Vermiculite v Perlite

sb44

I am going to have a go at square foot gardening and so need 1/3 compost, 1/3 peat and 1/3 vermiculite for each square foot.

I have just rang a local Hydroponics shop to ask the price of vermiculite.

He said they only sell perlite and asked what I was using it for.

I was told vermiculite holds water and perlite holds air in the soil and that because the compost and peat would retain the water he would recommend using the perlite.

Does anyone use perlite instead of vermiculite?

Perlite it roughly £1.50 for 5l in Wilkinsons, I can buy it from the hydropics place for 75p for 5l but he only sells it in 100l bags.

Lotus-eater

If you want my advice, I would just make a mix of compost/manure and soil and use that. Depends what you have to hand.

sb44

Lotus-eater wrote: »

If you want my advice, I would just make a mix of compost/manure and soil and use that. Depends what you have to hand.

We don't have any soil at all as we have two patios with a lawn inbetween them.

I am going to buy some Miracle Gro compost (only because it is on special offer) and I'm not sure if you mean 'fresh' manure or not but as Iam going to be getting my hands dirty and only dealing with containers and not the ground I don't want to be using that. I know, what a wuss.

Lotus-eater

Fresh manure is never used. Well rotted stuff, you wouldn't even know it had come out of a horses behind. But your choice.
Get some chicken (manure) pellets as well then and use those with the compost.
Presumably you have a compost bin, so next year you should be getting something out of that to use.

Amarillo

sb44 wrote: »

We don't have any soil at all as we have two patios with a lawn inbetween them.

I am going to buy some Miracle Gro compost (only because it is on special offer) and I'm not sure if you mean 'fresh' manure or not but as Iam going to be getting my hands dirty and only dealing with containers and not the ground I don't want to be using that. I know, what a wuss.

I am a huge wuss but was pleasantly surprised when I saw what well rotted manure looks like, it honestly bears no resemblance to the fresh product, or smells like it come to think of it !

My square foot bed is marked out and I did think about doing the mix recommended but then decided that I'd just whack our home made compost in and some manure (my neighbour has horses so we're lucky to have a free supply.) I'm not convinced that the end result will be so much better to justify going to the hassle of sorting out bags of vermiculite.