Growing Media for Microgreens

Eight growing media for microgreens in three forms: grow mats, a loose substrate and pre-cut pads. Coco fiber, industrial hemp, cellulose and recycled fibre, from 450 to 800 g/m² and from 1.2 to 6 mm thick. All of them work in hydroponic systems, all fit standard growing trays and pots, and all are available in bulk with European delivery.

If you grow in standard trays, start with a grow mat: CocoMat or HempMat. If you grow in pots or punnets, use Cellulose Growing Pads or Perlan. If your trays are non-standard, HempFibre Cut to Size is cut to your dimensions. A full comparison of materials, weights and thicknesses is below the products.

Which growing medium for microgreens to choose

Coco fiber grow mats

CocoMat is a coco fiber grow mat, 5-6 mm thick and weighing about 700 g/m², bonded with natural latex on one side. CocoMat Double-Sided Latex is the heavier version of the same mat: 6 mm and about 800 g/m², with natural latex on both sides. Both are fully biodegradable, pH neutral, and hold up to ten times their own weight in water. Sizes match Shallow, ExtraStrength and Midi trays.

Hemp grow mats

HempMat is made from industrial hemp fibre, separated, cleaned and needle-punched without chemicals. At 450 g/m² and roughly 3 mm it is the lightest and thinnest of our grow mats, and it comes in sizes for standard trays as well as small formats for growing pots. When your trays are non-standard, HempFibre Cut to Size is the same hemp material cut to your own dimensions, from 8 to 80 cm per side, with a cutting precision of ±3 mm and a minimum order of 100 m².

Coco coir, a loose growing medium

Coco Coir is the one product in this category that is not a mat. It is loose coconut fiber, supplied in a 550 g pack and spread as a 1-2 cm layer, so you decide how deep the medium is. Like our coco mats it is pH neutral and holds up to ten times its weight in water. Choose it when you want control over the depth of the substrate, and choose a growing mat when you want a surface that lifts out of the tray in one piece.

Cellulose pads and Perlan for pots and punnets

Cellulose Growing Pads are ultra-thin, approximately 1.2-1.3 mm, and arrive pre-cut in three formats: 100 × 120 mm for 10 × 12 cm pots, 80 × 120 mm for 10 × 14 cm pots, and 90 × 90 mm for 11 × 11 cm pots. They produce no loose particles or dust, which makes them easy to handle in punnets and gutter systems. Perlan is a certified cellulose fibre supplied as a pad 9.6 cm wide, ten pieces per bag, sized for our growing pots.

ReFibre, the recycled growing medium

ReFibre is made from recycled acrylic and polyester, 5 mm thick and about 500 g/m². It is the only medium in this category that does not biodegrade, and that is exactly what it is for: its nonwoven needle punch structure stays dimensionally stable when damp, so trays are easy to move and roots easy to inspect. It also works as capillary matting for bottom watering.

Five questions that settle the choice

• Biodegradable or durable? Coco, hemp and cellulose media are compostable after harvest. ReFibre does not break down and holds its shape when wet.
  
• Grow mat or loose substrate? Mats lift out of the tray in one piece and leave no residue. Coco coir lets you set the depth of the layer yourself.
  
• Trays or pots? Growing mats come in tray formats. Cellulose pads and Perlan are cut for pots and punnets.
  
• Standard sizes or your own? Every mat comes in sizes for our trays, and hemp material can be cut to your exact dimensions from 100 m² upwards.
  
• How thick and how heavy? Our grow mats run from 450 g/m² and 3 mm to 800 g/m² and 6 mm. Coco and hemp fibres hold up to ten times their own weight in water, so a heavier mat carries more water per tray.

Why growers choose MP SEEDS growing media

We supply growing media to microgreens farms across Europe, with shipping to more than 40 countries. What professional growers get from us:

• Clean and safe materials, free from pathogens and mould,
  
• Stated parameters for every medium: material, thickness and weight per square metre,
  
• Formats matched to standard growing trays and pots, or material cut to your own dimensions,
  
• Bulk quantities with pallet delivery,
  
• Free samples before a first larger order,
  
• Support in matching a medium to your farm or hydroponic system.

Not sure which growing medium fits your production? Order free samples before committing to a pallet, or contact us with your tray dimensions and crop.

Read more: Coco Coir vs CocoMats for growing microgreens, our guide to growing media for microgreens, or browse all supplies for growing microgreens.