Hello folks! I feel awkward posting this week with everything going on since a massive amount (over half) of my followers are Americans. I mean zero disrespect by posting the video in such a tense time and wanted to let you all know it’s done with the utmost respect & in a way that’s meant to help bring some positivity into your week. Stay safe I truly mean that! ❤️🇨🇦❤️🇨🇦
Oh Ashley, I wish I had see this 2 wks ago, I would've seen your pinned comment then. I'm in the US. I know with no doubt whatsoever that your intent is never negative in any way. It is not disrespectful for you to continue doing what you do regardless of what is going on anywhere else. People come here for your advice and expertise, and that has not changed. At minimum, you provided healthy educational distraction from tense and volatile times. Things are so contentious here that it's better not to mention anything specific about it. You do you; you do science of plants and soil. The teaching should never stop; the learning should never stop. The people who choose to come here to watch your videos and interact with you in the comments do just that - they choose. So, no worries at all. And thank you for all of it. Have a great weekend, hugs and kissies for doggies and kitties. And fishies.
What sets you apart from the majority of content I've seen is your steadfast adherence to science based solutions. Every claim you put forth is grounded in real science not bro science. Many of us appreciate the effort you put into this and we thank you. 😊
Hello from the Chicago area, zone 5b, the land of clay, gravel, clay, clay, and did I mention clay? Yours is the only video I've found that mentions aeration as an aspect of Perlite usage, and I offer thanks for the attention to detail and insight. This year I am adding #2 (ultra coarse) Perlite while refreshing my raised beds, and you have offered info that is useful in that regard. I have in the past worked with the finer grades of Perlite, and found them largely useless in any practical application. The "awkwardness" you mentioned has continued here unabated, and is actually worse now than it was last November. It is we who should be apologizing to you. Keep up the good work!! Ta.
Hi, firstly I just wanted to say thank you for making this series on soil science. As you've already mentioned, (I think particularly in the charcoal one) there's a lot of conflicting information online, yet given your knowledge and rigorous research I do now feel that I have a go to source in such matters.🙂 I've learnt many things from you already and being a potted cactus grower was especially intrigued by the science of cation exchange, which I must confess hadn't previously even heard of. I use many soil amendments such as pumice, perlite, grit, lava rock (scoria/lapillo) and occasionally limestone chippings for certain species. Although these are always mixed with 20-60% commercial loam-based or peat-free multipurpose compost, I do now worry about nutrient availability. I am considering exchanging my lapillo for LECA, crushed and sieved into 5--15mm particles. I would therefore like to ask if you have any intention of making a video on lava rock/scoria as it's another one where online sources are somewhat inconsistent. Or if you really wanted to make my day, the ultimate soil amendment comparison video for all us cactus and succulent growers!😀 Thanks again.
Zone 8B. Southeast Alabama, USA I learn so much from your videos - not just sound bites I share your channel with all my plant friends The transcript only translates to Dutch (at least what I can get) Im definitely going to try and find large perlite- I find too much dust and bad drainage with the small. Thanks again for the good info!
Hi Aslhey, I live in Northwest Washington and I have an indoor, medical, legal, cannabis grow... I really like your channel and all of the soil info!! This is a great service for all those who love horticulture in general as much as I do.
I don't know what almost anything you're saying means but the miracle gro perlite is the only perlite I have ever had a positive experience with. I've tried a local brand, mother earth, and two other brands I can't remember. All of them were terrible. The tiny stuff is definitely my favorite to avoid over watering
In a previous lifetime I was growing African violets for show. I sifted my perlite and vermiculite to get all the big bits. I was growing those plants on a wick watering system with fluorescent lights. I needed moisture and airy both. Thank you for the purpose of the little stuff. I expect geraniums would (oops - pelarigoniums) would like the perlite. Thank you for this.
Watching from Cocoa Beach, FL zone 9b, Mixing up fall batch of veggie soil and need to know about amendments. Thank you for sharing your expertise with the general gardeners. Oceans of joy to you.
Hello, southern Indiana USA don’t worry about a thing. It’s nice to listen to someone to take things off of the $#-t going on here. I want to move to Canada 🇨🇦. Thank you for your videos. Very informative. I myself use large rock perlite. The little is crap. I tend to over water plants not enough to kill, just enough to breed fungus gnats! A slow learner. Lol 😂 I repotted all plants added big perlite and sterilized the soil. All before replanting. Then added course sand to the top of plants 🌱 now I’m only bottom watering my plants every so often. Once in a great while I top soak 🛁 real good and let dry out a month ! All soil is not the same, I found out the hard way. I have a question for you. I have a peace lily that is in a water 💧 vase 🏺 and it is still getting brown or black spots looks like fluoride burn? I use distilled water in vase. Also even the new leaves still look like they have little ropes in them and every so often looks like half of the leave is eaten? What the hockey double hockey stick is going on? Please help, it’s the flower from my Moms funeral and I don’t want to kill it. I’m pretty new to gardening 🧑🌾 love it and learn a lot from your videos, Thank you 🙏🏻💕🍁
Oooo that’s interesting, so im assuming it’s in zero soil and full “potted” in water? Are you able to introduce fertilizer at all? If have a friend with fish tank water ask for a cup or so of that. It sounds like you may have a combination of things ranging from a pest, nutrient deficiency & root rot from stagnant water. 1) start with fish tank water or diluted fertilizer 2) try to change the water daily just for the next two weeks and see if that helps. Other option is so grab an inexpensive (sound not cost more the $20) fish tank bubbler to introduce some air. Do you know what I am talking about? 3) watch for crawlers, when you’re talking about parts of leaves missing it has to be a visible pest or it maybe a calcium deficiency. But if it’s a deficiency step one will resolve this.
Hi, Ashley! Greetings from Romania! I came upon your youtube channel and absolutely love it. I would really appreciate your insight on using polyfoam balls (it is used for thermic insulation in constructions) in potting soil or even for seed starts. Maybe you'll be able to find a study on the matter, or at least offer your perspective. Thank you. And keep the science coming to the profane!
This video explains why in a batch of 4 plants one of the 4 plants doesn't drain as well as the others. By the time I get to the last plant I'm down to the bottom of the bag of perlite which is noticeably finer. I never could figure out why one plant never drains as well as the others, ureka!
Hello from Athens, Greece, which is one of the top exporting countries when it comes to perlite (I had no idea before getting into plants), zone ~9a/10a Mediterranean (even though it currently feels like zone 1a...and while every other area in the planet is getting warmer, it feels as if we are getting colder!!). ❄️ I don't think I've ever seen coarse perlite, but I'm using the medium sized one a lot and I think I'll be adding some more pumice, in my new potting mix for the lucky plants that will be coming indoors, in the next couple of weeks. Again, thank you for this very informative video, have a wonderful weekend!! 😊
Mid-Atlantic East Coast USA zone 7a. Not sure if you addressed rooting hormones in another video or the use of cinnamon when propagating plant cuttings or when re-potting new plants that had terrible roots. Oh, I'm a big fan of perlite. Besides providing good drainage, plant roots need air. Inorganic components are 2/3 of my total potting mix. But the 2/3 is made up of other inorganic rocky gritty components. Of the 2/3 inorganic components, perlite varies between 40 - 60%. So perlite is the primary component of my inorganic mix components. The Perlite I like to use is medium to high in particle size. In fact, some of the particles are so big in the product I buy, sometimes I find myself pulverizing the perlite with some rocks in my hand. I do that when making up a potting mix for young plants that are still in 2" nursery size plastic pots. I also use the finer stuff in roughly similar proportions when propagating succulents from leaves.
Awesome video we thank you from Winnipeg. I always though perlite was a synthetic product. My wife and I have a garden off of Lake Manitoba and try and grow squash but the soil is basically crap. so I'll be watching more of your videos to learn more
@@GardeningInCanada Very clayish and silty. even though its a old farmers field where our cottage is we do our best. this years crop was carrots and squash both did well
I’d like you to do a video on using wood ash to prep in ground gardens, raised beds and containers in the fall for spring gardening. I hear it adds potassium to the soil and this is a good thing. I know my cooperative extension said to be careful with adding it as it can raise the ph. What I heard on a channel is that if you put it on in the fall it has a chance to break down over the winter and that come spring the soil is back to a neutral ph. If you put it on in the spring, then yes it will raise the ph. BUT you would really have to put on a lot to effect the ph. So if you are only sprinkling a fine layer over the top in the spring the wood ash will not raise the ph. Is all this true?
Yea so it’s an awesome additive in moderation. The issue is if you put too much on you end up with also a toxicity response from some plants. I will do a video on this!
I’m new to your vlog & new to succulents. I have a few & I want to collect more. I’ve watched a few vlogs on beautiful & so colourful succulents. I have bought soil specifically for cacti or succulents. So is it good to add perlite & what brand of perlite can you recommend? Thank you! 😘😘
Susanna from Alberta zone 3a/2b ish... i find peat moss gets heavy after a while so i do like adding the perlite to it. Would it hurt to add styrofoam chips to the potting mix? for porosity and less weight.
Thats a really good question & I could do an entire video on this. I actually do this (to a point) except I use pool noodles 😂. It’s 110% doable but definitely has limitations.
Hello! That was great, new subscriber here. I grow trichocereus in Australia, I add a lot of perlite or pumice to regular potting soil. As much as 1:1 Do you have a similar video on pumice? :P
To be honest, I'm quite surprised that people talk about the potential fluoride toxicity that much. Perlite is usually made of felsic composition rocks, which are not known to be the greatest source of fluoride (maybe some minor amounts of fluorite mineral that can release a little bit of fluorine, that's all).
Hi, very informative video! Quick question, do you think medium size perlite is still a valuable option to add to potting soil with the purpose of increasing aireation? I can't find the bigger or coarse perlite and the only one i can get is the medium size which is 2 mm to 3 mm, thank you from Argentina :)
Ooooo that’s a good question umm... lava rock but lava rock will alter the pH of the soil. So second would be pumice, however there is obvious weight to that.
You said perlite only last about five years . What should we use for drainage in their soil for fruit trees ? I live in Washington state .We get a lot of rain with clay soil . Thank you for sharing .
I do use perlite in seed start mix roughly 20% I will increase that. I make my mix with 20% peat 20% (commercial) compost (bark and grass) 20% field soil, and 20% this and that Mostly 4 year old horse manure.
Checking in from Southern Ontario, thanks for your videos! As a new gardener I've been trying to learn as much as I can this season. Question about this video though, I can't seem to find which perlite brand you recommend?
PS little fiming tip from the Inet. the circle light in your glasses is distracting so: Instead of positioning your ring light right in front of you, move the light to one side, raise it up and angle it down. You'll still get the ring light's glorious light, but the glasses glare is gone.
Thanks Ashley I enjoy your videos throughly, thank you for sharing your hard work into what we all love. All this bro science on grow forums drives me crazy. Can you settle a debate I'm being persecuted for... great white mycorrhizae I take a pinch and put it in water with hydroguard and mist my cuttings that I'm trying to root. My theroy is not the mycorrhizae but the benificals that are in it do in fact provide protection and aid for my baby girls. Would love if you made a video about "brewing" mycorrhizae I want to put the powder in a tea and theroy Is it will multiply like crazy making a one time purchase of mycorrhizae practicle
Does perlite harm worms in the garden. I added 2 cu ft of perlite to my raised garden bed mix. The bed was 4x4 feet and 10 inches deep. That’s about 14 cu pt.
@@GardeningInCanada yeah, I was like, it’s soft like pop corn. I thought it was weird that she said that. That’s what I was told by someone but I had never heard that. Perlite is in all kinds of bagged soil products.
No it’s fine. I mean there are sharp “clays” out there but that’s not one of them. Plus the mucus is going to make it so they are pretty well protected
I mix some orchid bark, charcoal, small perlite, and some medium and small pumice into store-bought cactus soil for all my plants, except for spider plants. I noticed that my spiders stopped dropping leaves when I put them in just orchid bark, pumice and basic potting soil. Pretty weird because it had perlite and a less airy medium when I bought it.
@@GardeningInCanada I wanted to mention it to you because it seemed weird that it had coarse perlite in its nursery pot, but they reacted that way when I just added more soil and perlite when it needed a repot. I use promix cactus mix, pumice from BC, and the perlite is from Early's (Saskatoon).
I added sand for drainage but made a mistake because I used fine sand and it stopped up the drainage! Makes sense but didn’t think of that until it happened. So make sure to use coarse sand!
I've been looking for Horticultural pumice. Geez...seems everything I'm looking for is out of stock or triple the price. Hopefully next year supply will be better.
@@Bons_Eye yes you really got to shop around too you could pay $25 for just one quart or for a whopping eight quarts, depending on the Amazon seller! But it's so worth it when you find a good price!
@@GardeningInCanada would love to hear you talk about Pumice! I added to all my potted plants for aeration & good drainage... I recently got into succulents and it's perfect for that, doesn't stay wet for long!
Should I still add 1/3 perlite to this potting mix which has the following ingredients? 1. (Coco Peat) 2. (Burnt Soil) 3. (River Sand) 4. (Rice Husk) 5. (Organic Fertilizer) 6. (Black Soil) 7. EM (Effective Microorganism) Thank you.
I was so very surprised to find out that the density of eggshell was about 40% (g/cm^3) higher than that of sand, which makes it kind of silly to use it as a replacement, which is something I was interested in for it, as both perlite and charcoal are too light and float on the surface causing other problems, like a general overall messiness. Anyway if there is something with a density between sand and water, that is also easy to get, (prolly something like organic matter), but still if such a thing exists it would be perfect~
Yea I wonder. Sometimes the actual break down of the product is a factor too, how it performs year one may not be the same as year two if it’s not refreshed.
I'm in Maryland...have wanted to add really good drainage to my garden soil because of rhododendrons and azaleas.....So called "builders sand" is usually recommended--but I have done a pH test using rinsed and distilled water and find it to be extremely alkaline....but using Perlite would break down...think you said five years! The pH of my house water, and water that I use for gardens tests at 6.2.... Have tested chicken grit...rinsed several times, using distilled water again....and it too is terribly alkaline...Pumice would be prohibitely expensive...so guess coarse Perlite is it.....any other suggestions?? Thanks....and a video on pH and how it affects plants, and even the use of chemicals on plants would be great.
@@GardeningInCanada "grit" is a type of gravel used for chickens for their "crop" to grind up food..which is somewhat smaller in size....testing even that product with distilled water revealed how alkaline it also is...
Ohhh I keep forgetting to do this I’m a zone 6a (Indiana) well according to the internet it used to be 5b but changed to 6a in 2012 or something 🤷♀️ idk I don’t understand it lol
They are different and I actually have a video coming out about pumice here shortly but overall it’s your choice they act the same. Pumice just lasts longer
1650 to 1700+ degrees. I work at site making it. If it wasn't in potting soil. The soil will stick together like clay and kill the plant. Canada buys from USA for their plants. Perlite is in basic soil already. Common baught is 6x10
Hello, I'm watching you from Hungary :D I'm not sure about my current climate zone, though. XD It was about 6a in my childhood, it's more like warm 7a - cold 7b now and warming steadily (Last winter the minimum was -7 °C so it's getting really weird)
@@GardeningInCanada We have the Hungarian Meteorological Service, they are doing all the climate modelling along with weather forecasts, air quality monitoring and the like. The Ministry of Agriculture is doing all they can to adjust, too. People would notice even without their help, the weather is getting warmer & really unpredictable, and it was always a bit warmer here than the country average. The agriculture did suffer because of this, the pest population got really boosted because of the lack of hard frosts, and mediterranean pests are coming, too. For example the walnuts on my parents' walnut trees were all black this year because of a walnut husk fly without any natural enemy here. :/ I really miss the snow, btw, even if we have some, it melts during the day. :( On the plus side, I can now try to plant some more exotic plants.
@@GardeningInCanada There are already many gardens with larger Musa basjoo in them (those grow quite fast), and some larger windmill palms. A city near us already planted some Pinus pinea as street trees (it's always a degree or two warmer in the city). People really got into the mediterranean plants :D In the last 2 years I planted some test plants, too, like holm oak, pomegranate, an Eucalyptus parvula, a crepe myrtle, a hardier Nerium, windmill palm, and I have Arbutus unedo and a hardier Colocasia cultivar waiting to be planted, among others. I don't really know if they will survive for long, but I had to try :D
My friend I'm here from Arizona and I use your videos to help me grow marijuana 😇 I love your videos thank you for sharing your hard work for us to learn
No but there are replacements to perlite like pumice, leca, rice husks. I’ve gone through most of these in the series but pumice would be the most similar ua-cam.com/video/sCsuKHCLVqY/v-deo.html
@@GardeningInCanada The minimum requirement for a soil scientist position at USDA-NRCS or USDA Forest Service is a 4-year Bachelor of Science degree that includes 30 semester hours in the natural sciences (e.g., biological, physical, and earth science) and 15 semester hours in soil science (e.g., soil genesis and morphology, soil chemistry, soil physics, and soil fertility). Most of the major universities that still have a soil science program now offer soils courses only at the graduate level.
@@joemug4079 yes I know... I did that exact degree. I was one of three from the University of Saskatchewan Agricultural & Bioresources Professional Collage. In order to obtain it via them I needed to have a minimum 6 courses per term for four years ranging from plant/agro food science, physics, biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, geography, engineering, environment science and toxicology. Plus a publish literature review supervised by a department professor. And then afterwards/too this day you need to be tested yearly & submit a list of all the scientific journals you studied in a period of one year to hold a professionalisms certification with the board of agrologists in your country to legally be able to work.... not only that the university I received my bachelors of science with is the top agriculture collage in the world. so I’m confused as to what your point is?
Hello folks! I feel awkward posting this week with everything going on since a massive amount (over half) of my followers are Americans. I mean zero disrespect by posting the video in such a tense time and wanted to let you all know it’s done with the utmost respect & in a way that’s meant to help bring some positivity into your week.
Stay safe I truly mean that! ❤️🇨🇦❤️🇨🇦
Oh Ashley, I wish I had see this 2 wks ago, I would've seen your pinned comment then. I'm in the US. I know with no doubt whatsoever that your intent is never negative in any way. It is not disrespectful for you to continue doing what you do regardless of what is going on anywhere else. People come here for your advice and expertise, and that has not changed. At minimum, you provided healthy educational distraction from tense and volatile times. Things are so contentious here that it's better not to mention anything specific about it. You do you; you do science of plants and soil. The teaching should never stop; the learning should never stop. The people who choose to come here to watch your videos and interact with you in the comments do just that - they choose. So, no worries at all. And thank you for all of it. Have a great weekend, hugs and kissies for doggies and kitties. And fishies.
thanks so much love!
What sets you apart from the majority of content I've seen is your steadfast adherence to science based solutions. Every claim you put forth is grounded in real science not bro science. Many of us appreciate the effort you put into this and we thank you.
😊
Glad you are enjoying!
YAS !! NERDS UNITE !! *HIGH FIVE* Thank YOU for breaking it down in such detail. GOLDEN!
Haha love it!
Hello from the Chicago area, zone 5b, the land of clay, gravel, clay, clay, and did I mention clay? Yours is the only video I've found that mentions aeration as an aspect of Perlite usage, and I offer thanks for the attention to detail and insight. This year I am adding #2 (ultra coarse) Perlite while refreshing my raised beds, and you have offered info that is useful in that regard. I have in the past worked with the finer grades of Perlite, and found them largely useless in any practical application. The "awkwardness" you mentioned has continued here unabated, and is actually worse now than it was last November. It is we who should be apologizing to you. Keep up the good work!! Ta.
Yea I definitely do not like the small stuff
Hi, firstly I just wanted to say thank you for making this series on soil science.
As you've already mentioned, (I think particularly in the charcoal one) there's a lot of conflicting information online, yet given your knowledge and rigorous research I do now feel that I have a go to source in such matters.🙂
I've learnt many things from you already and being a potted cactus grower was especially intrigued by the science of cation exchange, which I must confess hadn't previously even heard of.
I use many soil amendments such as pumice, perlite, grit, lava rock (scoria/lapillo) and occasionally limestone chippings for certain species.
Although these are always mixed with 20-60% commercial loam-based or peat-free multipurpose compost, I do now worry about nutrient availability.
I am considering exchanging my lapillo for LECA, crushed and sieved into 5--15mm particles.
I would therefore like to ask if you have any intention of making a video on lava rock/scoria as it's another one where online sources are somewhat inconsistent.
Or if you really wanted to make my day, the ultimate soil amendment comparison video for all us cactus and succulent growers!😀
Thanks again.
Zone 8B. Southeast Alabama, USA
I learn so much from your videos - not just sound bites
I share your channel with all my plant friends
The transcript only translates to Dutch (at least what I can get)
Im definitely going to try and find large perlite- I find too much dust and bad drainage with the small.
Thanks again for the good info!
Was also confused about the Dutch captions 😅😂
I've always wondered about perlite. Thanks for the info.This American likes your videos and I think a welcoming distraction. Take care and stay safe'
Thanks so much! Hopefully next week is a better week for you guys.
Hi Aslhey, I live in Northwest Washington and I have an indoor, medical, legal, cannabis grow... I really like your channel and all of the soil info!! This is a great service for all those who love horticulture in general as much as I do.
Thanks so much! I’m glad you’re finding it helpful! Feel free to share it anywhere you think it may help folks out.
I don't know what almost anything you're saying means but the miracle gro perlite is the only perlite I have ever had a positive experience with. I've tried a local brand, mother earth, and two other brands I can't remember. All of them were terrible. The tiny stuff is definitely my favorite to avoid over watering
In a previous lifetime I was growing African violets for show. I sifted my perlite and vermiculite to get all the big bits. I was growing those plants on a wick watering system with fluorescent lights. I needed moisture and airy both.
Thank you for the purpose of the little stuff. I expect geraniums would (oops - pelarigoniums) would like the perlite. Thank you for this.
Watching from Cocoa Beach, FL zone 9b, Mixing up fall batch of veggie soil and need to know about amendments. Thank you for sharing your expertise with the general gardeners. Oceans of joy to you.
that tis awesome
What brand of larger perlite do you recommend? I don't see a link. Thank you.
I'm from Belize 🇧🇿, and i love your video 📹!
Hello, southern Indiana USA don’t worry about a thing. It’s nice to listen to someone to take things off of the $#-t going on here. I want to move to Canada 🇨🇦. Thank you for your videos. Very informative. I myself use large rock perlite. The little is crap. I tend to over water plants not enough to kill, just enough to breed fungus gnats! A slow learner. Lol 😂 I repotted all plants added big perlite and sterilized the soil. All before replanting. Then added course sand to the top of plants 🌱 now I’m only bottom watering my plants every so often. Once in a great while I top soak 🛁 real good and let dry out a month ! All soil is not the same, I found out the hard way. I have a question for you. I have a peace lily that is in a water 💧 vase 🏺 and it is still getting brown or black spots looks like fluoride burn? I use distilled water in vase. Also even the new leaves still look like they have little ropes in them and every so often looks like half of the leave is eaten? What the hockey double hockey stick is going on? Please help, it’s the flower from my Moms funeral and I don’t want to kill it. I’m pretty new to gardening 🧑🌾 love it and learn a lot from your videos, Thank you 🙏🏻💕🍁
Oooo that’s interesting, so im assuming it’s in zero soil and full “potted” in water? Are you able to introduce fertilizer at all? If have a friend with fish tank water ask for a cup or so of that. It sounds like you may have a combination of things ranging from a pest, nutrient deficiency & root rot from stagnant water.
1) start with fish tank water or diluted fertilizer
2) try to change the water daily just for the next two weeks and see if that helps. Other option is so grab an inexpensive (sound not cost more the $20) fish tank bubbler to introduce some air. Do you know what I am talking about?
3) watch for crawlers, when you’re talking about parts of leaves missing it has to be a visible pest or it maybe a calcium deficiency. But if it’s a deficiency step one will resolve this.
Hi, Ashley! Greetings from Romania!
I came upon your youtube channel and absolutely love it.
I would really appreciate your insight on using polyfoam balls (it is used for thermic insulation in constructions) in potting soil or even for seed starts. Maybe you'll be able to find a study on the matter, or at least offer your perspective.
Thank you. And keep the science coming to the profane!
oh interesting! I will look into this
Hi from Europe, Poland! 🥰 🌞🌱🌿🌳🇵🇱🇵🇱🇵🇱
Hello! That’s awesome thanks for joining
This video explains why in a batch of 4 plants one of the 4 plants doesn't drain as well as the others. By the time I get to the last plant I'm down to the bottom of the bag of perlite which is noticeably finer. I never could figure out why one plant never drains as well as the others, ureka!
Hello from Athens, Greece, which is one of the top exporting countries when it comes to perlite (I had no idea before getting into plants), zone ~9a/10a Mediterranean (even though it currently feels like zone 1a...and while every other area in the planet is getting warmer, it feels as if we are getting colder!!). ❄️
I don't think I've ever seen coarse perlite, but I'm using the medium sized one a lot and I think I'll be adding some more pumice, in my new potting mix for the lucky plants that will be coming indoors, in the next couple of weeks.
Again, thank you for this very informative video, have a wonderful weekend!! 😊
That’s insane! I think your the first person from Athens!
@@GardeningInCanada really?! There are quite a few of Greek plantubers around, I'll let them know about you in a future video!!!! 😊
Sounds awesome!
Mid-Atlantic East Coast USA zone 7a. Not sure if you addressed rooting hormones in another video or the use of cinnamon when propagating plant cuttings or when re-potting new plants that had terrible roots. Oh, I'm a big fan of perlite. Besides providing good drainage, plant roots need air. Inorganic components are 2/3 of my total potting mix. But the 2/3 is made up of other inorganic rocky gritty components. Of the 2/3 inorganic components, perlite varies between 40 - 60%. So perlite is the primary component of my inorganic mix components. The Perlite I like to use is medium to high in particle size. In fact, some of the particles are so big in the product I buy, sometimes I find myself pulverizing the perlite with some rocks in my hand. I do that when making up a potting mix for young plants that are still in 2" nursery size plastic pots. I also use the finer stuff in roughly similar proportions when propagating succulents from leaves.
I haven’t done one no but that’s an awesome video idea.
Hi there Dana here from zone 5b. Great channel
Thanks so much! Your zone is the best of both worlds
Awesome video we thank you from Winnipeg. I always though perlite was a synthetic product. My wife and I have a garden off of Lake Manitoba and try and grow squash but the soil is basically crap. so I'll be watching more of your videos to learn more
That’s awesome! I’m envious of your location that would be beautiful. Is the soil sandy in that area?
@@GardeningInCanada Very clayish and silty. even though its a old farmers field where our cottage is we do our best. this years crop was carrots and squash both did well
Oh that’s interesting! Is the area around lake Manitoba boreal forest or mostly old farm fields?
If you don't mind a huge bag, it is more cost-effective to buy coarse perlite from a hydroponics store. Just a tip :)
thats an awesome suggestion
I’d like you to do a video on using wood ash to prep in ground gardens, raised beds and containers in the fall for spring gardening. I hear it adds potassium to the soil and this is a good thing. I know my cooperative extension said to be careful with adding it as it can raise the ph. What I heard on a channel is that if you put it on in the fall it has a chance to break down over the winter and that come spring the soil is back to a neutral ph. If you put it on in the spring, then yes it will raise the ph. BUT you would really have to put on a lot to effect the ph. So if you are only sprinkling a fine layer over the top in the spring the wood ash will not raise the ph. Is all this true?
Yea so it’s an awesome additive in moderation. The issue is if you put too much on you end up with also a toxicity response from some plants. I will do a video on this!
I was just wondering the same things yesterday. that would be a great topic
@@bluesight_ well it’s officially in the books now!
@@GardeningInCanada Wonderful. Thank you.
❤️🙂
I’m new to your vlog & new to succulents. I have a few & I want to collect more. I’ve watched a few vlogs on beautiful & so colourful succulents. I have bought soil specifically for cacti or succulents. So is it good to add perlite & what brand of perlite can you recommend? Thank you! 😘😘
I like anything that is course perlite.😊
What an awesome and helpful vid. your channel is going to get big
southern california by the way!
Thanks so much! That’s a massive compliment, I’m not sure it will though haha. There are a lot of awesome channels out there
@@GardeningInCanada I promote your channel at every opportunity I can. When something, to me, is good, I talk...
You’re amazing honestly you truly don’t have to do that. But the fact that you do warms my heart. I really appreciate you
Susanna from Alberta zone 3a/2b ish... i find peat moss gets heavy after a while so i do like adding the perlite to it. Would it hurt to add styrofoam chips to the potting mix? for porosity and less weight.
Thats a really good question & I could do an entire video on this. I actually do this (to a point) except I use pool noodles 😂. It’s 110% doable but definitely has limitations.
Hello! That was great, new subscriber here. I grow trichocereus in Australia, I add a lot of perlite or pumice to regular potting soil. As much as 1:1
Do you have a similar video on pumice? :P
To be honest, I'm quite surprised that people talk about the potential fluoride toxicity that much. Perlite is usually made of felsic composition rocks, which are not known to be the greatest source of fluoride (maybe some minor amounts of fluorite mineral that can release a little bit of fluorine, that's all).
Hi, very informative video! Quick question, do you think medium size perlite is still a valuable option to add to potting soil with the purpose of increasing aireation? I can't find the bigger or coarse perlite and the only one i can get is the medium size which is 2 mm to 3 mm, thank you from Argentina :)
Yea it most definitely still serves the purpose of airation. The only recommendation I have is possibly increasing the volume in the soil.
@@GardeningInCanada I'll try it out, thank you!
No problem! Let me know how it goes ❤️
watching from the UK Manchester thanks for the info subscribed
Hello! and welcome to the nerd crew
Ashley, what do you feel is best for drainage. Large perlite or lava rock or pumice?
Should of said airation
Ooooo that’s a good question umm... lava rock but lava rock will alter the pH of the soil. So second would be pumice, however there is obvious weight to that.
You said perlite only last about five years . What should we use for drainage in their soil for fruit trees ? I live in Washington
state .We get a lot of rain with clay soil . Thank you for sharing .
I do use perlite in seed start mix roughly 20% I will increase that. I make my mix with 20% peat
20% (commercial) compost (bark and grass) 20% field soil, and 20% this and that Mostly 4 year old horse manure.
that sounds amazing
Checking in from Southern Ontario, thanks for your videos! As a new gardener I've been trying to learn as much as I can this season. Question about this video though, I can't seem to find which perlite brand you recommend?
Oh no! I’ll look into it for you and let me know. Is the Amazon link busted?
@@GardeningInCanada It's ok, I figured it out! It's not a direct link and I had to navigate a bit to figure out what you meant.
Okay! Awesome
I’m in zone 10 and new container gardener
PS little fiming tip from the Inet. the circle light in your glasses is distracting so: Instead of positioning your ring light right in front of you, move the light to one side, raise it up and angle it down. You'll still get the ring light's glorious light, but the glasses glare is gone.
Great video as always! Could you do a video on amending soil with alfalfa pellets? Thank you!!
Great suggestion!
Love your videos thank you. How do you feel about Gia Greens and natures own autoflower living soil
Love it
Thanks Ashley I enjoy your videos throughly, thank you for sharing your hard work into what we all love.
All this bro science on grow forums drives me crazy.
Can you settle a debate I'm being persecuted for... great white mycorrhizae I take a pinch and put it in water with hydroguard and mist my cuttings that I'm trying to root. My theroy is not the mycorrhizae but the benificals that are in it do in fact provide protection and aid for my baby girls.
Would love if you made a video about "brewing" mycorrhizae I want to put the powder in a tea and theroy Is it will multiply like crazy making a one time purchase of mycorrhizae practicle
Does perlite harm worms in the garden. I added 2 cu ft of perlite to my raised garden bed mix. The bed was 4x4 feet and 10 inches deep. That’s about 14 cu pt.
No it’s not sharp or anything I’d be more concerns about high concentrations of Diatomaceous Earth for example
@@GardeningInCanada yeah, I was like, it’s soft like pop corn. I thought it was weird that she said that. That’s what I was told by someone but I had never heard that. Perlite is in all kinds of bagged soil products.
No it’s fine. I mean there are sharp “clays” out there but that’s not one of them. Plus the mucus is going to make it so they are pretty well protected
Put a soft fabric diffuser in front of your ring light and you'll get the illumination without the glare on glasses.
I mix some orchid bark, charcoal, small perlite, and some medium and small pumice into store-bought cactus soil for all my plants, except for spider plants. I noticed that my spiders stopped dropping leaves when I put them in just orchid bark, pumice and basic potting soil. Pretty weird because it had perlite and a less airy medium when I bought it.
Interesting! Would be cool to know the mined source of the perlite you used.
@@GardeningInCanada I wanted to mention it to you because it seemed weird that it had coarse perlite in its nursery pot, but they reacted that way when I just added more soil and perlite when it needed a repot. I use promix cactus mix, pumice from BC, and the perlite is from Early's (Saskatoon).
I use the same perlite 😂 love earlys!
@@GardeningInCanada must be the soil??? I dunno. Maybe my spidey was just being a stinker. 😅
HAHA maybe not sure if your in Saskatoon or Regina but saskatoon has a lot of fluoride in the water
I added sand for drainage but made a mistake because I used fine sand and it stopped up the drainage!
Makes sense but didn’t think of that until it happened. So make sure to use coarse sand!
Yea! Very important. Great soil
I will try coarse next time! Thanks
I love pumice over Perlite! Doesn't rise to the top when watering. Only con is is that it's heavy, and can weigh the pot down.
I’m definitely doing a video on pumice because it has its merits big time!
I've been looking for Horticultural pumice. Geez...seems everything I'm looking for is out of stock or triple the price.
Hopefully next year supply will be better.
@@Bons_Eye yes you really got to shop around too you could pay $25 for just one quart or for a whopping eight quarts, depending on the Amazon seller!
But it's so worth it when you find a good price!
@@GardeningInCanada would love to hear you talk about Pumice!
I added to all my potted plants for aeration & good drainage... I recently got into succulents and it's perfect for that, doesn't stay wet for long!
Uh how true is that... prices have definitely sky rocketed
Should I still add 1/3 perlite to this potting mix which has the following ingredients?
1. (Coco Peat)
2. (Burnt Soil)
3. (River Sand)
4. (Rice Husk)
5. (Organic Fertilizer)
6. (Black Soil)
7. EM (Effective Microorganism)
Thank you.
East coast. Virginia USA
Hey 👋🏻
Titles with the minutes (time) attached were helpful.
I was so very surprised to find out that the density of eggshell was about 40% (g/cm^3) higher than that of sand, which makes it kind of silly to use it as a replacement, which is something I was interested in for it, as both perlite and charcoal are too light and float on the surface causing other problems, like a general overall messiness. Anyway if there is something with a density between sand and water, that is also easy to get, (prolly something like organic matter), but still if such a thing exists it would be perfect~
Yea I wonder. Sometimes the actual break down of the product is a factor too, how it performs year one may not be the same as year two if it’s not refreshed.
wow, i feel so bamboozled with my bag of perlite that i bought that the vast majority of is so fine, it's like powder/sand...
I'm in Maryland...have wanted to add really good drainage to my garden soil because of rhododendrons and azaleas.....So called "builders sand" is usually recommended--but I have done a pH test using rinsed and distilled water and find it to be extremely alkaline....but using Perlite would break down...think you said five years! The pH of my house water, and water that I use for gardens tests at 6.2.... Have tested chicken grit...rinsed several times, using distilled water again....and it too is terribly alkaline...Pumice would be prohibitely expensive...so guess coarse Perlite is it.....any other suggestions?? Thanks....and a video on pH and how it affects plants, and even the use of chemicals on plants would be great.
I will write that video idea down. Have you tried just mixing in gravel? Builders sand I find compacts too well.
@@GardeningInCanada "grit" is a type of gravel used for chickens for their "crop" to grind up food..which is somewhat smaller in size....testing even that product with distilled water revealed how alkaline it also is...
Oh wow that’s crazy.
Ohhh I keep forgetting to do this I’m a zone 6a (Indiana) well according to the internet it used to be 5b but changed to 6a in 2012 or something 🤷♀️ idk I don’t understand it lol
That’s legit! That happens all the time. Both USA and Canada reclass the zones on a regular basis
I am in Manitowoc Co Wisconsin zone 4🤗
Hi from Gatineau, Quebec
I think you maybe the first one from Gatineau congrats! 🎉
Is perlite & pumice the same? Should I use perlite or pumice?
They are different and I actually have a video coming out about pumice here shortly but overall it’s your choice they act the same. Pumice just lasts longer
Hello, I am from India. I wanted to know if it’s safe to add perlite in potted soil while you have indoor cats??
Yup! It’s harmless as long as they aren’t tempted to eat it.
1650 to 1700+ degrees. I work at site making it. If it wasn't in potting soil. The soil will stick together like clay and kill the plant. Canada buys from USA for their plants. Perlite is in basic soil already. Common baught is 6x10
That’s incredibly hot 🥵 wowzers
AUSTRALIA. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Hi im growing weed in the dom. Rep. How can i have acid soil ? To be specific ph 7. Any tip?
That would be neutral what are you at now?
True, i dont even know whats my ph now. Any tip how can i mesure it, easily? And then how to get the right one for my little princesses?
I could do a video on how to measure it using cabbage leaves actually 😂
Well me and my friends growers would be more than happy. The method is irelevant. So please do!!!
Sounds great!
Hello, I'm watching you from Hungary :D
I'm not sure about my current climate zone, though. XD
It was about 6a in my childhood, it's more like warm 7a - cold 7b now and warming steadily (Last winter the minimum was -7 °C so it's getting really weird)
That’s amazing hello! And that’s interesting do they have a department of agriculture that tracks that?
@@GardeningInCanada We have the Hungarian Meteorological Service, they are doing all the climate modelling along with weather forecasts, air quality monitoring and the like. The Ministry of Agriculture is doing all they can to adjust, too.
People would notice even without their help, the weather is getting warmer & really unpredictable, and it was always a bit warmer here than the country average.
The agriculture did suffer because of this, the pest population got really boosted because of the lack of hard frosts, and mediterranean pests are coming, too. For example the walnuts on my parents' walnut trees were all black this year because of a walnut husk fly without any natural enemy here. :/
I really miss the snow, btw, even if we have some, it melts during the day. :(
On the plus side, I can now try to plant some more exotic plants.
Haha banana trees! 😏
@@GardeningInCanada There are already many gardens with larger Musa basjoo in them (those grow quite fast), and some larger windmill palms. A city near us already planted some Pinus pinea as street trees (it's always a degree or two warmer in the city). People really got into the mediterranean plants :D
In the last 2 years I planted some test plants, too, like holm oak, pomegranate, an Eucalyptus parvula, a crepe myrtle, a hardier Nerium, windmill palm, and I have Arbutus unedo and a hardier Colocasia cultivar waiting to be planted, among others. I don't really know if they will survive for long, but I had to try :D
That’s awesome how is the eucalyptus going ?
I am from St. Thomas!!!
My friend I'm here from Arizona and I use your videos to help me grow marijuana 😇 I love your videos thank you for sharing your hard work for us to learn
New to gardening, my name is Yvette Rialto, CA Don’t know my zone #:(
Northeast Florida 9a
Nice!
Rialto, CA not sure what zone
Central Wisconsin, USA. Zone 4b
That’s so close to my zone it’s insane! You’re state is essentially kitty corner to my province
Can I add perlite to my ground soil?
You could! Might be expensive though
@@GardeningInCanada Thank you! I asked several people and only you responded:)
South Texas zone 9b
Hey! That’s amazing, nice to meet you! Are you an indoor, outdoor or everywhere plant person?
6B
Nova Scotia zone 5A I think 🤔
Sounds about right!
Is there such thing as Synthetic perlite?
No but there are replacements to perlite like pumice, leca, rice husks. I’ve gone through most of these in the series but pumice would be the most similar ua-cam.com/video/sCsuKHCLVqY/v-deo.html
@@GardeningInCanada thanks for answering! 💓💓 but why is it that my perlite sanks when I tried to put it in a glass of water? Perlite floats right?
It should float initially till it becomes water logged and then it will sink.
@@GardeningInCanada Thank you! First time using perlite 😅 I'm just waiting for my order to arrive 💓
Nice! That’s awesome good luck ! Let me know how it goes
Alaska
Hey! That’s awesome what zone is that? Zone 3 or lower?
@@GardeningInCanada I don’t quite remember; I think we’re actually zoned 6-9, depending on the season.
Oh wow! Nice. You’re relatively far south then. Well south for Alaska 😂
Vegas zone 9a
Hot 🥵!
You are a very nice chunky bit of perlite 😝 im kidding thank you for your video it's alot of help 💪🏿
You're welcome 😊
My life is fine without perlite.
Love you guys, VOTE KURTZBEIN FOR PRESIDENT!
Soil scientist? Mmmmhummm.....I want to see a certificate.....
🤣 it’s not a certificate or diploma it’s actually a four year university degree. But mmmk
@@GardeningInCanada The minimum requirement for a soil scientist position at USDA-NRCS or USDA Forest Service is a 4-year Bachelor of Science degree that includes 30 semester hours in the natural sciences (e.g., biological, physical, and earth science) and 15 semester hours in soil science (e.g., soil genesis and morphology, soil chemistry, soil physics, and soil fertility). Most of the major universities that still have a soil science program now offer soils courses only at the graduate level.
Show your credentials....girly....
@@joemug4079 yes I know... I did that exact degree. I was one of three from the University of Saskatchewan Agricultural & Bioresources Professional Collage. In order to obtain it via them I needed to have a minimum 6 courses per term for four years ranging from plant/agro food science, physics, biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, geography, engineering, environment science and toxicology. Plus a publish literature review supervised by a department professor. And then afterwards/too this day you need to be tested yearly & submit a list of all the scientific journals you studied in a period of one year to hold a professionalisms certification with the board of agrologists in your country to legally be able to work.... not only that the university I received my bachelors of science with is the top agriculture collage in the world. so I’m confused as to what your point is?
Can't understand what she is saying... the pronunciation is incomprehensible.
Nice but please make small videos...
Thanks and sounds good!
7B