What is a growing medium?

What is a growing medium?

Coir glossary · Updated 2026-09-22 · Also in Português →

Any material used in place of natural soil for plant cultivation in containers, bags, trays or hydroponic channels. Growing media include coir pith, peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, rockwool and composted bark. In Brazil, substrates for plant production are regulated by Instrução Normativa MAPA 5/2016, which defines mandatory guarantee parameters (EC, pH, WHC, CRA, density).

Growing medium / substrate: equivalents.

PT: substrato · ES: sustrato / medio de cultivo

Source: IN MAPA 5/2016 · Embrapa. Definition from the Carve coir glossary, where the full source list is given.

Related terms.

Hydroponics: Soilless plant cultivation using mineral nutrient solutions, with or without a solid growing medium.

Fertigation: Combined delivery of mineral fertilizer and irrigation water through drip systems directly to coir substrate.

Retention curve: Graph plotting substrate water content against applied suction or tension.

See also: Coir Pith · back to the coir glossary.

CARVE

About this page. Part of the coir glossary maintained by Carve Biorrefinaria Agroindustrial Ltda, a coir pith and fiber producer in Paraipaba, Ceará, Brazil. Corrections: [email protected].