This updated report tracks the major input costs facing nursery and greenhouse growers through 2025, with a forecast for 2026, and it paints a pretty clear picture: while the rate of inflation has cooled from the worst of the pandemic-era run-up, cost pressures are still very much with us. The weighted index now stands at 166.6 for 2025, with a forecast of 172.7 for 2026, meaning growers’ tracked input costs are projected to be about 73% higher than they were in 2007. Labor continues to be the biggest driver, but propagative materials, containers, freight, fertilizers, and other production inputs are all still keeping pressure on margins.
This year’s edition also includes a special appendix on the impact of the 2026 Iran war, looking at how energy markets, fertilizer supplies, freight, and broader geopolitical disruptions could further affect grower costs in the months ahead. In other words, this is not just a rearview-mirror exercise. It is intended to help growers think more strategically about pricing, purchasing, budgeting, and protecting margin in a business environment that remains anything but calm.
For those of us in the green industry, knowing your numbers is no longer optional. It is essential. My hope is this publication, in addition to the Your MarketMetrics analyses, gives growers a clearer sense of where the pricing-related pressure points are, where the risks may be headed, and how to respond with a little more confidence and a little less guesswork. Take a look when you have a chance. I think you will find it useful.
