Alternatives to silica sand/perlite

Alternatives to silica sand/perlite#196143

By Elaol -  Wed Feb 19, 2014 2:27 pm
Posts:  55
Joined:  Thu Jan 23, 2014 10:11 am

- Wed Feb 19, 2014 2:27 pm #196143

Is there any alternatives to silica sand/perlite? I've only found 25 kg silica sand for kids playground (and I don't need that much) and perlite is nowhere to be found.I hear orchid bark can be used with pure peat as the alternative. Is that true? Or is there anything else that can be used? Tomorrow I am going to the city, so can I buy something else? I've decided not to use peat with zeolite I will buy another one

Re: Alternatives to silica sand/perlite#196147

By sss -  Wed Feb 19, 2014 5:54 pm
Posts:  122
Joined:  Thu May 02, 2013 8:50 pm

- Wed Feb 19, 2014 5:54 pm #196147

orchids bark works for nepenthes I'm not sure about other plants. I would go with thousand worst thing that could happen is you get extra sand for next time you repot

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Re: Alternatives to silica sand/perlite#196182

By Elaol -  Thu Feb 20, 2014 10:32 am
Posts:  55
Joined:  Thu Jan 23, 2014 10:11 am

- Thu Feb 20, 2014 10:32 am #196182

I am on one group on facebook, they say styrofoam is great when chopped and mixed with peat. What do you guys think?

Re: Alternatives to silica sand/perlite#196186

By steve booth -  Thu Feb 20, 2014 1:45 pm
Posts:  1236
Joined:  Mon Jul 18, 2011 11:15 am

- Thu Feb 20, 2014 1:45 pm #196186

As far as I'm aware in an acidic soil styrofoam SLOWLy releases chemicals into the soil which can untimately be detremental to your plants.
Washed and tested (TDS) coir can be mixed with peat as can gravel (no lime or soft material something like fish tank gravel is OK), sphagnum moss (as long as it is sphagnum) or any other filling material that is inert, the inert bit being crucial.
Cheers
Steve

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Re: Alternatives to silica sand/perlite#196319

By Starchy -  Sat Feb 22, 2014 4:02 pm
Posts:  962
Joined:  Sat Jun 02, 2012 3:58 am

- Sat Feb 22, 2014 4:02 pm #196319

Where abouts do you live elaol? I will take a stab at finding you silica/perlite.

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Re: Alternatives to silica sand/perlite#196347

By Kevonicus -  Sun Feb 23, 2014 12:19 am
Posts:  595
Joined:  Mon Apr 08, 2013 12:55 am

- Sun Feb 23, 2014 12:19 am #196347

Starchy wrote:Where abouts do you live elaol? I will take a stab at finding you silica/perlite.

I was gonna say, you'd have to be pretty not find either!

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