Should I use vermiculite or perlite?

[mytur88]

First time grower here. I want to know what is better for growing (vermiculite or perlite) with the soil I'm about to use with my autofem. I've looked around on the forum's but wanted advice from this crowd.



All American potting soil
Garden Soil – Markman Peat

Total Nitrogen (N): 05%
Available Phosphate: 06%
Potash: 03%

 

[aknoob]

You can use either one. Perlite will hold more water than Vermiculite according to what I have read. I personally use perlite. Some people use rice hulls instead of either vermiculite or perlite and it is included in your soil.

 

[Kalimaki420]

As far as I remember Perlite is more for get oxygen to the root while vermiculite holds water.
All my potting soil has 25% perlite as it is more important if you water regularly.

 

[mytur88]

Thank you!

 

[dick23rk]

Yes use perlite with your mix. Perlite helps with drainage and does not retain any water, some water may sit in the pockets of the perlite rocks but very minimal. Vermiculite is for holding onto moisture and used as a wicking agent to soak up water from below. Vermiculite in with soil will just give you moisture and oxygen issues at the roots.

Look to see how much perlite is already in your mix (on the back of the bag) and take it up to 25 or 30% by adding more to the mix. Soil will hold on to to much water and go mucky without perlite being added.

 

[TorturedSoul]

As far as I remember Perlite is more for get oxygen to the root while vermiculite holds water.
All my potting soil has 25% perlite as it is more important if you water regularly.

Yes use perlite with your mix. Perlite helps with drainage and does not retain any water, some water may sit in the pockets of the perlite rocks but very minimal. Vermiculite is for holding onto moisture and used as a wicking agent to soak up water from below. Vermiculite in with soil will just give you moisture and oxygen issues at the roots.

Exactly. Perlite and vermiculite can almost be considered to be "polar opposites." Before I started using coco, before people started calling the method "hempy," I sometimes grew in a medium that was a mixture of perlite and vermiculite. Pure perlite dried out too quickly, so I added vermiculite to the mix to help it hold on to some of the nutrient solution I was using a little better. I didn't use a whole lot of vermiculite as cannabis doesn't like to sit around with "wet feet" (waterlogged) any more than I do . How much you'd want to use depends somewhat on the size of the perlite you're using. Also, I suppose, on things like the type of containers you're using and the amount - and size - of your drainage holes. If you have a few extra containers, you can try some different ratios even without having a plant in them. No, they won't dry out as fast; there will be no plant to use up and transpire any of the moisture. But it will give you some idea of how the different ratios will perform in relation to each other (and, as there are no plants involved, there are none to screw up by experimenting :lol: ).

Years ago, I bought a four cubic foot bag of perlite and a four cubic foot bag of vermiculite. I have gone through lots of bags of perlite since then - but that same bag of vermiculite is still around here somewhere (if I haven't given it away and forgotten about it), and that's after throwing odd scoops into various vegetable gardens here and there (mostly because, well, I had the stuff laying around).

Look to see how much perlite is already in your mix (on the back of the bag) and take it up to 25 or 30% by adding more to the mix. Soil will hold on to to much water and go mucky without perlite being added.

When I used FoxFarm's Ocean Forest soil, I generally used about one part of perlite to three parts soil. That gave me a pretty light mixture, but the plants didn't seem to mind and it had excellent drainage and allowed my, err, the plants' roots to have easy access to oxygen. I'd rather have to water a little more often than worry about root rot. Also, this soil is a little hotter than some, so cutting it may have helped prevent nutrient burn when the plants were still relatively small. IIRC, when I used FoxFarm's Happy Frog soil, I used a little less perlite. <SHRUGS> Different types - and, occasionally, different bags of the same type - of soil will vary. It's just something that one can experiment with; you'll soon get a feel for it. If you're not sure for a given soil, I recommend using your best judgment (as always, lol) on a smaller container rather than bet the farm that you'll get things perfect the first time you try. And go light - you can always water more often if there is need.

 

[mytur88]

I'm still up in the air on what containers to use. I have them in foam cups right now waiting on my set up to arrive. I'm going to grow indoors with a tent. I was gonna use 5 gallon buckets or growing medians. What do you suggest?

 

[dick23rk]

Sort of depends on the type of strain you are planning to grow and how big you would like them to be or how big of a plant your space can hold. if your are looking to grow shorter smaller plants, 2 or 3 gallon would be fine. Also depends on how long you plan to keep them in the vegetative stage. 5 gallon will still do fine as I am growing my autoflower plants in 5gal hempy buckets but realized that I could cut this down to 3gal buckets instead. If you will be growing photoperiod plants 5gal would likely be the way to go but start your seedlings in a solo cup or something similar then up-pot to the final bucket before the switch to flowering.

 

[Major PITA]

As far as I remember Perlite is more for get oxygen to the root while vermiculite holds water.
All my potting soil has 25% perlite as it is more important if you water regularly.

^ This. ^

Perlite adds aeration and is usually what you find in potting mixes, mixed with peat.
Vermiculite holds more water and has higher CEC.

 

[Pantera101]

You can use either one. Perlite will hold more water than Vermiculite according to what I have read. I personally use perlite. Some people use rice hulls instead of either vermiculite or perlite and it is included in your soil.
Vermiculite hold More Water Perlite and vermiculite: characteristics, differences and uses or just google Perlite Vs Vermiculite