I might have access to a digital scale tomorrow. Guy isn't sure it works / has batteries / etc. and doesn't have a calibration weight for it. If he brings it by and I can get it to work and correctly weigh a nickel, I'll weigh out some quantities of Osmocote Plus for two-liter bottle and DT wastebasket use. I'm also going to fill the Osmocote Plus bottle lid ("One capful per two gallons of soil.") to the brim, level it off, and weigh the contents.
Assuming that works out, I'll post the results for future reference. I might even weigh a SMALL amount and then count the number of prills. We'll just have to see about that one
.
EDIT: I pulled some perlite out of my big bag today. It's <BLEEP>
. Looks like a 50:50 mix (and that's being charitable) of fine perlite and white grit/dust. HtH does everyone remove the crap? I've read that the perlite fines collect in sink traps (and in the main line, basement floor drain pipe, etc.), and are difficult to remove, possibly eventually leading to a restriction. IDK about that. But the plumbing here is older than I am, so I'm "a bit" wary. I filled one of those DT wastebaskets with perlite, added water, and walked around with it outside, letting it drain, sticking something in the hole and freeing up the clog 
, and did this three times. What's left might be closer to concrete than planting medium, lol, but I used it anyway to see what happens, with a small autoflower that needed more root space than the tiny little nursery starter (one compartment of a six-plant "$1.99 for six veggie plants" tray). It looked pretty sad after I'd finished trying to wash all the soil I could off of its roots without too much damage (water smells like a public swimming pool here). 12 hours later, it's looking normal again, so here's hoping. I spiked the perlite with Osmocote Plus, sprinkled a teaspoon or so around the plant on top of the perlite, watered it a bit... poured out the few ounces that wanted to actually drain when I made the attempt, and poured that (presumably, nutritive) liquid back onto the plant's root area. Then I lightly covered the prills that were on top. Thing feels like there's a gallon of water in it, but none pours out when I tilt it and wiggle something into the hole. IDFK. Didn't want to mess with the coco coir for this. Starting to wish I had, lol.
Assuming that works out, I'll post the results for future reference. I might even weigh a SMALL amount and then count the number of prills. We'll just have to see about that one
.EDIT: I pulled some perlite out of my big bag today. It's <BLEEP>
. Looks like a 50:50 mix (and that's being charitable) of fine perlite and white grit/dust. HtH does everyone remove the crap? I've read that the perlite fines collect in sink traps (and in the main line, basement floor drain pipe, etc.), and are difficult to remove, possibly eventually leading to a restriction. IDK about that. But the plumbing here is older than I am, so I'm "a bit" wary. I filled one of those DT wastebaskets with perlite, added water, and walked around with it outside, letting it drain, sticking something in the hole and freeing up the clog , and did this three times. What's left might be closer to concrete than planting medium, lol, but I used it anyway to see what happens, with a small autoflower that needed more root space than the tiny little nursery starter (one compartment of a six-plant "$1.99 for six veggie plants" tray). It looked pretty sad after I'd finished trying to wash all the soil I could off of its roots without too much damage (water smells like a public swimming pool here). 12 hours later, it's looking normal again, so here's hoping. I spiked the perlite with Osmocote Plus, sprinkled a teaspoon or so around the plant on top of the perlite, watered it a bit... poured out the few ounces that wanted to actually drain when I made the attempt, and poured that (presumably, nutritive) liquid back onto the plant's root area. Then I lightly covered the prills that were on top. Thing feels like there's a gallon of water in it, but none pours out when I tilt it and wiggle something into the hole. IDFK. Didn't want to mess with the coco coir for this. Starting to wish I had, lol.
