In case you were wondering, adding perlite to soil has many benefits. Perlite is a common additive in the garden industry. Whether you know it or not, we see perlite all the time in the potting soil we purchase. Perlite is the little white rock sometimes found in potting soils. It is a rock like substance that is super light weight. To further explain, perlite is volcanic sand or glass that expanded by extreme heat. In the following section, we will discuss the benefits and why one should add this additive to their soil.
Benefits of Adding Perlite to Soil
There are a lot of benefits when growing with perlite. First, it increases drainage. Perlite is a perfect addictive for compacted soils that do not drain very well. This is especially true when growing in clay soils. When adding perlite, it is best to keep the soil to perlite ratio around 3 to 1 or less. If you add more perlite than the suggested ratio above, you run the risk of it separating and floating on top of your soil.
Perlite is great for holding water and nutrients. Similar to expanded clay pellets, perlite holds water and nutrients with its jagged like surfaces. Furthermore, beneficial fungi and microbiology can also colonize perlite. Perlite can definitely be re-used, but should be sterilized with bleach and water if needed.
Perlite is very affordable. Whereas soil is usually a lot more expensive online, perlite prices are actually very competitive on Amazon. In fact, you can buy an organic bag with 4cu/ft for $35 shipped online or you can usually find it at any hardware store like Dixieline, Home Depot and Lowes. Perlite is usually sold in fine and coarse grades. I personally prefer purchasing coarse grades because they disintegrates with use. But don’t worry, it still lasts a long time. If organic perlite isn’t available, I recommend flushing it with water before adding it to your soil. Mix throughout!
Final Thoughts
I hope this short blog helped! If you have any questions, please post them in the comment section. If you are interested in learning more about growing, please check out my blog. Here are a few of my most recent:
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- Cannabis Water Filter
- Organic Fertilizers for Cannabis
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3 Comments on “Adding Perlite to Soil”
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In your article “Benefits of Adding Perlite to Soil”, in the last sentence where it says “If organic perlite isn’t available, I recommend flushing it with water before adding it to your soil”, does “flushing it” mean to soak the Perlite before mixing well with the soil? I appreciate your articles and your help. Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Laurie James
Hi Laurie,
Before adding perlite to your soil, flush it with your garden hose and give it a good rinse. This just helps get rid of any contaminants that might be on it. Hope that helps!