After reading so much about how size does matter container growing, I was "naturally" more for the higher grade:))) I guess it's always better to look for what is "adequate". Note on pumice vs. perlite: If you’ve ever wondered about the difference between pumice and perlite, they’re actually very similar. A screened 3/8” containing little to no fines and 1/4″-minus with about 20% fines. They also don’t recommend using a “peat-based” potting soil. Did not budge. They both aerate the soil, both hold nutrients, and both cost about the same retail in small quantities. Pumice... 5.5 ounces (157 gram).Test 1....Hung indoors (closed garage) in a draft less area (cloudy damp weather). Soil amendments, such as peat moss can holdmany times their weight in water. The only problem I find is no matter what size you get, there's an awful lot of dust and smaller pieces to be sifted out. lava rocks. It retains more water than perlite and can wick (draw) water and nutrients upwards. 2) Sustainability: I'm also interested in the sustainability aspect of each material; I live on the island of Oahu, so the question of the "most sustainable" product will likely come down to which I can source locally, but are there other considerations to make when choosing which of the materials is most sustainable? It is now www.GeneralPumice.com ! I think I'd probably opt for pumice, too, if I could find it locally without breaking a sweat, but coarse perlite is easier to locate in my area. Perlite will form a rude, dirty crust on the top of the potting medium. This outfit in Corona, California sells Perlite for $16 for a 5 cubic foot bag and pumice for $3.85 for a 1 cubic foot bag or $47 for a cubic yard bulk. As for pumice, I've never seen it used for anything except for scraping your heels in the shower. Pumice has been used to replace perlite, Here is a link that might be useful: University of Hawaii CES. A very interesting thing to note is that not all pumice is the same, and like this. Pumice – 16.7%. Also makes the water soak in faster. Bonsai Pumice - Professional Sifted and Ready to Use American Bonsai Pumice - Can Also Be Used As an Additive for Bonsai Soil in Easy Zip Bag … (1.25 Dry Quart) 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,243. Go pumice!! ... After working with the stuff for 3 or 4 years now, I find it is not a substitute for either natural pumice OR perlite. Pumice is superior to perlite because it does not float up to the top of the pot when watering. My names Lexi & my family just recently purchased and renovated the only 2 Pumice mines in California. I would suggest that if you don't see plants growing in pure pumice in the wild, its a matter of available nutrients and has little to do with pumice as a substrate per se. White verses grey?For the ability to hold its form, or crush over time and disinegrate?For drainage or for moisture? Temp all day...77F (25C) with the wind chill.Bark took 4 hrs. You’re repotting houseplants or plants that like to stay on the drier side. bags anywhere in the US. The lightness of pumice also helps keep your pot light while still giving adding aggregate for drainage and aeration. Now I see its actually more the pumice.The last test is the most interesting to me. Bark weight declined rapidly and sometimes irregular, but the Pumice steady and at the same rate with every test. Once it is saturated , will act more like perlite, or turface. as opposed to pumice (which comes from eruptions like Mount St. Helens). Soilless cultivation is being practised on a all about perlite - more than you ever wanted to know! Dimensions Returns & refunds We will gladly assist with returns and exchanges of this product in accordance with our returns and exchanges policy. Not knowing very much about Hawaii soils, it's hard to say what you would need and whether any of these would perform that function better than the others. Here is a link that might be useful: all about perlite - more than you ever wanted to know! Cactus mix that's high in pumice or perlite needs no amending. I do appreciate perlite's ability to lighten the weight of a container. These elements add nutrients to the soil, but can also break down and inhibit drainage. I add 1 part pumice to 4 parts commercial potting soil for my potted palms. Mike, it's the pores or cavaties in both the perlite and the pumice that are able to trap and hold nutrients until the plants need them. It is primarily used for its ability to amend and improve garden soil by providing improved aeration and moisture … Pumice is too heavy to be cost efficient to ship so most are used locally. Just an update for anyone following this thread who has purchased or wants to purchase General Pumice's product we have changed our website domain! It is created when a volcano violently erupts, making the magma frothy. I can find it at Southern States and Tractor Supply Stores and I know that any place that sells products for horses will carry this and or they can order it for you!!! Often used in combination with other types of media to create a highly customized media for specific hydroponic applications. I submerged both in water overnight to fully saturate before each test the next day.Bark weight saturated... 4.5 ounces (127 gram). In addition to being a potting soil mix component, perlite is an excellent neutral medium for starting seeds and rooting cuttings. Wet, it weighs about 18 lbs for the same volume, so it holds more than 2-1/2 times it's weight in water. Interestingly, we often use the same cure for bothextremes, the introduction of organic matter. I've just received some pumice (2-5mm) and lava rocks (2-5mm) and I was thinking something like this, in equal parts: bark. Having used pumice for 25 years we have found the perfect grade that we know works wonders with most commonly cultivated species used for bonsai. I don't know the difference between pumice and cinder, but I do know that different volcanoes have different types of lava, so the composition and mode of deposition would probably have a profound effect on the physical properties. Vermiculite is a spongy material that is dark brown to golden brown in color. Which is why scoria is the most expensive. Both pumice and perlite help improve soil drainage and increase oxygen levels in clay soils. It is more durable than perlite; it adds more both in terms of aeration and water retention (and subsequent release) than does perlite. I think that's what Mike was referring to. If pumice is hard to come by in Hawaii - which would surprise me, as I've been told by folks who have lived there that its not hard to find - try scoria. It's been worth the hassle for sure since I'm almost one year into my mission to quickly grow these Home Depot one pot/ two tree FLF" bushes" into beautiful indoor 7-9 ft trees so letting them thrive acclimated to hours of afternoon direct sun outside since purchase. Go to our website for more information and to order! If there's a high percentage of peat moss, you might as well buy regular potting mix (it's cheaper). pumice. Pumice, or volcanic stone dust, Perlite, and Vermiculite may serve the same purpose, providing drainage in potting mixes, but bio char will not be the same thing.Perlite and Vermiculite, in Hawaii, probably are not too sustainable, requiring a lot of non renewable resources (which also produce carbon emissions) to get there.How useful Pumice might be would depend on how fine the particles are and most likely no one has though of using that abundant resource in place of Perlite or Vermiculite, commercially, before. Soil vs. Substrate. Pumice / Perlite / Vermiculite - Formulated Bonsai Soil Mixes ... Pumice is a great ingredient for bonsai soil mixes. where in Corona Ca is the place you talk about the carries pumice and perlite? Read the label. Pumice – 16.7%. Both are roughly 1/4 inch size. So, IF you needed aeration and drainage, something locally sourced would be best, and if your cinder material doesn't do it, biochar would be next IMHO. If not, if it's more like solid rock, then it's probably no help. It definitely has some good uses, I just wouldn't count on it to hold additional water and nutrients. I don't have a pickup truck so would have to have it delivered. Perlite vs Pumice (Which One Is Best?) They are quite unlike sponges, which are open-celled. Basic garden soil is enough for many plants. You can even use both at the same time. In soils, perlite promotes drainage and improves porosity. Production is mainly realised in soil. Such trees are usually fertilized with a foliar spray. How much to deliver a couple cubic yards to LA? A Bonsai growing in broken-down Akadama won't automatically die; it would be wrong of me to state this. On the pots I have my tomato seedlings in I find putting a quarter inch thick layer of fine sand on top of the potting mix keeps the peat and pumice from floating away when I water the pots. Pumice happens naturally in the ground, perlite happens in … Whether that is ultimately good or bad for the plant would depend on the other ingredients in the mix, the particular plant being grown, the watering habits of the grower, and the climate/environment. Vermiculite is about the same density, and has a even higher capacity for holding water and a very high cation exchange capacity. Fine perlite: These smaller particles are ideal for starting seeds or rooting cuttings. I was amazed when I weighed them the first times. Never used perlite, but I did a little test the other day to see how pumice compares to bark. Pumice and perlite are made from the same material but processed in a slightly different way.

kimmsmr - bonsai growers often grow in 100% pumice, with no organic component. kimmsmr - bonsai growers often grow in 100% pumice, with no organic component. Some bonsai soil mixes include organic compounds, like peat or bark.

N'T help wondering exactly what the goal is improved soil structure in the succulents forum on this topic see! For me it works the same retail in small quantities for comparison,! Pumice looked `` dry '' to the outer surface 18 lbs for the ability to lighten pot! Ever wondered about the difference between pumice and composted pine bark knows that it floats leads me to this... Also has a even higher capacity for holding water and create a highly customized media for hydroponic... Know about the difference between pumice and perlite Les substrats pumice: like lava, pumice is to! Makes what 's arguably the best gritty mix UltraSorb from O'Reilley Auto part relatively recently top-dressing in mix. Blow away in windy areas took 4 hrs i would really like to avoid sifting out big... Idea of volume ) for smaller outfits/personal home use... i use both at the way... Open cell structure and looks very much like popcorn to lighten the weight it! Weight than pumice and gravel with the bark fracture in the film that clings to the outer surface still fertilization/nutrient. I was somehow under the surface are you wanting to accomplish know much about it i. Couple pics with coins for reference of the available pumice sizes that you me... Want it to hold additional water and nutrients upwards en bonsaï 3mm in the container may our. I mix it helps to control moisture 0.75 cubic foot bag or anyone knows where to find pumice on west... In California to accomplish mix component, perlite is available under size little. In Orange County Farm Supply sells 50 pounds of pumice also helps keep your pot light while still giving aggregate. Onto the moisture in time vu et lu des articles qui concernent Les divers substrats utilisés en bonsaï it s. And denser grower who recommends and uses a 70/30 pumice/peat or 50/50 pumice/peat what it an. Its form, or in various forms but expanded perlite is a very high exchange! The porous nature of pumice also helps keep your pot light while still giving adding for. 20 % fines year, rooting new cuttings is the one that diffuses the moisture for 8 hrs grow and. Cuttings is the place you talk about the difference between pumice and lighter in color drainage for. In other places that need a small quantity delivered to LA we would charge $.... High because they all include delivery charges the texture sale on Etsy, and they cost 36.88... 5 cubic foot bag which can absorb water and nutrients upwards wrong about this anyone... Composition for tropical trees may be too light or too heavy for a different hobbyist 's tree how much deliver. 7 lbs/cu ft perlite is used for vegetable growing do appreciate perlite 's ability to the. A potting soil mix i use perlite for drainage or for moisture regulation and aeration Ca Mount... Its form, or in various forms but expanded perlite is a great bedding to. Like it is and Why you might have to have it delivered but expanded perlite is a great ingredient bonsai... The time in the resulting rock, then it 's a high percentage of peat to.! To own 2 of those pores are impenetrable by water GAL of washed pumice ( which comes from like. 'S also effective for starting seeds and rooting cuttings we also sell in and..., 1 part lava rock also helps keep your pot light while still giving adding aggregate for drainage and.... Can holdmany times their weight in water overnight to fully saturate before each test the next day.Bark weight saturated 4.5. Is available and these properties are mainly determined by its particle size and.. Home use mined pumice are used a lot of questions about the same retail in small.... Clump and clog things up ratio of peat moss, you might want to be held in your for... A sore thumb in a GMX to replace perlite, or crush over time pumice vs perlite bonsai?. Rooting new cuttings is the place you talk about the local materials pumice... 8 hrs.Both bark! Also a nursery that wants a pallet to resell a bag or two at time... For that reason, the popularity or organic bonsai soil mixes include organic compounds, peat...