Do I need perlite?
- Thread starter sgr42o
- Start date
Kinda up to u on that one. I can tell u that adding perlite will significantly improve drainage, which is a good thing as the roots are allowed more o2. A lot of soils come with perlite in them already, but not enough for me. I like a 3-1 or 4-1 ratio of soil/perlite. Some people grow only in perlite.
Lyrical420
Active Member
yeah liek they said it's up to u but if ur doing soil u'll definetly want to make it so it drains well
Calijuana
Well-Known Member
In the soil I have which is a professional grow mix, there is some perlite, but probably only like 5% of it all is actually perlite, rest soil mix. I'm going to buy a couple bags and mix it in, I think you should do the same. It would be hard to hurt it by putting too much in unless you go WAY overboard.
The more perlite the happier they seem in my opinion. I'm recycling as much as I can by dumping my spent soil in a tub of water and skimming it off (the stuff floats FYI) 50/50 is used by many growers.
panhead
Well-Known Member
Yes you need perlite,adding perlite does quite a few things that benifit weed plants.
Increased drainage.
Soil that gets too compact can kill the plant if you overwater,no oxygen is allowed into the inner root mass because the soil never truly dries up,adding a good quantity of perlite helps assure all soil recieves fresh oxygen every watering & dries between waterings.
Loose/fluffy soil.
Adding perlite helps make the soil mixture at it's best potential for maximum root development,root's grow much faster in soil that is loose & fluffy over compact soil.
Added oxygen.
Adding perlite in substantial amounts allows the soil to dry out much faster as saids above,the biggest benifit of quick drying soil is the need for more frequent waterings,every time you water the water delievers fresh oxygen to the root mass which makes the entire plant grow much faster,one of the largest factors why growing hydro is so much faster over soil is the severely increased oxygen delievery to the root mass,flkuffy soil helps close that gap.
Most off the shelf potting soil is pure shit as far as nutrients within the soil & should be amended before planting,here is the mix i use.
Potting soil...............40%.
Perlite.....................30%
Top soil...................20%
Masons sand............10%
Top soil is where the bulk share of the nutrients are contained within soil,adding top soil assures a well balanced supply of nutes,the masons sand increases the bulk of the soil without taking away any real volume in the pot,it also add's drastically to soil drainage & oxygen delievery,just be sure to use "masons sand" only,if you use beach sand or playground sand it will kill your plants from the high salt content.
It's worth the time & extra cash to amend your soil the right way as it increases growth in all areas durring the grow.
Increased drainage.
Soil that gets too compact can kill the plant if you overwater,no oxygen is allowed into the inner root mass because the soil never truly dries up,adding a good quantity of perlite helps assure all soil recieves fresh oxygen every watering & dries between waterings.
Loose/fluffy soil.
Adding perlite helps make the soil mixture at it's best potential for maximum root development,root's grow much faster in soil that is loose & fluffy over compact soil.
Added oxygen.
Adding perlite in substantial amounts allows the soil to dry out much faster as saids above,the biggest benifit of quick drying soil is the need for more frequent waterings,every time you water the water delievers fresh oxygen to the root mass which makes the entire plant grow much faster,one of the largest factors why growing hydro is so much faster over soil is the severely increased oxygen delievery to the root mass,flkuffy soil helps close that gap.
Most off the shelf potting soil is pure shit as far as nutrients within the soil & should be amended before planting,here is the mix i use.
Potting soil...............40%.
Perlite.....................30%
Top soil...................20%
Masons sand............10%
Top soil is where the bulk share of the nutrients are contained within soil,adding top soil assures a well balanced supply of nutes,the masons sand increases the bulk of the soil without taking away any real volume in the pot,it also add's drastically to soil drainage & oxygen delievery,just be sure to use "masons sand" only,if you use beach sand or playground sand it will kill your plants from the high salt content.
It's worth the time & extra cash to amend your soil the right way as it increases growth in all areas durring the grow.
