WHAT DO THEY DO FOR OUR SOIL AND OUR PLANTS
A couple of weeks ago, I conducted our free educational seminar on watering. Those who stopped by the table to talk about watering had great questions. One question that was asked a couple of times was about perlite and vermiculite. One customer asked about what those white flakes in their potting soil are. Those white flakes are perlite.
Whenever you buy potting soil or seed starting soils, you will see the small white particles that are perlite, which is a volcanic mineral. PERLITE is almost always added to potting mixes as it improves drainage, aeration, and water retention. So, the benefits of perlite are that it improves moisture retention in the soil, improves drainage, and improves air circulation. Because perlite is porous, perlite soil absorbs water for water retention, and it improves drainage.
Now let’s talk about VERMICULITE. Like perlite, vermiculite is also a naturally occurring mineral. Vermiculite is mainly used to improve moisture retention. It looks like small golden brown flakes. It can absorb up to four times its weight in water and will also absorb some minerals that plants need, such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
The bottom line is this: both perlite and vermiculite are essential in improving soil and helping plants grow and thrive, especially in container plantings.
The fall container gardening season is just around the corner. To be successful with container growing involves picking the right container, picking the right companion plants for this container, and picking the right soil for the container garden. You most certainly will see perlite and vermiculite in the potting medium.
HAPPY GARDENING AND PLANT A LITTLE HAPPINESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!