This channel is by far my most trusted channel regarding all things plants. Not only because of your goldmine of solid information, but your personality is so lovely!
Thanks for watching! 🇨🇦amzn.to/37MUPMZ 🇺🇸 amzn.to/3qverNY ❤️ Canadian AMAZON Shop. The entire shop is designed with plant people in mind: www.amazon.ca/shop/gardeningincanada
I'm in Iceland. We have some locally sourced pumice that we use, but we also use all the other stuff, perlite, vermiculite etc. I study in the gardening school in the south of Iceland, just east of our capital Reykjavík. Thanks for creating this great resource, both the content of your videos as well as the often lively comment section.
I primarily grow succulents and cacti indoors in window sills and under grow lights. Both perlite and pumice work for me but for different purposes. Perlite is a large part of my inorganic soil amendment but not the only inorganic ingredient in my potting mix. As a result, I haven't had to worry about perlite shifting around in the soil. I use a dust mask whenever handling perlite. Pumice can be a little dusty as well. Pumice is used as most of my top dressings or sometimes I'll use lava rocks. If cost was not a concern, I'd replace perlite with pumice completely.
I'm using a potting mix I make with coca coir, pumice and worm castings. I'm now starting to bottom water my plants due to having 50+ plants, many are calatheas, in a one bedroom apartment. I'm being taken over by fungus gnats. Hydrogen peroxide doesn't work. Mosquito bits cause mold to grow. Ok so can I bottom water with pumice? I'm in Alabama, love your videos!
@@kalenaglory2483 I tried mosquito bits. I started adding Captain Jack's Systemic Granuals to the top of the soil, raking in when it's time to water. One treatment and the fungus gnats have been eradicated.
Thanks for the info And the thing that I'm glad is I'm living in PH where volcanos are almost everywhere Making Pumice cheap compared to perlite and vermiculite Now knowing it's purpose thanks to you I'll go ahead and buy them
Thank u so much for this video. I have been using pumice since September and it works really good. Im still trying to learn how to do my own mix. Im currently using coco coir, worm castings and pumice. I just bought coco chips to start adding that to the mix and see how it goes. The first time I paid $29.49 for 15.4L on Amazon. The second time I found it on sale for Black Friday and I ended up paying $11.91 for 28.32L on Amazon. I’m in the Central Florida area and I just haven’t been able to find it local. I would love to watch a follow up video after you start using it for some time. You are awesome! 💜
Big fan of pumice. I use it heavily in my indoor cultivation all the way from 100% to 5% used in conjunction with perlite. Because of the cost, I use it for everything but what I call the leafy greens like pothos or spathiphyllum. To add: I live in Houston and have to mail order it. Also, size is a big factor in cost...the smaller size, the higher the price!
Hi, Ashley. I’m Gigi from North Carolina. I love your channel. I thought I had subscribed already but I subscribed today. I refer to you and Swedish plantguys a lot! Thanks for your help.
I recently bought 2 sizes from General Pumice, the mining operation in California. I’m in NE USA. I bought direct from GP because I’m trying to avoid Amazon & I like how GP presents itself on their social media and I read about the good customer service. The boxes arrived soon enough but I am yet to make my indoor potting soil because due to the warm autumn I’m still out in the outdoor garden. I’ll be using pumice for indoor and outdoor plant pot potting soil and I look forward to fewer floating perlite particles when I’m working with it and then dumping it back out into garden. The perlite reminds me too much of styrofoam. A drawback of perlite and vermiculite for me is the energy used to create the products. If anyone can find a horse/animal stall product called Dry Stall that is pure pumice sold as an odor absorbed and in fact I remember having an odor absorbent product that is just pumice pieces wrapped in plastic mesh to hang in a room, closet, etc., to recharge with sunlight. I called my local tractor supply and they had a different product called Stall Dry which is NOT pumice. So there is confusion but also a potential opportunity to find pumice locally. Here’s a post that specifically talks about this. Pumice is particularly popular amongst the potted succulent enthusiasts. www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbslist/2012-April/o1hajje6fbelappkalaurtl965.html
Are you sure about pumice CEC? I would expect it to be just slightly higher than perlite, something around 10, but over 70 seems to be super high. I don't see how a melted rock sponge would develop some many exchangeable sites.
I’m very late to this video! I grew up in California and spent a lot of time around volcanoes. We used to play with pumice all the time. There was a lake we would swim at where the whole beach was pretty much pumice. What’s funny is the big attraction was that pumice was a rock that FLOATS (though, if you left it in water long enough, it would sink). I can only guess that it’s not universal and that the stuff they’re selling for horticulture is more dense than the stuff I played with. We used to find huge boulders of the stuff. My dad would carve it and put water features and mosses on it.
The thing is, here in the Philippines, pumice is more accessible and way way cheaper than perlite. Local price of pumice is half a dollar per kilogram and comes in different size options. The cheap price may have been caused by the abundance of supply since we have a lot of volcanoes (pacific ring of fire). Thanks for the info! I would have ordered myself some perlite if I haven't seen your video :)
Hi Ashley, The Netherlands hier 😊. I've been using police small grade before and I wasn't happy with the bottom of my pots staying continuously wet. I'm watering normal, flushing the pots onse a month, chunky aroid mix. So I tried to buy coarse perlite- which you lucky guys have abundantly in Canada. No succes, only the small half bag dust are available in Europe. I even tried to import it from the States, but you can imagine the costs of shipping a big bag. Looking for alternative, as I wish to try some no drainage potting, I got a bag of coarse semi hydro mix from Soil Ninja, mixt with my chunky aroid mix, bottom layer leca, I didn't like the result. Maybe adding frasor and worm castings was not a good ideea. The result of my failed attempts is a huge box with amended soil, which is going to be enough for my entire life 😢. After watching your video, I ordered coarse pumice - which is very easy to get from Italy. I'm very curious to see how it is going to work as I find difficult to give up 😅. Thanks again for teaching us ❤
Pumice is so hard to find. The only luck I had was a 20lb bag, $22, of eco complete from the fish section at the pet store, its an aquarium substrate. For one thing I've been using lava rock in my planted aquarium for a long time, great biological filter, and the eco complete is great to help with water flow and plant growth in the aquarium, especially since I run it with an underground filter. Is it pricy compared to other substrates? Yes. It is intert. But the great thing is, at least for a fish tank, you can sift out the pumice when you want to change the set up and my guess is that you could do the same with semi dried potting mix. Wear gloves. The stuff will scratch and dry out your hands. If you really really want pumice....an alternative is to buy a few bags of "fire pit lava rock" take it outside, hose it down, cover it with some towels and smash them to the size you want. They are very hard though, so its labor intensive.
Aww your pet iz zee cutest!! 😍 I'm really lucky I live in a country which actually even exports pumice, as well as being neighbours to one of the top exporters in the world, so it's really easy and cheap to find it (it costs 3-6€/20lt bag and you can find it in most nurseries). Unfortunately it's kind of hard (and a bit more expensive) to find it in smaller chunks. My mom, an avid gardener for ~50 years, has always been using it in all of her pots, mostly as a bottom layer, but occasionally in between and on top of the soil. When I started out, I also used it, but when I once ran out of it, I got too lazy to go, get more and carry it all the way to my veranda, so I started using more perlite instead (even cheaper, less heavy). Now that I know it's better than pumice, I'll go get some for my next repottings. Thank you once again and have a wonderful week!! 😊
@@GardeningInCanada yes, I'm in Greece and we have a bunch of volcanoes here, including at least 4-5 active ones, even though they haven't erupted in a while, but we do have plenty of pumice, perlite and attapulgite. For some reason though, it's hard to find lava rocks for sale, unless they sell them in other shops.
0:29 Also Finland :D I would think in indoor pots, bonsai and terrariums, it would be an ideal product. I actually found some at a nearby hardware store, which is amazing, considering we live in a regional town. Cost is 9€ /5litres (1.80€ /litre, or $2.64CAD).
I imagine that pumice cost more because it weighs much more than pearlite and therefore is more expensive to transport. I just purchased both of these products and the 6 cubic foot bag or pearlite didn't weigh 1/4th as much as 1 cubic foot of pumice.
Philippines represents! Just the video I was looking for. Thank you for demystifying this as Pumice is more readily available here rather than perlite :((
I'm part of a few succulent groups and always heard how great but expensive pumice is, then when I went to my local shop it was only 7-8 USD for an 8L bag and couldn't understand what everyone was talking about. Apparently for the USA, Oregon is the main producer of pumice and I live here so I guess it's cheap because it's a local product lol Perlite is a little more expensive for me, though I don't have the hard numbers. But the info you provided is still great information, especially about it sinking which I wasn't aware of
Been using pumice in my growing medium and alone for some plants for about a year and it’s absolutely the best. I saturate my plants thoroughly because you have to give the pumice sometime to absorb water 33% of its volume. I haven’t experience any issues with it dropping. It stays put. When using alone there’s no worry of it dropping. My plants that are in pumice exclusively are doing extremely well. It’s pricey but so worth it.
Hi, can you give an example of your plants that are in pumice exclusively that doing extremely well? Anthurium, Philodendron or Monstera etc? Thank you 😄
What are your thoughts on using pumice vs soil for houseplants? I understand the cost factor, pumice is not cheap. I'm wondering about planting houseplants in pumice only ( except the soil remaining on the root ball when repotting) vs soil. A major point in a video I watched about this was that planting in pumice creates very fast growing roots, thus a fast growing larger plant. And that planting in pumice allows air to always surround the roots. Sounds good. Your thoughts?
Hi.. I love your video here & thanks.. Can I use pumice solely(without mixing with other media) on rooting fig cuttings since I needed something which is of high porosity so that my fig cuttings won't rot & also won't be infected by fungus??
I had heard of pumice but didn't really know what it was until this video. Comparison with perlite is v helpful as I know what that is . I'm a balcony farmer in London (UK) so will check where I can find pumice locally. Also didn't know you had a pet so that was a nice surprise! Thank you for another insightful video 👏🏼
Thank you for a very good video. I was searching for Pumice thinking it would be great to add to my potting instead of perlite. We have heaps of them here since we have lots of volcano in Vanuatu. Thanks for the great vidoe. God bless
@@GardeningInCanada currently, rosemary and thyme. Will be getting some sage and basil soon. I have plastic garden pots that fit perfectly into decorative ceramic pots. Both have drainage holes.
I have a soil mix made of 1/3 compost, 1/3 coconut coir, and 1/3 vermiculite. I find the mix doesn't drain well and cakes up, I am thinking about adding some pumice to improve aeration and drainage. Appreciate if you could guide how much pumice to add for a gallon of afore mentioned soil mix.
I have just ordered some pumice from Ebay about 15 minutes ago, so, I have NO idea how it will make anything better or worse for me as far as growing anything that I'll be growing in containers soon. I paid $30 for 3 gallons or 13 lbs of it. Free shipping. I've seen videos where some people use nearly 100% of it when potting up plants. BUT, I want to just use a few cups of it with potting soil in a (guessing) 8-10 gallon planter barrel when I plant my tomatoes. The only reason I am trying it is because I had heard about how tomatoes grown in volcanic soils in or near Italy had been the best tasting tomatoes that somebody telling the story had EVER tasted, so, of course I am curious as to IF this stuff CAN maybe add something great and special to the flavor of tomatoes growing in soil in which it is in. Any searches that I've done on my cell phone have failed to tell me anything specific about any nutrients that PUMICE might supply to the soil you put it in. I mostly just see that adding pumice to soil makes for great drainage, and that's pretty much it. And, I can't help but feel like IF Pumice is only going to improve drainage, I have overpaid for something that is just slightly better at improving drainage than perlite is because it won't waste away as quickly. I am hoping that it is worth it that I have bought some of it online. From what I had read a couple of years ago, this stuff should make my tomatoes taste MUCH better than being in just soil. I WILL also mention that those "great tomatoes" had been grown in the meditaranean in or near Italy and in volcanic soil, which may be almost ALL volcanic ash, or a mix or soils and ash, I have NO idea the composition of what the tomatoes grew in other than "Volcanic soil" as a description. And, also I have NO IDEA what specific type of tomatoes that had been grown. Anyhow, I'll just mix some good potting soil with some pumice stone and pot up one of my tomato plants, mark which one is the on with the pumice in it and wait and see IF Pumice stone is REALLY the GREAT soil medium or additive that it has been touted as being. IF it is just a great way to get good drainage, we could just buy a bag of small round gravel, or tiny "river rock" for about $5 or whatever they want for a bag of it now, and mix that with our potting soil.
@@GardeningInCanada You mean the river rock lasts longer or the pumice stone lasts longer? I'm guessing that both would last pretty long. Anyway, I got my pumice stone already, and it is 13 pounds at least, but the 3 gallon guess? I am not so sure about that. I'll be putting it in a pot with my potting soil and mark it so that when the season is done, I can screen the potting soil, and keep my pumice stone for another year. I haven't even opened the box yet, so, I am not sure what size the stones are.
I’m currently working on a kitchen garden and I have an Aloe Vera plant which seems to like a more sandy home. Can I use this as an alternative to sand for my plant?
Some good arguments on the use of Pumice. Some similarities with the effects of Biochar. In Canada, easier to find Biochar than Pumice. Both are expensive. Do yo have any reference for purchasing horticultural pumice in eastern Canada ?
I don’t unfortunately but if you find one let me know. I have seen it for sale at hydroponic shops and the odd cannabis shop in western canada. I would start there
I use 8L pots. I bottom water using an automatic valve. I suffer from Root rot many times. I am using pumice and coco peat. I am also using 2 inches of pumice at the bottom of my pot. I use all my bottom water within 12 hours. Any advise to avoid root rot. 1) should I stay away from using rocks/pumice at the bottom. 2) Can I use microbes to help me protect my roots -like bacillus .?
I finally have a yard. Do you have any tips on when/how I can make my first raised bed? I’m in zone 6b. I want one with veggies in the spring and another with a pollinator garden.
I am thinking of putting a layer of pumice under a deep pot and above the pumice is potting mix for vegetables (e.g. spinach). The drainage holes will be placed exactly between the pumice and potting mix demarcation. Any thoughts of what might happen to vegetable plants in this kind of scenario? Thanks.
Yea so your biggest concern is going to be a perched water table. I’ve done a whole video on this I’ll leave the link below. But your main focus should be on where the roots will be sitting and making sure the soil depth is enough for the bulk of the root system.
Its a little heavier than pearlite. Pearlite woks better but it breaks down very fast. If you are somebody who reuses your soil many times pumice is much better than pearlite. It tends to move towards the bottom of a pot when you water
@@stevemar.6758 It does move towards the bottom of the pot over time a bit but not enough to be an major issue.. I currently have over 50 plants in a mix with pumice stone. Pots from 1-50 gallons. I reuse my potting soil. I stared amending perlite as well because I don't like how heavy the pumice is and also I feel like it causes more cavitation than it does aeration. My mixes with pearlight always seem to do better even if I have to add some more when I re amend my soil. Also I really don't like the pumice in smaller pots than 2 gals.
Compare cat litter to the fired, dyed clay on roof shingles. Every year roof shingles shed a good amount of ceramic into the soil naturally, it's cumulative, and it's everywhere. That's a good enough reason to find out if such an addition to the soil is beneficial or not, don't you think?~
Oh it's not merely an idea if it's been shedding into our soils for the last 60-80 years or so~ Luckily if anything it's a good thing. Google the wiki for Asphalt Shingles, wups, the last line of the wiki says they contain carcenogenic materials, oh well, there goes the neighborhood~
Google "How it's made Asphalt shingles", to see the process, i read that the clay pieces are clay coated something else. Darn, that episode isn't done by the regular How it's made guy with the sooooothing voice.
Not all pumice is created equally. Much like all volcanic substrates they can vary wildly. You'll get some pumice with low porosity and you'll get some that looks like the craters on the moon.
Yea! So I didn’t mention it in this video but you could do a hydroponic set up with this similar to what I do with my leca ua-cam.com/video/itWyD43obm0/v-deo.html
@@GardeningInCanada I have been catching all your videos you put out even if I'm a few days late I will get here ;) I'm trying to catch a playlist of yours here and there to catch up too :) Hope it helps much love xoxox
@@GardeningInCanada your welcome:) im happy to find more Canadian channels Im kinda disabled now so i dont work so i have time on my hands ;) The rabbits keep us pretty busy tho lol Thanks much love xoxox
How do you have only 6k subscribers?? I’m stunned. SHARE THE CHANNEL PEOPLE! You have no clue the value of this girls contribution clearly 😒 I do lol thank you 😘
@@GardeningInCanada No way! You do the same if not more than sooo many of these UA-cam plant personalities. But you also offer a far greater tool which is scientific knowledge. I think the average person just wants a cute plant that thrives and they think water is all you need. Those of us who take it more seriously truly value you and your work. So maybe 6k is saying more than not enough views, but the right people who actually appreciate the value are viewing.
I love pumice! As someone who grows succulents, pumice has been life changing. It's worth the cost, I can also re-use it over and over.
This channel is by far my most trusted channel regarding all things plants. Not only because of your goldmine of solid information, but your personality is so lovely!
Thank you for your support ❤️
Thanks for watching!
🇨🇦amzn.to/37MUPMZ
🇺🇸 amzn.to/3qverNY
❤️ Canadian AMAZON Shop. The entire shop is designed with plant people in mind: www.amazon.ca/shop/gardeningincanada
Thank you so much! I don't think I've ever binged a channel as I have yours, I love the way you explain soil science 🥰
Wow, thank you!
I'm in Iceland. We have some locally sourced pumice that we use, but we also use all the other stuff, perlite, vermiculite etc. I study in the gardening school in the south of Iceland, just east of our capital Reykjavík. Thanks for creating this great resource, both the content of your videos as well as the often lively comment section.
NZ here, pumice is cheaper here probably because we live in a volcanic field
I primarily grow succulents and cacti indoors in window sills and under grow lights. Both perlite and pumice work for me but for different purposes. Perlite is a large part of my inorganic soil amendment but not the only inorganic ingredient in my potting mix. As a result, I haven't had to worry about perlite shifting around in the soil. I use a dust mask whenever handling perlite. Pumice can be a little dusty as well. Pumice is used as most of my top dressings or sometimes I'll use lava rocks. If cost was not a concern, I'd replace perlite with pumice completely.
Yea it’s more on the pricey side I agree
Lucky me, pumice is on the beach now
That’s perfect
Love your video , I just wanted to know the difference. Paul Ireland
Thanks for watching!
The freeze and thaw and sourness is what makes it brake down
I'm using a potting mix I make with coca coir, pumice and worm castings. I'm now starting to bottom water my plants due to having 50+ plants, many are calatheas, in a one bedroom apartment. I'm being taken over by fungus gnats. Hydrogen peroxide doesn't work. Mosquito bits cause mold to grow. Ok so can I bottom water with pumice? I'm in Alabama, love your videos!
Soak the mosquito bits in water then strain and use the water instead of just putting the mosquito bits.
@@kalenaglory2483 I tried mosquito bits. I started adding Captain Jack's Systemic Granuals to the top of the soil, raking in when it's time to water. One treatment and the fungus gnats have been eradicated.
Love your channel. I use Pumice in my orchids. So far working great
Thanks for the info
And the thing that I'm glad is
I'm living in PH where volcanos are almost everywhere
Making Pumice cheap compared to perlite and vermiculite
Now knowing it's purpose thanks to you I'll go ahead and buy them
Thank u so much for this video. I have been using pumice since September and it works really good. Im still trying to learn how to do my own mix. Im currently using coco coir, worm castings and pumice. I just bought coco chips to start adding that to the mix and see how it goes. The first time I paid $29.49 for 15.4L on Amazon. The second time I found it on sale for Black Friday and I ended up paying $11.91 for 28.32L on Amazon. I’m in the Central Florida area and I just haven’t been able to find it local. I would love to watch a follow up video after you start using it for some time. You are awesome! 💜
Yea! I’m honestly really excited about trying this stuff because it seems pretty valuable.
Big fan of pumice. I use it heavily in my indoor cultivation all the way from 100% to 5% used in conjunction with perlite.
Because of the cost, I use it for everything but what I call the leafy greens like pothos or spathiphyllum.
To add: I live in Houston and have to mail order it. Also, size is a big factor in cost...the smaller size, the higher the price!
I have been using it in my hydro setups. A++
Hello from Slovakia :)
Hello!!
Hi, Ashley. I’m Gigi from North Carolina. I love your channel. I thought I had subscribed already but I subscribed today. I refer to you and Swedish plantguys a lot! Thanks for your help.
I recently bought 2 sizes from General Pumice, the mining operation in California. I’m in NE USA. I bought direct from GP because I’m trying to avoid Amazon & I like how GP presents itself on their social media and I read about the good customer service. The boxes arrived soon enough but I am yet to make my indoor potting soil because due to the warm autumn I’m still out in the outdoor garden. I’ll be using pumice for indoor and outdoor plant pot potting soil and I look forward to fewer floating perlite particles when I’m working with it and then dumping it back out into garden. The perlite reminds me too much of styrofoam. A drawback of perlite and vermiculite for me is the energy used to create the products. If anyone can find a horse/animal stall product called Dry Stall that is pure pumice sold as an odor absorbed and in fact I remember having an odor absorbent product that is just pumice pieces wrapped in plastic mesh to hang in a room, closet, etc., to recharge with sunlight. I called my local tractor supply and they had a different product called Stall Dry which is NOT pumice. So there is confusion but also a potential opportunity to find pumice locally. Here’s a post that specifically talks about this. Pumice is particularly popular amongst the potted succulent enthusiasts. www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbslist/2012-April/o1hajje6fbelappkalaurtl965.html
that’s really awesome! great input
Are you sure about pumice CEC? I would expect it to be just slightly higher than perlite, something around 10, but over 70 seems to be super high. I don't see how a melted rock sponge would develop some many exchangeable sites.
Could you create a self watering planter with a wick and pumice?
I LOVE your videos! So informative and easy to understand.
Thank you!
I’m very late to this video! I grew up in California and spent a lot of time around volcanoes. We used to play with pumice all the time. There was a lake we would swim at where the whole beach was pretty much pumice. What’s funny is the big attraction was that pumice was a rock that FLOATS (though, if you left it in water long enough, it would sink). I can only guess that it’s not universal and that the stuff they’re selling for horticulture is more dense than the stuff I played with. We used to find huge boulders of the stuff. My dad would carve it and put water features and mosses on it.
Hi , i am from Australia. I love your channel ❤
Awesome! Thank you!
Big help. We always go back to what science has to say
❤️❤️
Would like to know the ratio of pumice to soil. Enjoyed your video from Bakersfield Ca
The thing is, here in the Philippines, pumice is more accessible and way way cheaper than perlite. Local price of pumice is half a dollar per kilogram and comes in different size options. The cheap price may have been caused by the abundance of supply since we have a lot of volcanoes (pacific ring of fire). Thanks for the info! I would have ordered myself some perlite if I haven't seen your video :)
That’s really awesome!
i have Hoya in pure pumice medium and it looks like the hoya is happy by the way I'm from the Philippines
Really that’s awesome!
Hello
I am new to this , I feel very intimidated by the PH thing , what should I do ????? thanks
i have lots of resources on this. are you a houseplant person?
I love your parrot!! He is adorable. Also, really good info.!
Thanks so much! She loves the attention 😂
I just got a 3 gallon bag of pumice, on Amazon. I plan on converting most of my plants to pumice, definitely all of my cacti and succulents.
That’s going to be amazing
Hi Ashley, The Netherlands hier 😊. I've been using police small grade before and I wasn't happy with the bottom of my pots staying continuously wet. I'm watering normal, flushing the pots onse a month, chunky aroid mix. So I tried to buy coarse perlite- which you lucky guys have abundantly in Canada. No succes, only the small half bag dust are available in Europe. I even tried to import it from the States, but you can imagine the costs of shipping a big bag. Looking for alternative, as I wish to try some no drainage potting, I got a bag of coarse semi hydro mix from Soil Ninja, mixt with my chunky aroid mix, bottom layer leca, I didn't like the result. Maybe adding frasor and worm castings was not a good ideea. The result of my failed attempts is a huge box with amended soil, which is going to be enough for my entire life 😢. After watching your video, I ordered coarse pumice - which is very easy to get from Italy. I'm very curious to see how it is going to work as I find difficult to give up 😅. Thanks again for teaching us ❤
Is pumice the same as this 'lechuza pon' that i've heard so much about lately?
very similar! i actually have a video explaining this gardeningincanada.net/lechuza-pon/
@@GardeningInCanada ah thank you! 😊
Thankyou. Watching from San Francisco CA
Pumice is so hard to find. The only luck I had was a 20lb bag, $22, of eco complete from the fish section at the pet store, its an aquarium substrate. For one thing I've been using lava rock in my planted aquarium for a long time, great biological filter, and the eco complete is great to help with water flow and plant growth in the aquarium, especially since I run it with an underground filter. Is it pricy compared to other substrates? Yes. It is intert. But the great thing is, at least for a fish tank, you can sift out the pumice when you want to change the set up and my guess is that you could do the same with semi dried potting mix. Wear gloves. The stuff will scratch and dry out your hands.
If you really really want pumice....an alternative is to buy a few bags of "fire pit lava rock" take it outside, hose it down, cover it with some towels and smash them to the size you want. They are very hard though, so its labor intensive.
It is very hard to find I agree!
Aww your pet iz zee cutest!! 😍
I'm really lucky I live in a country which actually even exports pumice, as well as being neighbours to one of the top exporters in the world, so it's really easy and cheap to find it (it costs 3-6€/20lt bag and you can find it in most nurseries). Unfortunately it's kind of hard (and a bit more expensive) to find it in smaller chunks.
My mom, an avid gardener for ~50 years, has always been using it in all of her pots, mostly as a bottom layer, but occasionally in between and on top of the soil.
When I started out, I also used it, but when I once ran out of it, I got too lazy to go, get more and carry it all the way to my veranda, so I started using more perlite instead (even cheaper, less heavy). Now that I know it's better than pumice, I'll go get some for my next repottings.
Thank you once again and have a wonderful week!! 😊
I’m very jealous! You much have a lot of old volcanoes in your area. If I remember correctly you’re in Greece right?
@@GardeningInCanada yes, I'm in Greece and we have a bunch of volcanoes here, including at least 4-5 active ones, even though they haven't erupted in a while, but we do have plenty of pumice, perlite and attapulgite. For some reason though, it's hard to find lava rocks for sale, unless they sell them in other shops.
That’s crazy! But also very cool
0:29 Also Finland :D
I would think in indoor pots, bonsai and terrariums, it would be an ideal product. I actually found some at a nearby hardware store, which is amazing, considering we live in a regional town. Cost is 9€ /5litres (1.80€ /litre, or $2.64CAD).
What excellent timing, I was just considering getting pumice to create potting mix! Thanks for the awesome info🤗
I think it’s pretty awesome stuff. It’s superior to perlite
How did your pumice experiment turn out?
That bag of pumice is the absolute most perfect growing medium for moss, the bag included~
I believe that!
i like pumice, spag moss, tiny bit of vermiculite, and coco peat for most of my soil recipes airoids and calathea
Nice and chunky
I imagine that pumice cost more because it weighs much more than pearlite and therefore is more expensive to transport. I just purchased both of these products and the 6 cubic foot bag or pearlite didn't weigh 1/4th as much as 1 cubic foot of pumice.
You sound like one of the entertainers in a theme park. Like Disney parks.
I’m in Phoenix Arizona. I’m a LECA girl :). Love your show!!
Awe ❤️ thanks so much I appreciate that
Is pumice good for rose
Just came across your video
From Southern California, Los Angeles
Hey! That’s awesome! So far away wow
great video !
What pumice brand would you recommend, perhaps on Amazon?
I should be a brand listed in the comment somewhere. Let me know if there isn’t and I will get you a link
@@GardeningInCanada I ordered Brand: Gantessa Stone
Gardening Pumice Soil Amendment | 1/8" Screened | 8 Quarts
Philippines represents! Just the video I was looking for. Thank you for demystifying this as Pumice is more readily available here rather than perlite :((
Haha yes!
Question: any new pumice experience you can share from 2021? Any funny stories, successes or fails with pumice?
i like the idea of in a DIY Lechuza Pon Setup to be honest
I'm part of a few succulent groups and always heard how great but expensive pumice is, then when I went to my local shop it was only 7-8 USD for an 8L bag and couldn't understand what everyone was talking about. Apparently for the USA, Oregon is the main producer of pumice and I live here so I guess it's cheap because it's a local product lol Perlite is a little more expensive for me, though I don't have the hard numbers. But the info you provided is still great information, especially about it sinking which I wasn't aware of
That is so freakin cool!
Been using pumice in my growing medium and alone for some plants for about a year and it’s absolutely the best.
I saturate my plants thoroughly because you have to give the pumice sometime to absorb water 33% of its volume. I haven’t experience any issues with it dropping. It stays put.
When using alone there’s no worry of it dropping. My plants that are in pumice exclusively are doing extremely well.
It’s pricey but so worth it.
It’s very nice stuff but I agree so pricey
Hi, can you give an example of your plants that are in pumice exclusively that doing extremely well? Anthurium, Philodendron or Monstera etc? Thank you 😄
@@syafiqmasnon2499 succulents, hoyas, pothos, Monstera, cacti, other aroids.
What are your thoughts on using pumice vs soil for houseplants? I understand the cost factor, pumice is not cheap. I'm wondering about planting houseplants in pumice only ( except the soil remaining on the root ball when repotting) vs soil. A major point in a video I watched about this was that planting in pumice creates very fast growing roots, thus a fast growing larger plant. And that planting in pumice allows air to always surround the roots. Sounds good. Your thoughts?
You definitely can. Just need to treat it like semi hydro or full hydro
Hi.. I love your video here & thanks..
Can I use pumice solely(without mixing with other media) on rooting fig cuttings since I needed something which is of high porosity so that my fig cuttings won't rot & also won't be infected by fungus??
I had heard of pumice but didn't really know what it was until this video. Comparison with perlite is v helpful as I know what that is . I'm a balcony farmer in London (UK) so will check where I can find pumice locally. Also didn't know you had a pet so that was a nice surprise! Thank you for another insightful video 👏🏼
Well thank you for watching! If you find any locally post it back here because it will help other folks in the UK looking
Zac’s Bonsai..... they sell through Amazon U.K. 16 litres at £29.95. You can also use it to mix with lava rock and zeolite to create pon
That’s awesome
Can pumice can use in andeniume plants?
Yup
@@GardeningInCanada thank you very much maam blessed day 🙂
Thank you for a very good video. I was searching for Pumice thinking it would be great to add to my potting instead of perlite. We have heaps of them here since we have lots of volcano in Vanuatu. Thanks for the great vidoe. God bless
Oh very interesting
Sooo… how do I use it? Do I just mix it into the soil? If so, what ratio?
What are you aiming to grow?
@@GardeningInCanada currently, rosemary and thyme. Will be getting some sage and basil soon.
I have plastic garden pots that fit perfectly into decorative ceramic pots. Both have drainage holes.
That was an enjoyable comparison between the two products. We can't find pumice around here either.
So it’s not just here then. Must be the lake of mines in North America
I have a soil mix made of 1/3 compost, 1/3 coconut coir, and 1/3 vermiculite. I find the mix doesn't drain well and cakes up, I am thinking about adding some pumice to improve aeration and drainage. Appreciate if you could guide how much pumice to add for a gallon of afore mentioned soil mix.
IMO its going to depend on the plants type and pot. gardeningincanada.net/diy-potting-soil-recipe/
Hello. I'm in the south zone of India. Please tell me what substitute can I use instead of pumice as the chances if getting it here is very less.
I have just ordered some pumice from Ebay about 15 minutes ago, so, I have NO idea how it will make anything better or worse for me as far as growing anything that I'll be growing in containers soon. I paid $30 for 3 gallons or 13 lbs of it. Free shipping. I've seen videos where some people use nearly 100% of it when potting up plants. BUT, I want to just use a few cups of it with potting soil in a (guessing) 8-10 gallon planter barrel when I plant my tomatoes.
The only reason I am trying it is because I had heard about how tomatoes grown in volcanic soils in or near Italy had been the best tasting tomatoes that somebody telling the story had EVER tasted, so, of course I am curious as to IF this stuff CAN maybe add something great and special to the flavor of tomatoes growing in soil in which it is in. Any searches that I've done on my cell phone have failed to tell me anything specific about any nutrients that PUMICE might supply to the soil you put it in. I mostly just see that adding pumice to soil makes for great drainage, and that's pretty much it.
And, I can't help but feel like IF Pumice is only going to improve drainage, I have overpaid for something that is just slightly better at improving drainage than perlite is because it won't waste away as quickly.
I am hoping that it is worth it that I have bought some of it online. From what I had read a couple of years ago, this stuff should make my tomatoes taste MUCH better than being in just soil.
I WILL also mention that those "great tomatoes" had been grown in the meditaranean in or near Italy and in volcanic soil, which may be almost ALL volcanic ash, or a mix or soils and ash, I have NO idea the composition of what the tomatoes grew in other than "Volcanic soil" as a description. And, also I have NO IDEA what specific type of tomatoes that had been grown.
Anyhow, I'll just mix some good potting soil with some pumice stone and pot up one of my tomato plants, mark which one is the on with the pumice in it and wait and see IF Pumice stone is REALLY the GREAT soil medium or additive that it has been touted as being. IF it is just a great way to get good drainage, we could just buy a bag of small round gravel, or tiny "river rock" for about $5 or whatever they want for a bag of it now, and mix that with our potting soil.
Good news it lasts a lot longer!
@@GardeningInCanada You mean the river rock lasts longer or the pumice stone lasts longer? I'm guessing that both would last pretty long.
Anyway, I got my pumice stone already, and it is 13 pounds at least, but the 3 gallon guess? I am not so sure about that. I'll be putting it in a pot with my potting soil and mark it so that when the season is done, I can screen the potting soil, and keep my pumice stone for another year. I haven't even opened the box yet, so, I am not sure what size the stones are.
Can you recommend a substitute for pumice? I'm looking for something that lasts longer than perlite.
Hello from Calaveras county in Northern California
I’m currently working on a kitchen garden and I have an Aloe Vera plant which seems to like a more sandy home. Can I use this as an alternative to sand for my plant?
Yes absolutely it’s perfect for that
Sharing is caring 😊
Your mom taught me that.
Can one use pumice when growing herbs outdoors in a greenhouse?
yea of course!
Thanks for the video. New subs from Morocco.
Voice choking is out of control. Leave that to the snobs at Brown.🥴👍
Sweden checking in, sourcing pumice from Iceland. No perlite here if I can help it.
Did you know some theorize life on land started on pumice rafts?
Why do you put an "x" in especially?
Some good arguments on the use of Pumice. Some similarities with the effects of Biochar. In Canada, easier to find Biochar than Pumice. Both are expensive. Do yo have any reference for purchasing horticultural pumice in eastern Canada ?
I don’t unfortunately but if you find one let me know. I have seen it for sale at hydroponic shops and the odd cannabis shop in western canada. I would start there
My pumice floats in a cup of water ??
I use 8L pots. I bottom water using an automatic valve. I suffer from Root rot many times. I am using pumice and coco peat. I am also using 2 inches of pumice at the bottom of my pot. I use all my bottom water within 12 hours. Any advise to avoid root rot. 1) should I stay away from using rocks/pumice at the bottom. 2) Can I use microbes to help me protect my roots -like bacillus .?
you can but check out my video on perched water tables and you can but jast add organic ammendmetns
I finally have a yard. Do you have any tips on when/how I can make my first raised bed? I’m in zone 6b. I want one with veggies in the spring and another with a pollinator garden.
Yea! Absolutely I can do that for you.
Hi from Maryland! We’ve got red clay soil.
That’s beautiful! 🥰
I am thinking of putting a layer of pumice under a deep pot and above the pumice is potting mix for vegetables (e.g. spinach). The drainage holes will be placed exactly between the pumice and potting mix demarcation. Any thoughts of what might happen to vegetable plants in this kind of scenario? Thanks.
Yea so your biggest concern is going to be a perched water table. I’ve done a whole video on this I’ll leave the link below. But your main focus should be on where the roots will be sitting and making sure the soil depth is enough for the bulk of the root system.
This is the video ua-cam.com/video/UwmKetirxbA/v-deo.html with vegetable gardens I think it’s less of a concern because they are growing so rapidly.
@@GardeningInCanada thank you so much for your reply. I really appreciate it. God bless.❤❤❤😍😍😍
❤️❤️❤️
Perch water wouldn’t be a problem using pumice.
Watching from ABU DHABI U.A.E.
Its a little heavier than pearlite. Pearlite woks better but it breaks down very fast. If you are somebody who reuses your soil many times pumice is much better than pearlite. It tends to move towards the bottom of a pot when you water
Great points!
@@stevemar.6758 It does move towards the bottom of the pot over time a bit but not enough to be an major issue.. I currently have over 50 plants in a mix with pumice stone. Pots from 1-50 gallons. I reuse my potting soil. I stared amending perlite as well because I don't like how heavy the pumice is and also I feel like it causes more cavitation than it does aeration. My mixes with pearlight always seem to do better even if I have to add some more when I re amend my soil. Also I really don't like the pumice in smaller pots than 2 gals.
Compare cat litter to the fired, dyed clay on roof shingles. Every year roof shingles shed a good amount of ceramic into the soil naturally, it's cumulative, and it's everywhere. That's a good enough reason to find out if such an addition to the soil is beneficial or not, don't you think?~
Hahah oh! I’ve never thought of that, I love that idea.
Oh it's not merely an idea if it's been shedding into our soils for the last 60-80 years or so~ Luckily if anything it's a good thing. Google the wiki for Asphalt Shingles, wups, the last line of the wiki says they contain carcenogenic materials, oh well, there goes the neighborhood~
Google "How it's made Asphalt shingles", to see the process, i read that the clay pieces are clay coated something else. Darn, that episode isn't done by the regular How it's made guy with the sooooothing voice.
HAHAHA I haven’t grown a third eye yet so that’s good.
I love your parrots:) do you think pumice would be better than leca for passive hydro setup or equal ? Thank you:)
I think it would be equal the only thing it would be better for is a shallow pot setup because LECA can be too light at times.
Thank you!
Anytime!
Not all pumice is created equally. Much like all volcanic substrates they can vary wildly. You'll get some pumice with low porosity and you'll get some that looks like the craters on the moon.
That’s fair it’s a mined product so I’d expect variability
hi can you use pumice instead of leca for semi hydro?
Yup! I’ve seen it done with pumice, perlite
Yes
Is pea gravel similar at all to pumice
Science me truely
Would be much better if your voice was not low high low high.
Just talk normal. You are smart.
Great vid!! Can i use pure pumice?
Yea! So I didn’t mention it in this video but you could do a hydroponic set up with this similar to what I do with my leca ua-cam.com/video/itWyD43obm0/v-deo.html
@@GardeningInCanada thank you so much! I am worried because im using pure pumice to my adansonii. Big help! Keep it up👌
It’s awesome stuff! ua-cam.com/video/sCsuKHCLVqY/v-deo.html
@@GardeningInCanada Checkout the Swedish Plant Guys video on planting in pure pumice.
Will do!
Great video i thought it be exactly the same as perlite thanks for the clarification:)
Much love xoxox thanks
slight differences! 😊 ps this comment came up showing you as a top subscriber
@@GardeningInCanada I have been catching all your videos you put out even if I'm a few days late I will get here ;)
I'm trying to catch a playlist of yours here and there to catch up too :)
Hope it helps much love xoxox
Hahah helps a ton thanks so much!
@@GardeningInCanada your welcome:) im happy to find more Canadian channels
Im kinda disabled now so i dont work so i have time on my hands ;)
The rabbits keep us pretty busy tho lol
Thanks much love xoxox
Hahah aweeee. Are they outdoor or indoor
It's funny because in the west its pricey while perlite is cheap. its the total opposite here in Philippines. 4 kilos of pumice is just 75 pesos = 2$
thats crazy you are getting a better deal HAHA much better product
I got a better price at the horse feed store. Pumice was considerably dustier than General’s and a huge bag.
That’s a really good idea
All is well in Michigan 6b
I hate perlite...
Saskatchewan
How do you have only 6k subscribers?? I’m stunned. SHARE THE CHANNEL PEOPLE! You have no clue the value of this girls contribution clearly 😒 I do lol thank you 😘
Haha thanks so much. It’s probably because I’m not fancy at filming
@@GardeningInCanada No way! You do the same if not more than sooo many of these UA-cam plant personalities. But you also offer a far greater tool which is scientific knowledge. I think the average person just wants a cute plant that thrives and they think water is all you need. Those of us who take it more seriously truly value you and your work. So maybe 6k is saying more than not enough views, but the right people who actually appreciate the value are viewing.
Yea! Hahah thanks 😊
So you’re a scientist and you did not know about pumice? 🤔
It’s almost like new products become available in different countries at different times 🤯
too much blah blah and no the information i need
Stick to TikTok