Why do gardeners use products such has perlite and vermiculite

[Flapjack]

Not been around for a while and lost the thread a little. Vermiculite is a type of rock called Mica. It is heated to very high temperatures, I think above the 900c that was quoted earlier. As it is discharged from the furnace it is exfoliated by a rapid cooling spray of cold water. A friend of mine worked on the exfoliation to try and introduce fertiliser into the vermiculite via the cooling sprays on the exfoliation. In some ways he was quite successfull but the problem was that the finished compost was around $17 for a 75litre bag ( sorry about the use of litres but I only use pints for beer)

With the clay granules I have used quite a lot in trials, finding the best to be from Hydroleca and the cheapest in the form of cat litter.

River washed sand does very little damage to the planet as a lot of the rivers are dredged anyway.

My problem is the composting of materials. Here in the Uk we all have a green bin for garden clippings cardboard etc. Great you may say, it is until you look deeper into it. It is common knowledge that decaying material releases carbon, methane and such but using oil to fire accelorator furnaces is not on. Limitations on the thickness of timber that can be put in is rediculous as they say they cannot treat it. What the mean is they can't make a fast buck out of it by selling the composted waste off to the compost manufacturers. They could turn it into charcoal and save us from importing huge tonages from places like Brazil and Nigeria. Next time you shop for BBQ charcoal have a look where it comes from.

[Drosera]

Hi,

For those of you worried about getting sand from rivers, might I suggest collecting sand from ant hills? I have collected a few containers full for my own planting needs. The sand is fine and clean, and helps loosen regular potting soils when I need it.

The best places to collect it are road sides or driveways, as the cement allows for an easy collection using a small brush and dustpan.

For the professional grower, this wouldn't work of course. But for those of us with just a few house plants, the supply is always there.

[Hill]

Originally Posted by Buffy

This is completely orthogonal to the intent of this thread, so please excuse the digression, but...

When I was a kid, there was a teacher at my school who every year did an art project carving vermiculite. I didn't have his class, but my understanding was that it was a liquid, and everybody had to bring a cardboard milk carton to class, and it was filled with the stuff. A week or so later it was popped out of the carton and was this carvable, hard-putty like stuff that made for an easy way to make cool statues.

Does this ring a bell with anyone?


Buffy

Like this? Art Education

[Flapjack]

Originally Posted by Drosera

Hi,

For those of you worried about getting sand from rivers, might I suggest collecting sand from ant hills? I have collected a few containers full for my own planting needs. The sand is fine and clean, and helps loosen regular potting soils when I need it.

The best places to collect it are road sides or driveways, as the cement allows for an easy collection using a small brush and dustpan.

For the professional grower, this wouldn't work of course. But for those of us with just a few house plants, the supply is always there.

Long way to come for sand, we do not have ant hills

[Buffy]

Originally Posted by Hill

Like this? Art Education

That sure looks like it!

I've always wanted to do it as a home art project with my daughter, and now I have instructions!

Thanks Hill!

Whittling vermiculite,
Buffy

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by Buffy

That sure looks like it!

I've always wanted to do it as a home art project with my daughter, and now I have instructions!

Thanks Hill!

Whittling vermiculite,
Buffy

You live and learn.
Thanks Hill

Buffy the "whittled" bits would be great fro the garden.
How old is you daughter?

[Racoon]

Vermiculite is great mixed in with soil for plant growth.

You can buy bags of it pretty cheap.. I always try to mix in a nice portion with the soil I'm making.

Some say its the air pockets that make it so great when the roots of plants try to penetrate it..
I dunno'...

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by Racoon

Vermiculite is great mixed in with soil for plant growth.

You can buy bags of it pretty cheap..

It ha an amazing CEC ratio
but here (retail) it is very expnsive $8 for about 200g

Buffy this is for you 7 yours, god knows how it came to my desk
I might even try it myself.

DIY pots without fuss

You hand-mix the three dry ingredients (portland cement, light-weight perlite pellets and potting mix) with enough water to bring the blend to a consistency of "hour-old oatmeal," Larkin said. "When you squeeze it, you should only get a few drops of water."

Then you mold the mixture to any shape you like, as long as the walls are about 11/2 inches thick.

In the workshop, the students molded their cement to the inside of 14-inch plastic pots.

Rings of cut PVC pipe were used to leave drainage openings in the pot bottoms.

The wet cement mix stays in the mold for a day, then it's gently tapped out for shaping and texturing in its damp but firm state.

"To me, this is the most fun part," Larkin said. "This is when you get to be really creative."

At this stage, cement trowels can be used to make imperfections such as slits, ridges or uneven lips. Wire brushes are used to roughen the exteriors.

Once you have the look you like, the pot goes in a plastic garbage bag to cure for two to four weeks.

After that, you have a pot that's ready to plant.

The natural color of portland cement is a medium gray. But by adding cement dye to the mix, pots can be tinted green, darker gray, tan or whatever color you'd like.

"Moss usually grows on the sides of these," Larkin added.

By lining the mold with plastic bags or bubble wrap, you can get interesting creases and bumps on the pot exterior.

Add decorations by pressing shells, decorative stones or leaf impressions into the wet concrete.

You don't even have to shape the concrete into pot forms.

Troughs and solid orbs are other popular shapes.

"Some people even make little Japanese-style lanterns out of it," Larkin said. "You're limited only by your imagination."

MORE DETAIL HERE
Hypertufa is DIY pots without fuss

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by Racoon

Vermiculite is great mixed in with soil for plant growth.

You can buy bags of it pretty cheap..

It has an amazing CEC ratio
but here (retail), it is very expensive- c$8 for about 200g

Buffy this is for you & yours, god knows how it came to my desk
I might even try it myself.

DIY pots without fuss

You hand-mix the three dry ingredients (portland cement, light-weight perlite pellets and potting mix) with enough water to bring the blend to a consistency of "hour-old oatmeal," Larkin said. "When you squeeze it, you should only get a few drops of water."

Then you mold the mixture to any shape you like, as long as the walls are about 11/2 inches thick.

In the workshop, the students molded their cement to the inside of 14-inch plastic pots.

Rings of cut PVC pipe were used to leave drainage openings in the pot bottoms.

The wet cement mix stays in the mold for a day, then it's gently tapped out for shaping and texturing in its damp but firm state.

"To me, this is the most fun part," Larkin said. "This is when you get to be really creative."

At this stage, cement trowels can be used to make imperfections such as slits, ridges or uneven lips. Wire brushes are used to roughen the exteriors.

Once you have the look you like, the pot goes in a plastic garbage bag to cure for two to four weeks.

After that, you have a pot that's ready to plant.

The natural color of portland cement is a medium gray. But by adding cement dye to the mix, pots can be tinted green, darker gray, tan or whatever color you'd like.

"Moss usually grows on the sides of these," Larkin added.

By lining the mold with plastic bags or bubble wrap, you can get interesting creases and bumps on the pot exterior.

Add decorations by pressing shells, decorative stones or leaf impressions into the wet concrete.

You don't even have to shape the concrete into pot forms.

Troughs and solid orbs are other popular shapes.

"Some people even make little Japanese-style lanterns out of it," Larkin said. "You're limited only by your imagination."

MORE DETAIL HERE
Hypertufa is DIY pots without fuss