Anyone use Vermiculite?

[Dilly Girl]

Has anyone used vermiculite or perlite?

 

[patandchickens]

Sure, was there something in particular you wanted to know about them? They can be useful in making up potted-plant soil, or the fine grades to cover newly planted seeds.


Pat

 

[Dilly Girl]

well I was reading the square foot garden and he uses it along with peat moss and compost and nothing else. So I thought about adding it to my soil to help retain moisture and keep things loosen up. Just curious if others do this or go strickly by his method of one third of the three prior mentioned ingredients.

Thanks

 

[beefy]

my chickens can sense vermiculite and pearlite from a mile away and 6 feet deep.

 

[Dilly Girl]

Really? Do they actually eat it?

 

[beefy]

yes, mine do.

 

[S0rcy]

In heavy clay soils, perlite is of use to you in aerating the soil and allowing the roots of your plants to reach further. In a dry sandy soil vermiculite will help keep moisture around your plant roots. These additions will not change the pH of your soil.

I have only been in one situation where I added vermiculite. It was to what was completely a sand soil. It helped enough that I could grow very nice daisies and sunflowers all around a very ugly AC unit. If your soil has clay in it, if it is a clay or loam soil, then there very little need for vermiculite. If your soil is very sandy and has a problem with excessive drying, vermiculite may help you out!

 

[whatnow?]

Pardon my ignorance, but is vermiculite still available? I don't recall seeing vermiculite, but that may be due to marketing since the asbestos in the Libby, Montana mine became public.

 

[Dilly Girl]

Yep bought some from Hone Depot where they carry both Vermiculite asbestos free and perlite in small bags as well as 3.5 cu ft bags.

I have more sandy soil so the vermiculite is the way I went.

thanks

 

[hipdeep]

My brother uses raised beds in Brooklyn that are bionic. He's been hugely successful with it.

He said his mix was 1:1:1 vermiculite, peat moss, top soil. We just put in a raised bed and I'm trying his combo. I'm curious, about the chicken remark. Is it bad for the chickens if they eat it? (Or just the beds all scratched up?)

Thanks!
-Brooke

PS
If it's expensive buying it in the little bags and they don't have it in a large one, he bought his at a pool supply store as unmixed pool base.