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is Perlite organic?

B

bongoman

Member
Hi there

Is perlite consistent with organics? Or is to be avoided in organics?

I've been growing soilless with coco and perlite and am reluctant to dump the finished coco and perlite into the compost pile which feeds an organic vegie garden.

Not sure what to do with the left overs...the perlite reminds me of polysterene and just feels like it shouldn't be allowed to escape from pots.
 
Last edited:
guineapig

guineapig

Active member
Veteran
Perlite is puffed-up chips of mica, a naturally occurring mineral, which is heated until it puffs-up like popcorn.....therefore i feel it is consistent with organics but maybe not
vegan organic orthodoxy.....

i just think it kinda looks unnatural in the compost pile so maybe gather it all up and bury it in a hole......that would be an interesting outdoor growing experiment as well....outdoor hydro perlite medium....

:ying: kind regards from guineapig :ying:
 
Suby

Suby

**AWD** Aficianado
Veteran
You not eating the soil, perlite is an inert substrate so none of it's components make it into your food.
I lightens soil and makes it more impervious to fungus and other packed soil pathogens.
It has the same role as sand in soil but is lighter and it does refine itself with use.
I would put it in and not sweat it, it is nothing like polystyrene.

If you knew how much treatment goes into making quality coco you wouldn't worry about the perlite lol.

Peace
S
 
J

JackTheGrower

perlite seems safe to add to the compost pile. I am not sure if the coco will compost right away.

Perhaps it's best to send used soils through the compost process first,,,

But no perlite isn't a problem IMO.
 
Mad Scientist

Mad Scientist

Member
No, but I have bad experiences with coco shells because they tend to go mouldy after they get wet. I'd imagine peanut shells may do the same...
 
Suby

Suby

**AWD** Aficianado
Veteran
Dan42nepa said:
anyone ever use packing peanuts? I threw some in with my last soil mix because i was running short of perlite.
Click to expand...

they're fine for perennials but anything for human consumption I would think twice..or more.
perlite is expanded mineral while foam is a chemical product, it does work and we do drink from styrofoam cups and all, but if your growing organic than why not be safe and go the extra mile.

:2cents:

S
 
G

guest123

i really like perlite ,, its great stuff ..
n ot sure on those peanut shells though , they spray them with a lot of chemicals to stop them rotting , watch how long it takes for them to break dwn into the soil ...
i used to empty all the perlite and coco onto my outdoor garden ,, really made the soil nice and friable from the clay that it was , and definately improved the herb growth ...
 
B

bongoman

Member
I chucked a batch of packing peanuts in the compost (my vaporiser arrived packed in a box of them). But they were definitely the cornstarch ones.

They are meant to be bio-degradable and broke down quickly in the compost. If you touch one with your tongue, you can feel it dissolve. They are definitely compostable.

I'm feeling a lot more relaxed about perlite in the garden.
 
J

JackTheGrower

Interesting...

here is a snippit from http://www.engineerguy.com/comm/3294.htm


Cornstrach peanuts: A Public Radio Commentary by Bill Hammack
Listen using RealAudio

My wife and I got a package in the mail that fascinated me. I don't even recall its contents, because I was taken with the the green packing peanuts used to protect whatever it was from damage. As I scooped up the pellets to toss them in the trash, my wife said, with a very knowing voice, "Just toss them on the compost pile." What! Plastic in the compost? No. She showed me a slip of paper that explained: There was no "plastic or polluting gases" used to make these peanuts; they were made of cornstarch.

Toss them on your compost pile or spread them on your lawn and with a bit of water they'll dissolve in minutes. These cornstarch packing peanuts are part of a movement called "green engineering."

It's a design philosophy where the environment is explicitly considered from the beginning: A goal is to find processes and products which are feasible and economical while minimizing pollution at the very beginning. These cornstarch packing peanuts are the work of food engineer Bill Stoll.
 
G

Guest

Ive used the cornstarch peanuts to feed my girls once. Just sugar - they seemed to like it. As for the perlite - I once came across an article or website dedicated to composting with added perlite as it helps keep the aerobic bacteria thriving since it adds air to the volume.

I'll see if I can find the link...
 
J

JackTheGrower

strainwhore said:
Ive used the cornstarch peanuts to feed my girls once. Just sugar - they seemed to like it. As for the perlite - I once came across an article or website dedicated to composting with added perlite as it helps keep the aerobic bacteria thriving since it adds air to the volume.

I'll see if I can find the link...
Click to expand...

I agree.
 
Suby

Suby

**AWD** Aficianado
Veteran
JackTheGrower said:
Interesting...

here is a snippit from http://www.engineerguy.com/comm/3294.htm


Cornstrach peanuts: A Public Radio Commentary by Bill Hammack
Listen using RealAudio

My wife and I got a package in the mail that fascinated me. I don't even recall its contents, because I was taken with the the green packing peanuts used to protect whatever it was from damage. As I scooped up the pellets to toss them in the trash, my wife said, with a very knowing voice, "Just toss them on the compost pile." What! Plastic in the compost? No. She showed me a slip of paper that explained: There was no "plastic or polluting gases" used to make these peanuts; they were made of cornstarch.

Toss them on your compost pile or spread them on your lawn and with a bit of water they'll dissolve in minutes. These cornstarch packing peanuts are part of a movement called "green engineering."

It's a design philosophy where the environment is explicitly considered from the beginning: A goal is to find processes and products which are feasible and economical while minimizing pollution at the very beginning. These cornstarch packing peanuts are the work of food engineer Bill Stoll.
Click to expand...

great post and good to know, it makes you wonder why styrofoam peanuts are still legal and availble...

S
 
G

Guest

Some pertilite is treated whith chemicals. I have never had a compost, worm, or garden problem with pertilite after years of consolidation in the respective areas.
 
J

JackTheGrower

"Some pertilite is treated whith chemicals."

Now that doesn't make me happy.

I wonder what chemicals?
 
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