Popular Peat Alternatives
Emerging Media
Embracing Evolution
Let’s face it. Peat is hard to beat. Due to its unique and highly beneficial properties, including water retention, aeration, pH regulation, consistency, sterility, and uniformity, peat moss has long been the favored and exceptionally versatile growing medium for flowering and ornamental plants.
“Peat provides the full package of security for growers and has proven to be a very safe constituent for plant cultivation,” says Hermann Konnemann, Product Marketing Manager at Klasmann-Deilmann Group, an international provider of growing media. “Hence, [peat’s] success over the years.”
However, three factors have begun driving the shift away from pure peat use and toward alternative media by ornamental growers. Sustainability concerns have fueled regulatory pressures in peat cultivation, especially in Europe. In addition, adverse weather that is influencing Canadian peat harvesting can have a dire impact on the supply chain and product availability.
Finally, price sensitivity plays a critical role, as well. When harvest yields are low, the fixed extraction costs are spread across a smaller volume, inevitably driving up prices for growers.
As of this writing, the threated implementation of U.S. tariffs against Canadian and European products would impact peat’s cost structure, which would trickle down to growers and further drive the need to stretch available supplies with other alternative media, experts say.
Peat’s price fluctuations explain why price-conscious growers are becoming more interested in alternative media, says Pierre-Marc De Champlain, Project Coordinator at Berger Peat Moss Ltd. “This dynamic underscores the delicate balance between supply, demand, and cost," he says. “As a result, this has influenced the need for alternatives to peat.”
While peat remains a cornerstone of professional growing media, manufacturers say the future lies in intelligent blends and strategic augmentation. Therefore, the focus in recent years has been on developing modern, blended substrates that leverage the benefits of alternative materials, says Søren Møller Nielsen, Sales Director Americas at Pindstrup Mosebrug A/S, an international supplier of growing media and substrates.
“Peat has characteristics that, so far, nobody has been able to mimic or replace 100%,” Nielsen says. “So, the focus for a peat company or substrate supplier is to develop alternatives in different combinations that allow [growers] to reduce the peat but still keep its characteristics.”
Combining compost’s valuable nutrients with peat’s moisture-retaining characteristics makes it ideal for potted flowering plants.
Photo: Berger
"The focus for a peat company or substrate supplier is to develop alternatives in different combinations that allow [growers] to reduce the peat but still keep its characteristics."
Here are some of the most popular alternative options manufacturers have identified for cultivating flowering and ornamental plants.
Wood Fiber. As the prominent blending agent, wood fiber is lightweight, reliable, and quite versatile. The combination balances water retention and aeration, crucial for rapid root development and overall plant health.
“Peat works really well with wood fiber,” says Jeff Langner, Brand Manager at Profile Products. “And you’re seeing that more and more in university testing and with suppliers coming into the market with wood fiber [products].”
Available in fine to coarse variations, wood fiber adapts to diverse cultivation methods when mixed with peat. Many potted ornamentals, including foliage and flowering plants, thrive in a peat-wood fiber mix. For example, peat-wood fiber mix’s ability to drain yet retain moisture is ideal for annuals. As a substrate for potted ornamentals and nursery stock, wood fiber adds structure and aeration to the mix, preventing compaction.
According to Dan Jacques, General Services Manager at Sun Gro Horticulture, growers successfully incorporate wood fiber at significant percentages — reaching 30% to 40% or higher — in some mixes.
In addition, Jacques says wood fiber’s ability to enhance aeration and drainage within a blend positions it as a viable substitute for perlite, which the industry is moving away from. He adds its versatility extends beyond aeration. Wood fiber contributes to water retention, demonstrating a dual functionality akin to vermiculite by improving the blended mix's overall structure and water-nutrient management.
“Wood fiber has gained traction with growers driven by its cost-effectiveness and ability to reduce perlite dependence, a crucial factor for growers facing escalating operational expenses,” Jacques says.
Coir. Coir’s application has expanded significantly in recent years, with substrate producers integrating it into more diverse formulations. Its functional characteristics closely mirror peat moss, exhibiting comparable water retention and aeration.
From pith to chips and fibers, coir — a byproduct of the coconut industry — provides a range of properties. Coir pith excels in water uptake, while crushed chips and fibers enhance structural support and drainage.
“Coir pith in quality can be used up to 100% in growing media, depending on the cultivation system,” Konnemann says, adding for floriculture applications, coir is ideally used in peat blends along with wood fiber.
Nielsen says that while not necessarily a silver bullet for growers, coir blends create a growing medium that caters to various ornamental plants. Their combined properties balance water retention and aeration, both crucial for establishing roots and healthy plant development.
Many potted flowering and foliage plants do very well in peat-coir mixes, with coir’s pH tending toward neutral. For example, coir has been successfully used to propagate roses, lilies, gerberas, and orchids. In addition, its drainage and water retention characteristics have been a popular medium for hydroponic growing.
“There are growers using straight coir, but not so much in floriculture,” Jacque says. “So, for the most part, we’re seeing [coir] more as an extension of peat than as a complete replacement.”
Konnemann, though, warns growers that as coir is relatively inert, it doesn’t add nutritional advantages to the mix, so growers must compensate for that. Also, quality control with coir sources (Sri Lanka, India, and various Southeast Asian countries) is paramount for growers to avoid potential salt imbalances, he adds.
Overall, a peat-coir growing medium offers a versatile foundation for a wide array of ornamental plants. By understanding the specific needs of each plant and adjusting watering and fertilization accordingly, growers can achieve excellent results.
Composted Materials. Composted bark and bark humus have been available to the floriculture industry for several years, Nielsen says, adding that European growers more frequently use them.
Likewise, green compost is gaining traction with manufacturers as a viable option for peat mixes. Composted materials, such as bark- and plant-based materials, provide a fair amount of trace elements and microbial activity to the mix, which promotes plant health. And in some instances, it provides a degree of defense against root-zone pathogens, Konnemann says.
Combining compost’s valuable nutrients with peat’s moisture-retaining characteristics makes it ideal for potted flowering plants like geraniums, petunias, impatiens, and chrysanthemums. In addition, bark-based media provides critical drainage and aeration that woody ornamentals find favorable.
Despite the attractive benefits, there are some risks growers must consider when utilizing peat mixed with a composted material. Jacques says compost quality is paramount, adding it must be free from pathogens and weed seeds. In addition, quality fluctuations also require pH and nutrient-level testing.
“Growers want to deal with companies that have a proven track record or can provide good, solid, reliable information about the components in the product,” Jacques says. “There are a lot of good suppliers who provide good quality material. Growers just need to make sure they’re getting [a mix] from a reputable company.”
“The future of growing media is not about replacing peat entirely, but about intelligently integrating diverse materials to create resilient and environmentally responsible cultivation systems.”
Some manufacturers are shifting from novel substrate components toward advanced technologies, Langler says. As a result, emerging media focuses on maximizing resource efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Biochar. Biochar is produced by heating organic materials (ag residue, woody residues, miscanthus, even hemp) in a limited oxygen environment to get a charcoal-like, carbon-rich, highly porous soil amendment. In a peat mix, biochar enhances water retention, improves aeration, retains nutrients, and can act as a pH stabilizer.
As a result, peat-biochar mixes have shown to be promising for propagating potted ornamentals, woody ornamentals, and plants — such as some varieties of orchids — that thrive in moist, well-aerated media.
In addition, Konnemann says this emerging material not only acts as a structural component in growing media but also sequesters atmospheric CO2, contributing to climate-neutral solutions.
In essence, many floriculture and ornamental plants can thrive in a peat and biochar mix, especially those that benefit from improved drainage, water retention, and nutrient availability.
Biodegradable Polymers. Polymer-based materials are being developed for specific applications like hydroponics and propagation. These materials offer the advantage of complete biodegradability.
A mix of peat and biodegradable polymers can be a suitable growing medium for a range of floriculture and ornamental plants, Konnemann says. Plants with high water and oxygen requirements — like many tropical foliage plants — may benefit from a peat-polymer mix's improved aeration and water retention properties. Konnemann says its combination with peat can provide a stable and supportive substrate in hydroponic applications.
“These materials are 100% biodegradable and can be interesting [growing media] in the future for young [plant] propagation,” he says, adding current applications are in vegetable cultivation but anticipates a crossover to floriculture in the near future.
Peat’s fluctuating prices explain why price-conscious growers are becoming more interested in alternative media, says Pierre-Marc De Champlain, Project Coordinator at Berger Peat Moss Ltd. Pictured here is a mix of peat, wood fiber, and perlite.
Growers should not fear the shift away from peat. Instead, insiders agree this is an opportunity to innovate and create a more sustainable future for horticulture.
“The future of growing media is not about replacing peat entirely, but about intelligently integrating diverse materials to create resilient and environmentally responsible cultivation systems,” Nielsen says.
Composted materials, such as bark- and plant-based materials, provide a fair amount of trace elements and microbial activity to the mix, which promotes plant health.
Photo: Klasmann-Dielmann
Industry experts understand that growers are astute professionals who diligently perform their due diligence. So, the hesitance to quickly adopt new growing media isn't rooted in misconception or ignorance but rather in a prudent — and sometimes slow — methodical, evidence-based approach.
"Peat provides a level of security that's hard to replicate," Konnemann says. “However, with proper monitoring and management, modern hybrid blends offer exceptional performance.”
The average grower has refined their preferences over decades, achieving precise balances tailored to their specific needs, Langler says. Introducing a new component necessitates adjustments, such as pot filling, compression, watering, and nutrition techniques.
“I think the biggest resistance isn't a lack of awareness or lack of knowledge [among growers],” Langler says. “It's purely a comfort with shifting to an alternative. That will be the interesting question [in 2025]: Are growers willing to shift on a dime if peat becomes unavailable or too expensive? If tariffs do go through, how quickly are they willing to try something new and adopt it into their practice?”
And while no singular solution exists, a spectrum of possibilities — even when integrating wood fiber or coir into a mix — must be weighed, evaluated, and adapted to the individual grower’s needs.
“Growers must adjust their practices to the material,” Berger’s De Champlain says. “When [a grower] brings in newer materials that they have less experience with, that's where it becomes more of a challenge, especially because the margins are very small. A grower isn’t going to risk their livelihood to test a new product without first doing their due diligence.”
Mike Zawacki is a Cleveland, Ohio-based journalist and frequent Greenhouse Grower contributor who has covered various aspects of the green, horticultural, sports turf, and irrigation industries for the last 20 years.
