Can I substitute vermiculite for perlite?
TIA,
Geralyn, Zone 9
Oakland, CA
A person who grows orchids locally swears by growing them in chunky
charcoal, the kind you add to terrariums not activated for fish/pond
filters. She says this way she doesn't have to repot as often as with bark
and other materials that degrade.
Terry
E. WA. zone 4
I think that depends on which orchid you're growing...and how quickly you
want to repot. Both drain reasonably well, but vermiculite holds water
better and has a tendency to compact over time.
Some potting recipes and other information, species specific:
http://www.vengers.com/culture/harvey.htm
Cation exchange is different for the two:
http://www.eskimo.com/~robertc/madison/fert.htm
....whether that means anything significant in orchid terms, or not.
Barb in Southern Indiana Zone 5/6 dorsettm@scin.quik.com
Fortunate are they to whom gardening is a joy.
Gardens co-listowner gardens-request@lsv.uky.edu
Orchid expert I am NOT (I killed the only one I evr had, given to me by a
friend who insisted I would do well with it, at first it lingered and
malingered and looked worse and worse, until in desperation in late spring I
flung it outside on the concrete steps on the shadier side of the house for
the summer where eventually it rooted itself to the step and then finally
froze to death in the fall -- oops my bad)
Anyhoo, why not use ripped up bits of styrofoam cups or bits of the
"popcorn" from packages? It is lightweight and should serve the same purpose
as perlite --- bulk and aeration -- yet lightweight for easy handling and
use in hanging containers? Am I missing something here?
Barbara M. Martin
Current Mid-Atlantic Garden Report: "Tree Trimming Time"
http://nationalgardening.com/regional/report13.html
Now at Cottage Garden: "Terrariums and Dish Gardens"
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/cottage_gardening/89852
Co-Owner, Gardens List http://www.scin.quik.com/dorsettm/notes.htm
ahhhh well it might make a difference, some of the specialty recipes specify
exact quantitites of both at the same time, not one or the other.
http://www.vengers.com/culture/harvey.htm#potting
Perlite will suck up water in certain situations, apparently. Who knew. I'll
stop new before I sound even dumber than I already have. :)
Barbara M. Martin
Current Mid-Atlantic Garden Report: "Tree Trimming Time"
http://nationalgardening.com/regional/report13.html
Now at Cottage Garden: "Terrariums and Dish Gardens"
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/cottage_gardening/89852
Co-Owner, Gardens List http://www.scin.quik.com/dorsettm/notes.htm
I
> flung it outside on the concrete steps on the shadier side of the house
for
> the summer where eventually it rooted itself to the step and then finally
> froze to death in the fall -- oops my bad)
> Anyhoo, why not use ripped up bits of styrofoam cups or bits of the
> "popcorn" from packages? It is lightweight and should serve the same
purpose
you
> Anyhoo, why not use ripped up bits of styrofoam cups or bits of the
> "popcorn" from packages? It is lightweight and should serve the same
purpose
> as perlite --- bulk and aeration -- yet lightweight for easy handling and
> use in hanging containers? Am I missing something here?
The blender/food mill to rip up those cups/popcorn.
Barb in Southern Indiana Zone 5/6 dorsettm@scin.quik.com
Fortunate are they to whom gardening is a joy.
Gardens co-listowner gardens-request@lsv.uky.edu
Wouldn't it be more fun to run them through the lawn mower, though?
8-)
Lee Ann
purpose
> as perlite --- bulk and aeration -- yet lightweight for easy handling and
> use in hanging containers? Am I missing something here?
The blender/food mill to rip up those cups/popcorn.
Barb in Southern Indiana Zone 5/6 dorsettm@scin.quik.com
Fortunate are they to whom gardening is a joy.
Gardens co-listowner gardens-request@lsv.uky.edu
nooooooooo that's what kids are for. Put'em to work!
Barbara M. Martin
Current Mid-Atlantic Garden Report: "Tree Trimming Time"
http://nationalgardening.com/regional/report13.html
Now at Cottage Garden: "Terrariums and Dish Gardens"
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/cottage_gardening/89852
Co-Owner, Gardens List http://www.scin.quik.com/dorsettm/notes.htm
Am I missing something here?
Put them in a trash can, run weed whipper. More engine use yet still hands
on that way -- ooops lost a finger! :) Is protein good for orchids?
evil grin
Barbara M. Martin
Current Mid-Atlantic Garden Report: "Tree Trimming Time"
http://nationalgardening.com/regional/report13.html
Now at Cottage Garden: "Terrariums and Dish Gardens"
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/cottage_gardening/89852
Co-Owner, Gardens List http://www.scin.quik.com/dorsettm/notes.htm
and
Static charge builds up...and they'll stick to everything but the pot you
want them in. Ever tried to get fragmented peanuts to stay put when they've
got that certain attraction for other places????
Barb in Southern Indiana Zone 5/6 dorsettm@scin.quik.com
Fortunate are they to whom gardening is a joy.
Gardens co-listowner gardens-request@lsv.uky.edu
Most of my dendrobium were grown strictly on charcoal or in a wooden basket, no growing medium of
any kind. Fertilized by setting the whole thing in a bucket of orchid fertilizer/water and letting
it soak a bit. Misted three times daily with plain water. The terrestrial orchids we grow now are in
composted pine bark with perlite added at about a 25% rate and doing well, gotta repot them when the
weather warms up.
George
Dorsett wrote:
Whatever you run it through styrofoam, cups or peanuts, will float up eventually. Don't use the food
starch peanuts though, they dissolve in water.
George
Lee Ann Reiners wrote:
Hear, hear! Best method I know of and I used to have over 200 of them potted/attached to charcoal
chunks. Too finicky for me to mess with now.
George
Terry King wrote:
I have my orchids planted in a coconut shell mixture. It also has some
charcoal and perlite for moisture retention. The orchids seem to love it,
and it has been over two years since I last had to repot them. Course, it
is time now as they are bursting out of the sides of the wooden slatted pots
they are in.
Anne in FL
zone 9b, sunset 26
bark
Thanks to everyone who responded - you guys had me in stitches. :)
So I will not substitute the perlite - oh well guess I'll just have to
go back to the nursery now - darn the luck, heh.
Best regards,
Geralyn Zone 9
Oakland, CA
Dorsett wrote:
