What Is Perlite? How To Use Perlite In Garden

What Is Perlite?

Perlite is a very common material used in the garden, but very few people know about it, those who know about coco peat and peat moss know about it because the perlite is not used in the soil.

 These small stones which you can see in this image are very light, these are stones, but they are of less weight.

 It looks like there are small pieces of thermocol, but they are actually volcanic stones, it is popularly known as Volcanic Glass because these perlite are made from volcanic glass (When a volcano erupts, the ash escapes and begins to freeze, and when the volcanic ash freezes, the volcanic glass forms.) or it is also extracted from inside the earth.

 When it comes out of the ground, then finely grind this stone, when provide extra heat of those small peace then they swell up like popcorn. After swell, it becomes such a material as you can see in this image.

Why Is Perlite Used In Gardening?

It is used more in European countries, most in gardening because it has a good water holding capacity and the aeration system is also very good in it.

 European countries do not have clear water that comes out of the ground, but in other countries like Asia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh etc. water can be extracted from the land. But this is not the case in European countries, so the people of Europe have to find something that beneficial for them. So people of European countries saw this stone and started experimenting on it, which was very successful.

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When you give water to the perlite, it holds the water inside for a long time, But we cannot use it in the soil because the soil is very hard and the perlite is very soft. If we put it inside the soil, then there will be no benefit because by the weight of the soil, it will become like powder.

 So we have to use Perlite in coco peat, peat moss, compost. Then this question comes to mind why to use Perlite in coco peat, peat moss and compost, because they already have water holding capacity.

You must have noted that when we give water in coco peat, peat moss or compost, then the water gets dry quickly in the top surface, but the inside surface is quite wet, which is not suitable for the roots of plants to keep the roots of plants wet all the time, this makes the plant wither. That's why we have to use Perlite, Perlite hold water and there are small holes inside the stones of perlite which also hold the air.

 When we mix perlite with coco peat, peat moss or compost and when you add water to this mixture, the extra water gets stored inside the stones of the perlite and whenever the roots need water, the roots take water from these perlite and along with the water the roots also get oxygen.

How To Use Perlite In The Garden?

You cannot use Perlite directly in the soil, because the weight of the soil is very much, if you put the Perlite directly in the soil then the Perlite will break.

 To use it, you have to make a potting mix. You can buy potting mix from the market but it is very expensive, so if you have to make this potting mix at home then keep reading this post -

How To Make Potting Mix At Home

You will need a few things to make a potting mix. First of all you will need coco peat, if you do not want to use coco peat then you can also use peat moss.

 Then you will need compost, you can also make compost at home and buy it from the market.

 Now you can use Perlite in the mixer of these two things. By mixing all these three things, you can make potting mix.

 In what quantity you have to use these three things, they tell you, First you have to take 3 ratios of coco peat, then compost you have to keep 2 ratios, Now you have to use Perlite in it. By the way, this perlite is expensive, so you have to mix 1 ratio or even less in this mixture.

 Now you have to mix all these three things, You will have to mix all these three things with your hands, if you mix them with any hard thing, then your perlite can break.

 Now your potting mix is ​​ready, if you make this potting mix then you can use Perlite in your garden. But after some time the perlite will break down, so you have to keep in mind that after a few months, some amount of perlite will have to be added to this mixture again.

Types Of Perlite

Perlite is mostly made for gardening and for horticulture, so perlite is usually divided into three parts based on their size that follows -

1. Coarse Perlite - Coarse Perlite has the highest porosity and drainage capacity. It is most commonly used for sweet plants and orchids. It is not more affected by air.
2. Medium Grade Perlite - It spans the middle ground in relation to aeration and drainage. It is best suited for potted seeds and transplanting.
3. Fine Perlite - It is the lightest grade, best suited for starting seed and root cuttings. Fine particles of perlite can also spread light above the soil in your gardens and lawns.

Alternative Of Perlite

After reading this post, this question must have come in your mind, what to do if we do not have perlite, because Perlite is not available in all the places.

 So we will tell you an alternative to Perlite. Perlite, which we will tell alternatively, will not be like full perlite but will be very similar to perlite.

 The best alternative of perlite is the thin pieces of bricks, Perlite and fine pieces of bricks both have water holding capacities. Just like Perlite, the roots of plants grow in fine pieces of bricks and it also maintain a good aeration system. If you do not have perlite, you can also use it in your garden.

Perlite VS Vermiculite

Knowing the difference between perlite and vermiculite is important for the richness of your garden.

 Perlite and vermiculite are two different substances that are used for general purpose to retain and purify moisture in the soil, which means for plants to hold water within the soil and in the potting mixture. To improve air circulation or aeration. 

 Perlite and vermiculite are different in composition and are also performance wise.  Determining which is better for use in your garden depends on your plant type and its requirements of your garden.

Vermiculite

Vermiculite is an aluminum-iron-magnesium silicate that resembles asbestos in appearance. It is heated to expand particles and form flakes.

 It has a neutral pH of 7.0.  Vermiculite can soak in water 3 to 4 times its volume and absorb and retain moisture. It attracts and retains plant nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus.  Vermiculite is a sponge material that is dark brown to golden brown.  On drying, it becomes flakes.

Perlite

Perlite is an amorphous volcanic rock rich in silicon. To be used as a potting medium, the perlite is crushed and also heated to expand the particles.

 Perlite has a pH of about 6.6 to 7.5. Perlite looks like perforated white balls, which look like white grains, often similar to foam balls or thermocol balls. It can be easily pressed with our fingers or under pressure.

 But even the smallest particle of it serves its purpose of retaining moisture and keeping air inside. This is because it contains microscopic bubbles that carry out this function.

In comparison, both perlite and vermiculite are good at retaining water, but vermiculite acts more like a sponge, then holds more water and provides less aeration for plant roots. Where perlite retains less water, but because it is porous it allows water to flow more easily than vermiculite and improves soil flow.

 Perlite cannot be used only in garden soil, because of its easy decomposition and compression by heavy garden particulate matter, the purpose will not work perfectly.  The best use or perlite is in potting mixtures with different composition such as coco peat, peat moss, sand and other materials.

Well, now the take home message is that, vermiculite is ideal for plants that prefer lots of water and perlite would dry but too rapidly for water loving plants.

 However, perlite is favourable for plants such as cacti, which need a well-drained soil. One bad effect of overuse of vermiculite is - The excess moisture retained by vermiculite would lead to root rots or plant death. So in any general potting mix use no more than 10% of these substance specially vermiculite. 

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Is Perlite Organic Or Inorganic?

It can be seen in two ways -

From the point of view of chemistry, organic compounds are those in which carbon is found, But perlite does not contain carbon, meaning from chemistry point of view, perlite is inorganic.

But in the field of growing farming, the meaning of 'organic' is being changed in organic farming, Right now, 'organic' means that something which met the Earth but did not go through the process of a specific chemical.

Perlite is a mineral that undergoes some physical process. Actually, it has been certified by the National Organic Standards Board for organic agriculture. So we can say that perlite is organic.

So if you are planning for organic farming or horticulture then do not worry, Perlite is organic and safe too.

Pros And Cons Of Perlite

As you know that everything has two aspects, if there is some good things in something, then there are some bad things also. And if you want to use Perlite in your garden, then you should know its bad things as well as its good things.

Pros 

The biggest advantage of Perlite is that it is very light weight and it is also very easy to handle.

 There is a lot of water holding capacity inside it and it also holds the air, which is a good for the roots of the plants. Because it holds the air, so the aeration system is maintained.

 Roots of plants should not be kept wet because the roots of plants always get spoiled by keeping them wet, If we use Perlite then the roots will not always be wet because Perlite absorbs water.

 The best thing about Perlite is that it is neutral pH, which is very much for the root.

Cons

The cons are that it's pretty granular, and so if you've got a plant with really extensive root system, it can fill in those gaps pretty quickly, and it can cause some problems. 

 It also doesn't handle solids really well, so if you loading it with solid from something else, I wouldn't recommend it. 

 It also tends to be pretty dusty stuff, which is one of the reasons you cannot use it in aquaponic applications. So if you're an aquaponic producer, you should not, you cannot be using perlite in your system. 

 The dust from it will break up and irritate your fish's gills. So, so long as you're being cautious with the dust, with how you're using it, it can be a great medium for hydroponics producers. 

Where Can I Buy Perlite?

You can buy Perlite from your local nursery, hydro shop, lowes, home depot in a small amount and in various varieties. But if you live in a village, you can buy it online also from Amazon or other websites.

If you want to buy Perlite from Amazon in a small amount, click here.

Conclusion

If you want to use Perlite in your garden, then you must use it, But you have to take care that do not use perlite directly in the soil, because the weight of the soil will break the perlite.

 You have to use it in the potting mix, Potting mix is ​​available in very high price, so we have also told you to make potting mix in this post, If you can make potting mix in our way, then you can make true potting mix in less money.

 You also have to keep in mind that you cannot use it in aquaponic as well. We have tried to cover everything in this post, If you want to know more about perlite, then comment, we will try to answer your question as soon as possible.