Peat moss supply from Canada’s 2026 harvest came in below expected extraction in most producing regions, the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association reported, as wet weather limited harvesting. The shortfall matters to growers of bedding and potted plants, a key supply base for mass-market floral and garden departments.
The association’s Sept. 17 report, covering the season through Aug. 31, was summarized by Greenhouse Grower on Oct. 11. Extraction reached 56% of expected levels in Alberta, 79% in Manitoba, 90% in Saskatchewan and 90% in Ontario. Quebec’s north and south shores were at 77%, southern New Brunswick at 70% and northern New Brunswick at 85%.
Not a shortage, but a risk to watch
The association said careful inventory management should let producers meet customer needs, according to the article. Greenhouse Grower stressed the season does not signal a peat shortage. It also noted that expected extraction is a planning measure, calculated from market requirements plus a year-end inventory buffer minus inventory carried in, and not a count of available peatland harvested.
The article did not report peat volumes or prices.
Freight adds to delivered cost
The article cited a Wall Street Journal report that U.S. contract trucking rates averaged $3.11 per mile in August including fuel surcharges, up 29% from a year earlier. For growers, that raises the delivered cost of bulky inputs such as growing media. Greenhouse Grower advised comparing delivered cost rather than free-on-board price, and trialing alternatives such as wood fiber, bark, coir and rice hulls before a disruption forces a change.
The same trucking pressure affects finished plants and flowers moving to stores. SuperFloral has covered freight cost pressure on the global flower supply chain and how fall container programs are evolving.
Takeaways: what peat moss supply means for plant buyers
- Ask plant suppliers how they are managing growing media inventory and whether they have qualified alternatives.
- Expect input and freight costs to feature in 2027 spring plant pricing talks.
- Confirm delivery schedules early for programs that depend on a single grower.
Sources: Greenhouse Grower, citing the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association and The Wall Street Journal.
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