What is your preferred type of aeration and why?

[Growdo Baggins]

I'm just wanna see what people like to use. What's tried and true. I'm making my first living soil soon and pumice is very expensive and impossible to source near me.

 

[experienced]

Vermiculite (maybe that's what you mean by 'pumice'), coco, sharp sand. My starting mix is 1:1:1 of these materials.

 

[Lunchmoney]

Plain old lava rock crushed up worked pretty well.

 

[exploziv]

Lava rock is pumice..

 

[chilliwilli]

Pumice is a kind if lava imo. More holes in it so it is lighter. I got 30l lava and 50l pumice for ~50 euro. They weight around the same.

I'm not sure if every lava is equaly good. There is a source in austria but i was told that lava had visible sulfure in it. I'm also not sure if some lava has too much heavy metals in it to grow plants for consumption. The one i got is from italy and it can be used for plants.

My first notill mix was 1/3 coarse lava. After 7 runs it was almost gone and only few big chunks were left.

My pumice

My lava

 

[exploziv]

The lava rock for lava gas grills they sell in europe is pumice, and yes it has a lot of aeration holes in it. You just have to crush it. Costs about 3-5 euro per Kg.

 

[Lunchmoney]

Lava rock is pumice..

Right on. I did not know that. I’m told it has paramagnetic properties also?.. it’s very affordable and rather plentiful. Not sure which media I prefer honestly I’m still experimenting. I guess it would depend on the application. Affordability, availability are two big deciding factors for me.

 

[exploziv]

Well, take a look at what they have in the shops for grills, you can easily find a busted up bag to have a look at the product!

 

[Llano_oasis]

I use the landscaping lava rock they have at Wal-Mart during the spring and summer. If I have to make a batch of soil in the winter and can't find any lava rock I get hydroton from the grow store but it's way more expensive and i prefer the lava rock. All those little nooks and crannies are great for sub surface life.

 

[Bio boy]

I use lava rock but fuck me it ways more than me soil does not even lying

 

[Plookerkingjon]

I'm just wanna see what people like to use. What's tried and true. I'm making my first living soil soon and pumice is very expensive and impossible to source near me.

I wonder if you could find packing peanuts that would do this job for you?