FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I have to laugh at all the perlite haters. It doesn't magically float up through the soil you know. Sure, the stuff on top might float but that's all. It's great stuff for drainage and aeration of the mix.

No, it doesn't magically float up through the soil. It is a quite physical, non-magical process, driven by the fact that perlite is less dense than water and the soil is [mostly] not. So unless you're careful to water very slowly so there's little or no chance of particle suspension it will push up over time due to buoyancy.

@Panman, have you looked for any "Dry Stall" up your way. Looking online around here I haven't found any. I'll have to get my daughter or SIL to check with their horse network of folks and see if anybody has seen it sold in the area.

I don't think that they are in business any more. I can't find a manufacturer's site. The domain is no longer active and the Facebook page has been hijacked. Bummer.

I'm ordering some from here https://www.generalpumice.com/shop. $10/gallon. Not cheap but I'll see what it does.

tommyr wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 8:27 pm I have to laugh at all the perlite haters. It doesn't magically float up through the soil you know. Sure, the stuff on top might float but that's all. It's great stuff for drainage and aeration of the mix.

Yes, But when it turns green and slimy and disgusting looking I have issues with it.

Panman wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 9:58 pm I'm ordering some from here https://www.generalpumice.com/shop. $10/gallon. Not cheap but I'll see what it does.

What about this? Same price. Looks similar to what you are getting. Either way let us know the results.
https://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Garden-Pu ... F0aWM&th=1

Yikes. That's like 2X+ what I paid. This is what I have:

https://www.ebstone.org/product/pumice/

It was 8 quarts (2 gallons) for like $7.25+tax from a local hardware/garden store. Maybe try their "Find a Store" and see if any of those stores are close or will ship to you?

andynorth wrote:What about this? Same price. Looks similar to what you are getting. Either way let us know the results.
https://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Garden-Pu ... F0aWM&th=1

Same stuff and same company.

Where are you located? West of the Rockies? It makes a difference.

htbm wrote: ↑Thu Nov 23, 2023 12:58 am Yikes. That's like 2X+ what I paid. This is what I have:

https://www.ebstone.org/product/pumice/

It was 8 quarts (2 gallons) for like $7.25+tax from a local hardware/garden store. Maybe try their "Find a Store" and see if any of those stores are close or will ship to you?

I have several locations near me. Will have to give it a try.

andynorth wrote: ↑Thu Nov 23, 2023 3:32 am I have several locations near me. Will have to give it a try.

You have actual volcanoes near you! can you harvest pumice straight from the source?

elaineo wrote: ↑Thu Nov 23, 2023 4:08 am

andynorth wrote: ↑Thu Nov 23, 2023 3:32 am I have several locations near me. Will have to give it a try.

You have actual volcanoes near you! can you harvest pumice straight from the source?

I was thinking some of the western beaches were pumice sand so went on a search. Pumice apparently is a strange phenomenon in some situations... First thing is that it floats...I thought it would sink. There are giant "rafts" of it floating around the ocean(s?). It has something to do with the creation of "raised beaches". And I already knew it came from volcanoes. So, there...everybody knows as much as I do now.

One tip on harvesting it at the source....let it cool down first!

elaineo wrote: ↑Thu Nov 23, 2023 4:08 am

andynorth wrote: ↑Thu Nov 23, 2023 3:32 am I have several locations near me. Will have to give it a try.

You have actual volcanoes near you! can you harvest pumice straight from the source?

Actually, yes I do. Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker, Mt. St. Helens, 3 Sisters in Oregon. Several more I can not recall the names of. I live near the Cascade Mountains. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Cascade_volcanoes

Happy Thanksgiving

andynorth wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 10:40 pm Yes, But when it turns green and slimy and disgusting looking I have issues with it.

My plants sit outside year-round under an open sky, so perlite (and peat moss) washing out of the pots became an issue very fast. I solved it by putting a thin top layer of LFS on the pots (after soaking it in water). The moss cover holds the soil in place and also helps retain water. My plants have sat through hurricane downpours with nothing washing out of their pots. A layer of sand on top does the same thing. I've seen people putting pine straw on their pots and bog gardens (mostly Sarracenia) without any issues.