THE VIP - VERMICULITE This week’s tip is on the subject of Vermiculite, what it is, what it does, and it’s many uses. What it is & What it Does: Vermiculite is a natural, mined mineral.
It has been used for years to amend professional potting mixes made from peat moss (called “soil-less” mixes or artificial soils because they literally contain no soil). It has also been used in outdoor mixes, turfgrass and outdoor plantings, for gardens, for special 100% vermiculite growing applications, and increasingly for commercial and amateur hydroponics and water conservation, especially in landscaping and gardening.
Horticultural Vermiculite has the excellent property of improving soil aeration while retaining the moisture and nutrients necessary to feed roots, cuttings and seeds for faster growth.
Like Perlite, horticultural vermiculite is permanent, clean, odorless, non-toxic and sterile. It will not deteriorate, turn moldy or rot. The pH of vermiculite is essentially neutral (7.0-9.5) but owing to the presence of associated carbon compounds, the reaction is normally alkaline. It becomes more alkaline with the presence of water.
Vermiculite possesses cation exchange properties, meaning it can hold and make available to the growing plant ammonium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
When mixed with peat, composted bark, organic compost or natural soils, vermiculite, like perlite, helps promote faster root growth, and gives quick anchorage to young roots. This mix helps retain air, plant food and moisture, and releases them as needed by the plant.
Because vermiculite is very light and easy to handle, it easily mixes with soil, peat-composted bark and other composted organic materials and fertilizers, and when used as a carrier or bulking agent, it ensures more even distribution.
Some Plant Uses: Root Cuttings: - Place vermiculite in a small pot or container, water thoroughly and insert your cuttings. If your container has sufficient drainage, wetting or watering normally is not a concern.
Soil Amending or Soil Conditioning: – Where native soil is heavy or sticky, gentle mixing of vermiculite in proportions up to one half the volume of soil is recommended. This creates air channels and allows the soil mix to breathe. Mixing vermiculite in flower and vegetable gardens or in potted plants provides the air necessary to maintain vigorous plant growth; and when soils are sandy, the use of vermiculite helps the soil hold the water and air needed for plant growth.
Seed Germination - Use vermiculite alone or mixed with soil, peat, or perlite, and very little watering will be needed. You will notice that not only do more seeds germinate, but the seeds will also germinate faster. When vermiculite is used alone, seedlings should be fed with a weak fertilizer solution when the first true leaves appear. A tablespoon of soluble fertilizer per one gallon of water should be enough. When vermiculite is mixed half and half with soil, peat, composted pine bark, or other properly composted soil materials, no additional feeding should be required right up to the time of transplanting. Because vermiculite is sterile, the threat of what some professionals call “damping-off” is virtually eliminated. And later, seedlings can be removed from vermiculite with little danger of breaking off their roots, and the dense root growth enables young plants to take hold immediately.
House Plants and Containers: – Vermiculite eliminates the problem of compacted soils in flowerpots. Mixed half and half with soil, peat or composted products, it provides excellent aeration and moisture control, and it lightens the mix so larger pots can be placed on shelves or hung from the ceiling. In addition, vermiculite amended soils allow the roots in a flowerpot to spread out quicker and more evenly, and require far less watering.
Storing Bulbs and Root Crops: – Pour vermiculite around bulbs stored in a container. If clumps with bulbs are dug out, allow these to dry for a few hours in the sun, place them in cartons or bushel baskets and then cover the dried clumps with vermiculite. The absorptive power of vermiculite acts as a regulator that prevents mildew and moisture fluctuation during the storage period. It will not absorb moisture from the inside of the stored tubers, but it does take up free water from the outside, preventing storage rot. Stored tubers are protected from even the most severe temperature changes.
Now you know why vermiculite is “VIP”  See you next week!
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