Hello, hello, hello. Today on the Epic Gardening podcast we're talking about perlite versus vermiculite. What is the difference? So if you're like me, you've probably been in this position at the gardening center, at least when you started out. Standing in the gardening center, you're trying to decide between perlite and vermiculite, all you can really remember is one of them looks like Styrofoam balls.
What do you do?
Well, that's what we're going to answer in today's episode. The difference between perlite and vermiculite is actually really important to know for the prosperity of your garden. They seem similar, but they differ in a few crucial ways. So, let's get into the details.
What is Perlite?
First, what is perlite? Perlite is lightweight, it's easy to handle, it's clean, it has no odor, and it has a pH range of anywhere from 6.6 to 7.5, but what is it? Well, the life of a bag of perlite begins as volcanic glass, but not any type of volcanic glass. It's formed when obsidian contacts water, which creates a unique type of volcanic glass with a high water content. When manufacturers apply to heat to this, it puffs up into little white balls. Oftentimes, they'll mix these balls into potting soils to aid with soil aeration and water retention. It does retain some water, but also air on the surface of the balls and in all the hidden nooks and crannies.
Okay, that is perlite.
What is Vermiculite?
But what is vermiculite? Vermiculite interacts with potassium, calcium, and magnesium in your soil. It's helps raise the pH slightly, even though it is a neutral pH of 7.0. Vermiculite is made from compressed dry flakes of a silicate material, which is pretty absorptive and pretty spongy. It's usually a golden brown and it's sometimes actually difficult to tell the difference between vermiculite and the potting soil that it's usually mixed with.
Differences Between The Two
The major differences between perlite and vermiculite, aside from how they're created and what they physically are, is that vermiculite will mix with soil and help to retain water, whereas perlite will add drainage to the soil that it's mixed with.
Vermiculite finds its way into many different seed starting systems, because it protects seedlings from fungus, but also helps retain water in the tiny little pods that seeds start in.
Perlite can be used with seedlings, but it's actually better used when you move your seedlings into separate pots for additional drainage or when you actually move your seedling and transplants into garden beds, if those beds don't have good drainage.
So as a general rule of thumb, you should use perlite if:
- You have plants that need to dry out before they need water again
- When you move your seedlings to separate pots.
- When you need to loosen clay soil in your garden
Those are three of the main reasons to use perlite.
If you are going to use vermiculite in your garden, one of these two situations needs to be the case:
- If you need an additive for plants that need to be kept moist
- You want your seed trays to develop strong seedlings
So in general, both are good additives to soil, but you just need to know what you are using them for.
Hopefully, that's cleared up the differences between perlite and vermiculite, and of course, there are some more, but those are the main ones. Hopefully, that has been helpful!
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My name is Kevin and I run Epic Gardening, a website, podcast, and YouTube channel. My goal is to teach 10,000,000 people how to grow their own food.
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