a thankyou note and about compost

hi everybody gearbox here ( the thicko) just to say thanks to lisa307 - rossco - lady gardener - and worm breeder for taking the time to welcome me i have had so many kind replies and could i ask if any one knows the difference between vermiculite and perlite i gather they are both to mix in with your compost are they a feed or are they for drainage many thankx anne

 

Aeration and drainage...also retain and hold water.

 

I use vermiculite for covering seeds too, instead of fine compost, for lots of my seeds.

 

Vermiculite is essentially small bits of Mica that have been put in a popcorn maker. The moisture and heat make them blow up, so they are very light weight, inert and can hold a lot of moisture as Paladin says.

Perlite is made from rock that has gone through a similar process in an even bigger popcorn maker - viz a volcano. It is again very light and porous.

 

Vermiculite, fine and medium, are mainly used for seed covering as it is flat in composition perlite is best for mixing in compost I always use vemiculite for seed covering mainly due to it's sterile qualities unlike soil or compost.

 

glad I'm doing something right!!

 

Anyone any thoughts on using perlite/vermiculite as a growing medium for cress seeds?

[ 10. April 2006, 09:57 PM: Message edited by: Dave W ]

 

the propagation bloke at the Botanics in Edinburgh reckoned you could propagate anything in that, so long as you mad sure of the water and nutrient content