Perlite & Vermiculite Combo

Perlite is volcanic glass and is found naturally. When a volcano erupts the molten lava that spills out contains all types of minerals and they cool and form different things. The glass crystals that are formed do not have a natural molecular order because they have cooled very fast not allowing the molecules to form a proper chain. When perlite is heated the water that is trapped inside it escapes causing the perlite to soften and expand. Once heated it turns a brilliant white color and expands to over eight times its original size. It is a relatively cheap substance and is used as a mix in mortar. It has also found its way into hydroponics as it aerates well and also has good water retention values.

Vermiculite is a natural mineral and is found in USA, Africa, South America and China. After asbestos was found to be hazardous to health and was banned the construction industry turned to other fire safe alternatives and vermiculate, and rockwool were used as alternatives. There have been allegations that vermiculite contains asbestos and traces of this have been found in certain mines. However it is now being extensively used in fire proofing. As it is a clay material it is used in hydroponic agriculture as a growing medium. It does not expand too much and when combined with perlite it provides a good balanced growing medium. Coarse vermiculite is preferred by gardeners as it gives more aeration to the plant roots.

Perlite is fire resistant and is used extensively in construction. It is both fire proof and sound proof so the builders get a dual benefit when using perlite in construction. Perlite has another major advantage that it is termite and rot free. Being light weight it is also preferred over sand as an aggregate in plaster. Vermiculite was also used as an insulator in buildings however since asbestos was found in some of the vermiculite mines it is widely discouraged in construction and the opinion on its usage is divided. When vermiculite is heated it adopts different shapes depending on the heating period and is sold as coarse, fine or crushed.

Perlite and vermiculite are used in combination to give plant support in hydroponic agriculture. As perlite holds more air and carbon dioxide is a necessary requirement for plants and vermiculate retains more water they form the ideal combination in providing the plants with the right amount of water and air for healthy plant growth. As no soil is used therefore the chances of getting any soil based pests that can destroy plant roots is eliminated.

Vermiculate for gardening is available from garden goods stores and one can easily locate sellers on the net also. Perlite is also available from the same sources. Of course knowing what are the combinations and for which plants what one will require for this one would have to conduct one’s own research. There is a wealth of information available on the Internet and one would not have to go to any great lengths to get the required information regarding any particular plant variety that one is planning to grow.

The combination of using perlite and vermiculite as plant root support in hydroponics has grown as gardeners have been experimenting with different materials to use for plant support. This combination has several advantages as one has water retention and the other has aeration properties and both of them are resistant to soil borne diseases.