Vermiculite? Still Avail.?

[Germankreuz]

Been to Lowes and WalMart looking for vermiculite. Couldnt find it. When I asked the guy at WalMart he told me they stopped making it?
Is this true?

 

[Guest]

Dont know but they got it at that job lot place,but perlite is safer.

 

[shrike]

Perlite and vermiculite produce opposite results.

Perlite adds drainage and vermiculite adds water retention. Personally the more common problem with indoor growing is poor drainage or soil that stays wet too long, causing root rot damage.

I'd skip the vermiculite for the sake of watering a bit more often. Its safer for your plants.

Edit: I doubt that whomever makes vermiculite has stopped making it. It's more likely that your store doesn't order it.

Cheers

 

[Germankreuz]

Yeah I didnt think they stopped making it. Picked up perlite too, just was thinking of my ol mix of 1/3 each. Guess its not really necessary.
Thanks for the .02

 

[dan kay]

I'd heard a crazy rumor about a year ago about vermiculite being contaminated with asbestos and i blew it off back then, but i just did some research and it appears there's some merit to that. don't know if that's affecting supply, it just looks like 1 of the mines was contaminated but that could affect the supply used for agriculture uses since its also used in insulation etc.

http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/factsheets/vermiculite.htm
http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/verm.html

 

[Guest]

Perlite and vermiculite produce opposite results.

Perlite adds drainage and vermiculite adds water retention. Personally the more common problem with indoor growing is poor drainage or soil that stays wet too long, causing root rot damage.

I'd skip the vermiculite for the sake of watering a bit more often. Its safer for your plants.

Edit: I doubt that whomever makes vermiculite has stopped making it. It's more likely that your store doesn't order it.

Cheers

^^^^^^^^^listen to this guy, guy


if you want it youll have to go to a private greenhouse/nursery/garden center

depot and lowes both stopped orderin it - anything you find there is old stock
if you do find any it'll be sta-green brand at lowes-
maroon bags yellow traingle logo on front with white text :0
yeah, look 4 that....
likely pulverized and sandy like, by now tho
its been a couple yrs already since theyve stopped carryin it..
verm is 100% safe if yer not a moron and nosin into the bag like a putce

if youre a schmuck,
consider wettin it down before workin with it,
the dust is dangerous as any dust is dangerous in your lung

piece

Ps. its available online as a last resort
but for this hobby, your nutz...too much $ and hassle,
just use polymers for outdoor if you need em,
and perlite is the only aggregate you need to add if inside
add some (well aged) compost (i like mushroom compost or castings)
if your lookin for moisture retention and cant find verm.
or just top-dress with your moisture retainer of choice...
indoors perlite is your best friend, makes a great breathable top dressing

verm is nice if you know how to use it
+ promix already contains a good amount
i have an unlimited supply which i use to build my home made soiless mix.

 

[Moltar]

Lowes still carries vermiculite... I work there. It's in a red bag, by the rose food. Most of the bags have orchids/violets on them. Tru Green is the brand most often stocked. You really have to look to find it in the garden center sometimes, it should be by the perlite unless whoever stocked it was... If you're looking by the small bags of guano/that stuff, you're in the wrong place.

 

[Guest]

thats rare.

these stores have stopped carrrying it, and no lowes ive ever been to had guano

u sure you work at lowes home center and not lowes hydro store? LOL

maybe u just live in cali or employees grow mushrooms

 

[Guest]

-aight well
just swung thru AFOM
the ladies needed a drink anyway
was in a bit of a rush but AFOM took a couple snaps
for u guys lookin to stock up on whatever the stores have left.
heres a good visual guide.
note the pbp bottle AFOM stuck next to it for scale

hope this helps, it was np to take these - enjoy

Ps. :wink:
like i said above unless somebody who works there is into some freaky shit, they have completely quit bringin the stuff in.........cali and oregon lowes may have it i wouldnt know bout any of that tho

 

[Guest]

Lowes and HD carry vermiculite and perlite... atleast all the ones around here do.

Perlite and vermiculite produce opposite results.

Perlite adds drainage and vermiculite adds water retention. Personally the more common problem with indoor growing is poor drainage or soil that stays wet too long, causing root rot damage.

I'd skip the vermiculite for the sake of watering a bit more often. Its safer for your plants.

Edit: I doubt that whomever makes vermiculite has stopped making it. It's more likely that your store doesn't order it.

Cheers

Both perlite and vermiculite absorb water... you can never go wrong with vermiculite, anything that helps space out waterings kicks ass.

 

[Indica Jones]

Vermiculite is used as insulator in cinder blocks. They will never stop making it.

 

[Moltar]

thats rare.

these stores have stopped carrrying it, and no lowes ive ever been to had guano

u sure you work at lowes home center and not lowes hydro store? LOL

maybe u just live in cali or employees grow mushrooms

the store manager probably does grow mushrooms... he's pretty far out there. I work at a very large LOWES in the midwest, with contractor pickup etc (assuming i work at a large lowes, never been to any others). Bat guano, peat moss, lime, everything that a grower would need is always in stock year round, near the patio furniture. I still buy my own things at a hydro store instead of lowes though.

 

[Germankreuz]

Strange Ive been to 2 Lowes already in my area and Nada. Never saw Bat Guano there either. Maybe the stores near me dont have a large garden center.....Gonna head out today for a sunday mission and find me some
CaptJack the pics inspired me to get off my stoned ass and get going! LOL

 

[Guest]

I'd heard a crazy rumor about a year ago about vermiculite being contaminated with asbestos and i blew it off back then, but i just did some research and it appears there's some merit to that. don't know if that's affecting supply, it just looks like 1 of the mines was contaminated but that could affect the supply used for agriculture uses since its also used in insulation etc.

http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/factsheets/vermiculite.htm
http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/verm.html

Vermiculite


Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral that may contain asbestos. Vermiculite has the unusual property of expanding into worm-like accordion shaped pieces when heated. The expanded vermiculite is a light-weight, fire-resistant, absorbent and odorless material. These properties allow vermiculite to be used to make numerous products, including attic insulation, packing material and garden products.

Asbestos contamination in vermiculite and vermiculite products has become a national concern. A tremendous amount of information has been made available to the public via print, television/radio and the Internet. EPA's vermiculite pages provide users with basic information about Vermiculite and its uses, factsheets, Question and Answer documents, reports, and links to EPA Regional vermiculite pages.

EPA, in conjunction with Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), has launched a national awareness campaign to arm homeowners with important information on vermiculite attic insulation.

http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/

 

[Guest]

Lowes and HD should be stocking up on all that stuff this week or atleast this month sometime. Most places dont carry perlite and all that in winter. Around here I have to order everything. but I guesss it just depends where you live. We have a very short grow season so theres like 5 months outta the year that stores actually have what I need.

Im gonna go out this week and hopefully they have shit in stock. I remember goin in Sep. and could barely find soil. Itll be good to be able to just pick it up from a store ( i never buy more then what I need at the time) rather then having to wait a week and pay for shipping.

 

[Guest]

i work at home depot and we sell perlite and vermiculite in 4 cubic foot bags for $9

 

[Indica Jones]

Quote:
It is still a good idea to wear a mask when using that or perlite as they both have a heavy dust to them......


Put your ingredients in a giant Hefty bag, seal it up, and then shake and roll it around to mix your soil or soiless mix.

 

[Guest]

www.vermiculite.org

anybody looking for vermiculite online (in small amounts/shipping is a bitch)
that can't find it pm me for a link

 

[Guest]

Quote:
It is still a good idea to wear a mask when using that or perlite as they both have a heavy dust to them......


Put your ingredients in a giant Hefty bag, seal it up, and then shake and roll it around to mix your soil or soiless mix.

doesn't matter.
the ass-end of the bag is some dusty shit,
never breath this or any rock-dust in, its terrible for ya

cover yer face with ya t-shirt when initially pourin it into yer mix,or that hefty bag

 

[aeric]

for perlite, rockwool, verm, clay balls, other irratants:

Wear a high quality mask that actually seals around the mouth instead of those cheap dust masks. Wear goggles, especially for perlite (when you first open the bag some of it inevitably floats up to your eyes and it hurts). Wear vinyl/other synthetic gloves that reach a little up the arms (especially for irratants like rockwool) rather than latex gloves that just go to the wrist. Mixing amounts more than 1 cubic foot or so in a garbage bag are difficult.

I find it helpful to spray perlite immediately after opening the bag, and rinsing lightly through a strainer helps get rid of the finer dust. clay dust (hydroton) is found in the state of CA to cause cancer (probably long term heavy exposure only, but worth mentioning). I am phasing away from mediums with these hazards, rockwool is my all time fav. but alas it will be used no more. Aquarium rocks are used where hydroton would have been, coir for everything else.