Verm/Perl/exp.Clay

[dicepunk]

In what way would i be best off mixing Vermiculite , Perlite and expanded clay balls ?

I was going to go DWC but i was concerned bout overwatering etc.

I didn't want to go organic so this was my next best idea /

 

Dicey.

[WantDaChronic]

with perlite, vermiculite and clay balls its extremely hard to over water plants...i havent seen any over watering in those mediums but im sure if someone tried hard enough they could drown the plants as long as there is enough air getting to the roots, you can grow plants in water so you shouldnt have any concerns with dwc system as long as you use an air pump, air stone or both

 

also, perlite and vermiculite release an extremely fine powder and i high suggest wearing a face mask or if you dont have a face mask, only work with the medium AFTER its wet and been rinsed off....i have poured dry perlite into pots, the cloud of dust shits all over 2 black board dusters being bashed together and have choked like crazy, my advice is to pour water over the medium as your filling the pot

[Luke Skywalker]

It's very easy to overwater in vermiculite, it holds too much moisture to be an effective media by itself. Perlite and clay are very well drained with more moisture being held by perlite, but still with excellent drainage and a slight capillary action.

 

The dust given off by perlite is dangerous, and you would be well advised to wet down the bag of perlite before you pour it out, wearing a good quality dust mask to ensure you don't inhale it before you've done this.

 

Clay takes quite a bit of rinsing to get it's dust off, but it's not as harmful as perlite dust, and it's more a matter of being an annoyance and potential clogging material than anything else.

 

A good mix of these three media is to have 60% perlite(the coarsest you can find, which in my experience is made by a company called "waterworld" from victoria, and comes in yellow 100l bags), 30% clay (8-16mm, the large grade), and a 10% addtion of super coarse vermiculite. Stick all these media into a large container, or perhaps a bath, and then mix thoroughly after moistening. Pour into pots, and rinse the living crap out of it to remove any small dust. Potsox are a good idea too, as they prevent the media from falling out of large drainholes and allow you to throw out the rootball and media together without having to pour it out again at the end of the crop.

 

Hope that helps.