Add vermiculite to promix?

[geneticistx]

im about to transfer some seedlings to 1.5 gallon pots into promix. Should I add any vermiculite to the promix to increase aeration?
Currently growing three bluestreak in 5 gallon pots and i think the pots are retaining quite a bit of water longer than normal??

If I should add vermiculite, how much should i add?

 

[polish400]

I just mixed 6 gallons of soil for a friend and myself(he has been doing this for about 2 years and im just getting into it, he is out of town, told me what to get and how much to add) i added about half a bag to the mix.

 

[Budley Doright]

You may be looking for perlite not vermiculite....


Perlite is aeration....

vermiculite water retention.......

 

[stickyickyicky]

You may be looking for perlite not vermiculite....


Perlite is aeration....

vermiculite water retention.......

Thats what she said!

but yes burnt rope is correct you should be adding perlite for aeration NOT vermiculite

I just mixed 6 gallons of soil for a friend and myself(he has been doing this for about 2 years and im just getting into it, he is out of town, told me what to get and how much to add) i added about half a bag to the mix.

thanks for mixing it for me - see you Friday

 

[geneticistx]

do i want more aeration than normally included with the stock promix?

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

You're the one who suggested you needed more aeration in your first post. You don't indicate how big your bluestreak plants are in those five gallon pots. If they're still small, you're probably right in thinking they need more oxygen at the roots. Sounds like repotting into smaller pots is a good idea. Also, perlite is usually preferred over vermiculite, but they both let more air displace downward moving water. Translation; I buy vermiculite when I can't find perlite, I just change my watering technique a teensy bit.

 

[geneticistx]

greengenes; i think i'm confused a bit. My bluestreak are about 20 inches tall, with a couple weeks to go. Im more concerned with my next grow, if i need more perlite OR vermiculite, and how should I alter my watering, based on what's in my promix?

 

[darookie2000]

If your soil is staying saturated, perlite might help. I am having the same issue, and I am considering elevating the pots to get better air circulation. After my harvest is done, I may get an ebb and flow table, which would allow me to water from the bottom (I've had issues with fungus gnats, watering from the bottom helps that).

It might help to water the rootball instead of saturating the growing medium every time. My concern about this is salt buildup, since it's tough to get enough runoff just watering the rootball.

 

[Hank Hemp]

You may be looking for perlite not vermiculite....


Perlite is aeration....

vermiculite water retention.......

I use 50% pro-mix, 25% perlite, 25% worm casting, dolmite of course.

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

No fair editing on me, hehe. I think I'm getting what you're saying now geneticistx, you're putting 20" tall seedling into 1.5g pots. The 5g is the last grow and you think the mix wasn't as good as it could be.

There is no real holy grail of soilmixes. What matters most is how well does the mix match the watering style of the gardener, which is what I meant by the difference between perlite and vermiculite. Cannabis is a tough plant, but the need for lots of food and water at the roots creates a great need for oxygen there as well. The faster it grows, the more water, food and oxygen needed at the roots. The key to getting oxygen down into the mix is good drainage. A solid covering of the rootball during watering ensures that the water moves down through the mix like a piston, sucking air in above as it moves down. This single watering tip can give you an amazing amount of mileage as you develop skill and tune your soilmix to work with it. The amount of water depends on where the roots are. If the plant has roots at the bottom of the pot, there's no fear of overwatering. If the plant was just repotted, don't water it at all for a few days to encourage it to root deeper. Using a tray under the pot is essential, especially if you use a semi-hydro soilmix with tons of drainage and not much water holding capability (which by the way works amazingly well).

Now that I reread the above posts, Hank Hemp reminds me about lime. Gotta have that source of lime, can NOT live without it. I personally like crushed oyster shells, but the dolomite ag lime works fine too.

 

[BeanSprout]

PMix should be good enough. You don't need any extra aeration unless you want to go soilless in the future.

bs

 

[kingjames488]

like a couple ppl said... verm absorbs water and holds it well, perlite is light and airy and helps with drainage.

I find promix to have decent water retention, so add little verm if any... it will make it hold water longer, but not drain as well and be heavier.
adding a little perlite and worm castings or something could help out tho.

 

[polish400]

with adding all this different stuff you can just make your own soil too. something to think about?!? that way you can make the soil how you want. if you wanted a lighter soil that holds water for a descent time period you can add both. Thats what i have done for this grow. stickyickyicky has tried it and says it works.

 

[ForbiddenFruit]

Promix does not need extra vermiculite, it already holds lots of water, for best results with promix you will want to add 30 - 50 % Perlite so the Promix isn't so soggy.