ya kno those little white bits...i always thought it was foam but im not sureee
Perlite or vermiculite will help to loosen and airiate compacted soils. Most comercial potting mixes are a mixture of peatmoss,perlite and organic matter such as composted plant matter. Adding perlite to garden soil is not generaly a good idea. If you have a hard clay soil,adding compost is usually the best bet. Personal experiance has shown that planting potatoes also helps to looosen clay soil. If you are intending to plant in containers of any sort I would recomend using a mix of perlite, peatmoss and compost. Regular soil will compact and dry out in a container and be unsuitable for almost any type of plant.
Perlite is often added to seed or cuttings compost to improve drainage. It has no nutritional value in itself, so it needs to be mixed with more nutritious seed or cuttings compost, or supplemented by a liquid feed if you're using it by itself for cuttings or seeds.
