evaluate alternatives, fine-tune best practices, and work with partners focused on long-term performance, they’re better positioned for 2026.
At Jiffy, innovation starts with listening and continues with solutions designed for real growing conditions. The future of substrates is evolving, and the industry doesn’t have to navigate it alone.
Let’s work together
Jiffy is a leading global supplier of premium growing media and solution thinking. We aim to serve you, our customers in plant propagation and cultivation, to achieve better results with fewer worries. We do this by continually improving, innovating, and working toward our common goals, based on scientific research, teamwork, and decades of experience. Let’s develop sustainable plant growing solutions together: Let’s start today!