Mandala

[libby]

Hope this is in the right place.

Mr Mandala says not to mix vermiculite/perlite with soil for certain plants.(sativa)

Can someone give me a good reason why? convince me when for many years of being a gardener, not mj, i always believe in airiation (sp)

Sort of defeats the object of hydro....... i think?

 

[Guest]

Hope this is in the right place.

Mr Mandala says not to mix vermiculite/perlite with soil for certain plants.(sativa)

Can someone give me a good reason why? convince me when for many years of being a gardener, not mj, i always believe in airiation (sp)

Sort of defeats the object of hydro....... i think?

Hey again libby:

I don't know why Mandala says that. It would be a good question to ask on the Mandala forum...and no this isn't it I'm afraid.

Anyway, very very few of the growers here would agree with his advice about perlite. I've been gardening for 30+ years. You just have to have it in my opinion.

The only thing I think of is that he is in Holland. Maybe soils are way better draining than potting mixes here. I have no clue. I don't see how they could be though.

I just flat out disagree with Mandala's advice regarding perlite. You need 30-40% of your soil mix volume to be perlite IMO. Some will say 25-33%, but I don't know many who advocate below 25% of soil mix volume being perlite.

I don't use vermiculite in my soil mix because that sort of defeats the purpose of the perlite...plus it's just not needed for growing weed if you have a decent potting mix.

I found out early on my first grow that cannabis does NOT like to be in heavy wet soil. And most plants don't in my experience. How much perlite depends somewhat on the compostion of the organic makeup of your potting soil. If it has a lot of peat and/or sphagnum moss, then you usually need more perlite....since the mosses retain water very well. That's my 2 cents anyway LOL!!

Good luck with your grow.

pedro


Here is where you want to go on ICMAG for Mandala forum

http://www.icmag.com/ic/forumdisplay.php?forumid=76

There are several threads fairly current on Satori on this forum.

pedro

 

[Guest]

actually i think he is in spain
thats where my seeds came from anyhow



peace-bear ​

That is probably true thinking about it. The main thing he is in Europe somewhere. The potting mixes may be different there. And if you read his advice, he waters differently than many of us do here...so that may have a bearing on it the issue of perlite.

pedro

 

[Guest]

3. Do not stretch commercial soil with a lot of perlite/vermiculite/hydroton/coco coir etc. This only reduces the amount of available nutrients. Don't fill the bottom of the pots with stones/clay pellets. The roots grow down and need a substrate that holds water at the bottom. Good potting soil like Compo Sana Universal already contains enough additives for a balanced air-to-soil ratio and roots get plenty of oxygen. If you are growing outdoors in very compact soil then you should add 20-25% perlite for a better air-to-soil ratio.

 

[libby]

3. Do not stretch commercial soil with a lot of perlite/vermiculite/hydroton/coco coir etc. This only reduces the amount of available nutrients. Don't fill the bottom of the pots with stones/clay pellets. The roots grow down and need a substrate that holds water at the bottom. Good potting soil like Compo Sana Universal already contains enough additives for a balanced air-to-soil ratio and roots get plenty of oxygen. If you are growing outdoors in very compact soil then you should add 20-25% perlite for a better air-to-soil ratio.

i beleive that is as quote from the mandal;a site???