Let's just say: I take my hobbies seriously! :D
That stuff in the back is 100 litres of perlite, a cheap, lightweight volcanic material that provides aeration in potting mixes! 🌱
The other main component is going to be coir (aka coconut fibre), which has the opposite property: it holds water really well! I found it in this brick shape.
Perlite looks and feels like small pebbles of styrofoam. It wasn't as dusty as I thought, but let's still give it a good rinse!
...and this should, in theory, be an excellent substrate for starting seeds! This is a "soil-less" mix, and it's pretty much void of nutrients; the seeds already pack everything they need to get started. Or so I've heard. I barely know what I'm doing! :D
@blinry Sounds like my experiments right now! This mix sounds very close to "Mel's Mix" which is used for square foot gardening. 1:1:1 vermiculite : peat moss : compost. But you can switch the vermiculite with perlite for better drainage, and peat moss for coconut coir. I decided to try it when I found this post from someone who tested it against some others: https://journeywithjill.net/gardening/2020/03/09/3-raised-bed-soil-mixes-compared/
@holly Oooh interesting! Thanks so much for your input, learning from your experiences is great! :)
@holly Do you use vermiculite yourself? Do you have opinions on vermiculite vs perlite, in the context of potted indoor plants? :)
@blinry According to this random internet person, vermiculite retains more water, perlite is better for drainage. I tend to get fungus gnats in my indoor plants, so I picked perlite to hopefully reduce the chance of standing water. And I'm using perlite for outdoor plants, as well, because with all the rain we get here drainage is a priority. https://www.gardenbetty.com/perlite-vs-vermiculite/
