Been growing micro greens for several months, and have tried vermiculite, potting soil, peat with vermiculite and now am trying jiffy peat pellets (too hard to plant in those small pellets, so even if they work I won't use them again) A friend bought Sure Grow mats but they are expensive and I doubt they can be used twice. The potting soil was the worst - cutting them or gently pulling, however I harvested them I got a clump of dirt in the ends that was difficult to wash off without washing the greens down the drain. Any cheap or free materials suggestions would be appreciated! thanks!
Vermiculite and peralite is used mostly in potting soil to keep the soil loose and workabe and also holds moisture. You look at some potting soils and they have little white grains in it, that is it.
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Vermiculite comes from a naturally occurring mineral which expands when heated to 2500 degrees F. The mineral resembles mica. If you have seen mica, it has a shiny goldish color, and has many thin layers. If you look at vermiculite in a bag or mixed in potting soil, you will see flecks of shiny goldish particles, though most of the vermiculite is brownish in color. Chunks of vermiculite look like little accordions, which can be mashed flat between your fingers. Until 1990 vermiculite was mined from areas which were naturally contaminated with asbestos and used for building insulation and mixed in potting soils. Vermiculite is generally a filler in potting soil, which is sterile and hold some moisture. A potting soil containing a lot of vermiculite can develop a slime layer on the soil surface over time, which blocks air movement into the soil, and usually exacerbates algae growth on the soil surface. Perlite is a completely different mineral. It is a volcanic rock, which is grey naturally, but is washed to become white. Perlite holds very little water and is often used in potting soil to increase aeration. Historically it contained flourine which was slightly toxic to some plants. Modern supplies do not contain the flourine, but because flourine is easily removed by flushing the perlite with water, it is still a good idea to do so if you are using perilite by itself for some purpose, for example using moist perlite to vernalize seeds which require a cold treatment prior to germination.
Mark T has it correct...I mix 1/3 vermiculite 1/3 perlite and 1/3 peat moss to start my seed in...If you ar3e running large areas you can buy this stuff in large bags at Home depot for 12.99 verses paying 3.99 for a small bag that is about 3 gallons... You get at least 20 of these small bags in in one large bag..lowes and ace does not have larger bags...That will be 80.00 buying in small bags verses paying 12.99 for the same amount..
