Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral (magnesium-aluminum-iron silicate) that is mined in various countries around the world, including the USA and South Africa. It gets its name from the Latin 'vermiculare', which means to breed worms, and the English suffix 'ite' which mean mineral or rock. When vermiculite is heated to very high temperatures, it expands into long strands resembling small worms.
Yayang Product Page
AdVermiculite is lightweight, non-toxic and sterile and does not deteriorate over time. It has a neutral pH. It's used in the building industry, the car industry and in packaging. For use in horticulture, it's sold as lightweight, absorbent brown-gold flakes.
Vermiculite can absorb three or four times its weight in water and also attracts various plant nutrients such as potassium, magnesium and calcium. These qualities make it useful for propagation and for potting up plants that do best in moist compost, including house plants.
Vermiculite is sold in bags at the garden centre or online. Biological controls are often supplied in a small bag of vermiculite to make them easier to use. It is also used as an anti-caking agent in fertilisers.
Vermiculite helps to aerate soil while simultaneously retaining water and nutrients, which it then releases over time. Vermiculite is therefore useful in seed sowing and propagation. It can also be added to house plant compost. You may find different grades of vermiculite flakes available – use the finest for seed sowing and the larger sizes for potting on, cuttings and house plants.
Seeds of all sizes can be sown directly into 100 per cent vermiculite. Alternatively, you can use a 50:50 mix of vermiculite and seed sowing compost. You can also sow just using sowing compost, then cover the seed tray with vermiculite after sowing. Covering a seed tray with vermiculite helps to keep the compost moist and also helps to ward off the fungus that causes damping off. It also helps to insulate against temperature and humidity changes in the greenhouse.
A mixture that contains around 30 per cent vermiculite is ideal for pricking out and potting on seedlings. It's also a good mixture for cuttings.
As vermiculite holds water and then drains like a sponge, it's great for adding to the compost of house plants that always seem to need watering, such as the maidenhair fern (Adiantum raddianum) and peace lily. The plant roots can take up moisture when they need it. As vermiculite takes a long time to dry out, you'll need to water less. Vermiculite also aerates the compost, which helps to stop it compacting or crusting over.
A 50:50 mix of house plant compost and vermiculite is ideal.
Perlite is expanded volcanic rock and looks like polystyrene granules. While it does help retain some water, it's primarily used to aerate compost. It's excellent for creating a free-draining potting compost for plants that need good drainage, such as cacti and succulents. It can also help create an airy compost for seedlings.
Vermiculite is better for water and nutrient retention than perlite and is best used for plants that need more moisture to grow. Vermiculite also protects seedlings against damping-off and other fungal diseases.
You can use vermiculite and perlite together – mixing a little perlite into a seed sowing mix will ensure plenty of oxygen gets to the roots, while a topping of vermiculite will lock the moisture in.
Yes. It's mined around the world according to the strict industry protocols. As with any gardening medium, it's best to wear gloves when handling vermiculite. Store in a cool, dry place away from weedkillers and other garden chemicals.
The company is the world’s best Lithium magnesium silicate supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
AdMany years ago there was an isolated case of a mine where asbestos had developed alongside the vermiculite and contaminated it. These asbestos minerals are called Libby Amphibole Asbestos (LAA). This mine, located in Libby, Montana, USA was closed in .
Vermiculite is a popular soil additive for houseplants and garden plants that improves soil texture and helps to grow healthy plants. The main benefits of adding vermiculite to soil are better water absorption, retention, and drainage of the soil, thereby regulating the amount of water available to plants.
Read on to learn what vermiculite is, how to use it, and how it compares to perlite.
Vermiculite is a mica-like mineral that serves as a soil amendment. It is mined out of the ground, exfoliated, and treated with extreme heat and pressure. The resulting worm-like, curly, and sterile product can expand.
The silvery-gray and flaky material is so light that the small particles move when you blow on them. Vermiculite traps nutrients in the soil, but it does not contain any nutrients itself. It has to be mixed with commercial fertilizer or compost to feed plants.
Vermiculite expands and is sterile. Its ability to expand lets it retain moisture in the soil, and its porous surface and unique shape trap nutrients for plants to access as needed. Vermiculite lightens heavy soils, providing a more conducive environment for plant roots.
Because it is sterile, gardeners don’t have to worry about it harboring harmful plant pathogens. Vermiculite won't deteriorate in the soil, meaning it lasts a long time.
Vermiculite is a useful addition to soil for various reasons:
When using vermiculite in soil, keep in mind the following cons:
This versatile mineral product has many different uses. They include:
Perlite is a white material in soilless potting mixes that looks like little chunks of styrofoam. In its natural state, it has a pearl-like shine to it that accounts for the name, "perlite."
Vermiculite is valued because it retains water, and perlite is favored because it provides aeration. While vermiculite and perlite are two completely different substances, they do have some things in common. Both are:
The answer to the question of when to use vermiculite vs. perlite is straightforward. Use vermiculite for these applications that require extra moisture retention: