Everything you need to know about vermiculite and perlite
You're likely already aware of soil additives and what they can do to transform your plants and garden. Today, we're taking a closer look at perlite and vermiculite to investigate how these minerals can benefit your garden.
Vermiculite and perlite are versatile horticultural additives that improve soil structure and enhance plant growth. Vermiculite's moisture-retention properties help prevent overwatering and promote healthy root development, while perlite's lightweight, porous structure aids in soil aeration and drainage, reducing the risk of root rot and compacted soils.
What is vermiculite and why do I need to use it?Vermiculite is a natural mineral that is great at absorbing liquids, is lightweight and provides the perfect environment for plants to grow when added to compost. Vermiculite is ideal for seed germination and is typically used in potting compost. Vermiculite helps to stimulate root growth, giving plants quicker anchorage and improved uptake of nutrients.
Benefits
- High water holding capacity
- Good air holding capacity
- Non-abrasive and non-irritant
- Attracts excess nutrients
- Facilitates re-wetting
- High cation-exchange capacity
- Neutral alkalinity
- Does not deteriorate in storage (if kept dry)
- Free from disease, weeds and insects
- Insulates and minimises soil temperature fluctuations Inorganic and sterile
- No known toxicity or fire hazard
Shop all vermiculite
Choose your vermiculite based on the grade required, ranging from fine to horticultural grade.
What is perlite and why is it important?Perlite is the name for a naturally occurring siliceous rock. When heated, it has the capacity to expand from four to twenty times its original volume. This is due to the rapid expansion of water within perlite, which creates the extremely light perlite that we use for gardening.
The main function of perlite for the gardener is to aid water retention and aeration as well as improve compost mixtures.
Shop all perlite
Choose your perlite based on the grade required, ranging from horticultural grade to super coarse.