Vermiculite FYI

I have had excellent results starting seeds in containers (margarine tubs, sherbert tubs etc.) filled with vermiculite. Just poked a few holes for draining, filled, soaked it good, sprinkled the seed on top, sprayed with water. It holdes water very well so it is easy to keep moist. You can cover it with plastic wrap until the seeds sprout, although I didn't find it necessary. As soon as the seedlings are up and looking strong (a week or so old) I transplant them to 6-packs.The roots come out fairly easily, using a pencil or seed pricking tool. So far I've done marigolds, daisys, cabbage, broccoli,tomatoes, petunias, etc. It's great!

Thanks for sharing the information. I imagine you have little to no damping off problems with that sterile medium. And the roots of the seedlings sort of grow into the vermiculite pieces I have found, so they can be transplanted without too much disturbance. John

dh said they are taking this off the market is this true?

Farmgirl

I don't think they are but here's a site with some news and information. http://www.vermiculite.net/

I sow most large seeds in vermiculite, I agree it's an excellent media for germination.

i have been using it ever since i learned about it(from here). my problem is no one around here is stocking it anymore. i think that is where dh thought they took it off the market. i sure hope they didn't

can't get it around here,it was pulled from the shelves....

baa,
that link is everything and more you ever wanted to know about vermiculite. now i had no idea it was a natural resource.

i thought vermiculite was a man-made product. so i have learned something new today. along with a few other tidbits including using it to germinate. now i bought some last fall when it was marked down to get it off the shelves. glad i did.
are they taking it off the shelves because they have found asbestos in some of it, like at that New jersey plant, or are there other reasons?

It probably is due to the problems with some of it being contaminated by asbestos but it seems to be only the US who are taking off the shelves at the moment, it was in full view in the GC last week here.

I got mine at Lowes, but that was last year. I sure hope they are not going to discontinue selling it!

well dh keeps telling me that we are not going to be able to get it anymore. what would we use in its place?

I've found a few sites where one can still get it. If you type www.mortonproducts.com/page.cfm/1485 on the address line of your browser it will take you directly to the page to order horticultural vermiculite at $6.95 per 4 cu. ft. The only problem is they don't tell what the shipping is until your order is confirmed.
There is also www.Uline.com (type vermiculite in the advanced search). It's expensive there though, $21 for the 4 cu. ft size, and you had to order at least two.

I would have given you hyperlinks, but I don't know how. If anyone would care to educate me, I would be grateful.

I use vermiculite also.
BE SURE YOU WEAR A DUST MASK when handling it in the dry form.
It is supected that it can cause lung cancer if inhaled.
Once you wet it down, its fine, but when dry tends to blow around in a fine dust like state.
Better safe than sorry.

Paul

skyeblu, just type in the web address (or copy and paste it in), and the hyperlink will automatically be created when your message is posted. So, if you are on the (morton products) site, just click in the address bar (to select the address), go to the Edit button, click on Copy. Now it is ready to Paste into your message. When you are ready, just hit Edit again, then Paste. It will be turned into a link automatically when posted. John

Does perlite work in the same way?

Alyssum
Yes it does
I use Perlite to start my cuttings.

Paul

Perlite isn't much good for medium sized seeds and it tends to remain drier than vermiculite.

As Paul says, it's an excellent hydroponic medium for cuttings or to use to open up the soil mix in containers.

The stores here sell vermiculite and perlite as of yesterday. Maybe the ones in your area are just temporarily out? Can you ask for a special order?

One store had 3-qt bags for $0.99 last week, they had a good quantity.

Lowes stocks both vermiculite and perlite

John, thanks for the help. I'll try it soon.

I like to use perlite. Vermiculite was a major ingredient in the soil mixture I used for Hibiscus, but it seemed to keep the soil too moist for other perennials. I prefer ProMix, but have trouble finding it here.