3 Comments

  1. Natalia Solonovich, agronomist

    Not all gardeners know that the smallest perlite dust is harmful to the lungs and eyes. I will tell you how to use it without harm to health.
    Before removing the perlite from the bag, pour a little water into it. And then, already wet, add to the soil mixture. If it is necessary to use dry, then, after moistening it in a bag, pour the perlite into a colander and rinse in a basin of water, and then dry it.

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  2. N. Pavlova, Solnechnogorsk

    I add sand to the seedling soil to make it looser, but perlite and vermiculite are recommended. What are these materials good for and which one should be preferred?

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    • DIY

      The soil for seedlings should be loose and breathable during the entire period of its cultivation. To do this, loosening materials are added to it - moss-sphagnum, high-moor peat, sawdust, grain husks, zeolite, foam plastic, etc. One of the best baking powders is undoubtedly perlite and vermiculite, which are sold in any garden center at reasonable prices. They do not need to be disinfected, like the same sand, but they can be applied separately and together. The amount (15-35%) depends on the initial state of the soil, with which the additives are thoroughly mixed. The result is improved structure, increased breathability and water-holding capacity.

      Vermiculite. From a geochemical point of view, these are particles of expanded mica. Depending on their size, the material is divided into 5 fractions, 2, 3 and 4 are used for seedling mixtures.
      In a dry state, vermiculite is very light - the average density is 0 g / cu. see. Porous particles have a high moisture content - they absorb 1-10 ml of water per 40 g of their own weight, but at the same time their hygroscopicity (the ability to absorb water vapor from the air) is very low: at 50% air humidity, the humidity of vermiculite is 100%.
      Vermiculite itself contains nutrients - potassium and magnesium, available to plants, and also retains the nutrients of fertilizers and gradually gives them to the roots.

      Perlite. This is foamed volcanic glass, a chemically inert material. It is also capable of absorbing and retaining 3-4 times its own weight in moisture.
      Agroperlite is usually sold in stores - particles 2-5 mm in size. Smaller fractions of perlite have low air capacity. A significant drawback is that perlite is dusty, so it sometimes has to be washed before use, and allergy sufferers need to work only in a mask.

      Perlite and vermiculite can also be used as drainage, they do not rot or decompose.

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