Perlite....

[BORNaSMOKER]

Is pelite organic?

Seems so as it is a mineral but it doesn't seem very enviromentally friendly to me. Just the temps they use to expand it seems like quite a waste of energy.

Is there a good alternative to perlite?

I found this but am yet to see what it's like.
http://www.fytogreen.com.au/products/fytocell/index.html

any help would be apreciated

BaS

 

[Zendo]

there are a few alternatives, like vermiculite, pumice, or Parboiled fresh rice hulls.

 

[BORNaSMOKER]

isn't vermiculate processed in exactly the same way?

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

True they both are expanded. Pumice is perlite without the treatment, I'm pretty sure. Uncolored lava is good too, if you can find it in small enough chunks. Another amendment like these is Turface, which is same as unscented kitty litter.

 

[jaykush]

rice hulls are gaining popularity lately, eventually they add organic matter to your soil as well. though for some they are hard to find.

 

[VerdantGreen]

you wont find pumice in the UK - you need to be near some deposits like in oregon

sharp sand is what gardeners use to help drainage and keep and open texture, but it is heavy and doesnt hold air.

 

[VerdantGreen]

hey mr G when you say kitty litter are you talking about 'fullers earth' type stuff??

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

VG, I think it's the same thing. Here's some stuff from the internets;

"Fuller's earth is a kind of absorbent clay that got its name back in the days when English textile workers combined it with water, urine, and the cleansing herb soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) to extract grease and oil from newly woven woolen cloth. "Fuller" is an old name for a worker of cloth, hence the name "fuller"s earth" for this clay. Its technical names are attapulgite or montmorillonite. Today, fuller's earth is most commonly used in the United States in kitty litter, but it is also widely used in industry to absorb oil and grease, as a carrier of pesticides, as a flow control agent in animal feed as well as in adhesives, asphalt emulsions and tiles, paint, paper coating and textiles. You can use it at home to absorb oil spills in the garage or driveway or to remove wine stains from non-washable materials. Fuller's earth is also contained in some facial masks and is considered so safe that you can use it instead of baby powder when diapering an infant."

I just buy bags of unscented kitty litter instead of the Turface, which is probably better since it's made specifically for horticulture. I think it's most often used on golf courses.

 

[ngen]

Is pelite organic?
Seems so as it is a mineral but it doesn't seem very enviromentally friendly to me. Just the temps they use to expand it seems like quite a waste of energy.

Is there a good alternative to perlite?
BaS

It may be organic, but so is that jamaican bat guano mentioned a few threads up; organic but not sustainable. Not only do they mine the mineral and then waste the energy popping it. It does not work very well, has no cation exchange, but only decent aeration and moisture retention.

Everyone has mentioned the best substitutes already. Next year my aeration mix will be: Pumice(10%), Rice hulls(20%), peat moss(10%).

Pumice completely sustainable. Rice hulls, byproduct of rice production, the moss is the least earth friendly of any of them.

the pumice is a pain to get out of cascadia it seems though...

 

[BORNaSMOKER]

anyone know a good uk source/importer for rice hulls??

 

[quadracer]

Lava rock is a nice substitute. Peat is a substitute but should be avoided over issues of sustainability.

 

[VerdantGreen]

lava rock if you can get it. i wouldnt call peat a substitute for perlite, and it doesnt always have sustainability issues. hard to make a global generalization like that and be accurate.

 

[SupraSPL]

I replaced perlite with diatomaceous earth in my peat based mix. It is the kitty litter stuff mentioned earlier. Made from microfossils but I am not sure of its sustainability. It does hold up well and works great in a reused soil mix. NAPA sells a 25 pound bag for $9. Part #8822

 

[BORNaSMOKER]

Thanks for all the replies,

Quadracer - I agree with VG on the peat, I am also trying to find an adequate pete replacment as the sustainable stuff is a little pricey

VG - the lava rock seems to be the most attainable - at least in this country. Would love to get some rice hulls though. If you ever come across any I would love a heads up. What is lava rock though... I am assuming it's cooled lava/igneous rock but isn't this the same as pumice?

 

[quadracer]

Well I've never used peat so I'll take your word for it

 

[guest2012y]

I've switched to pumice....it's a good alternative and cheap where I get it.

 

[VerdantGreen]

VG, I think it's the same thing. Here's some stuff from the internets;

"Fuller's earth is a kind of absorbent clay that got its name back in the days when English textile workers combined it with water, urine, and the cleansing herb soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) to extract grease and oil from newly woven woolen cloth. "Fuller" is an old name for a worker of cloth, hence the name "fuller"s earth" for this clay. Its technical names are attapulgite or montmorillonite. Today, fuller's earth is most commonly used in the United States in kitty litter, but it is also widely used in industry to absorb oil and grease, as a carrier of pesticides, as a flow control agent in animal feed as well as in adhesives, asphalt emulsions and tiles, paint, paper coating and textiles. You can use it at home to absorb oil spills in the garage or driveway or to remove wine stains from non-washable materials. Fuller's earth is also contained in some facial masks and is considered so safe that you can use it instead of baby powder when diapering an infant."

I just buy bags of unscented kitty litter instead of the Turface, which is probably better since it's made specifically for horticulture. I think it's most often used on golf courses.

found a good UK post here that explains about kitty litter and seramis - im thinking about giving it a try. the kitty litter products are scented though, dont know if thats bad but it sounds like its good for alpines and bonsai

http://www.srgc.org.uk/wisley/2008/100908/log.html

 

[big ballin 88]

Hey Verdant i think here will be a good spot to post the pics of my soilless mix. I added the humic acid, fish, seaweed and biochar today so this stuff looks great. You can see the largest pieces of the bark which dont bother me too much

 

[guest2012y]

That's so ugly it looks good.

 

[big ballin 88]

It doesnt help that this stuff was still super moist from adding in the mix of fish,HA+Seaweed and biochar. The flash also made it look kinda gray when in reality its a nice super dark black.