What Is The Difference Between Perlite And Vermiculite

The difference between the two is in how to hold water.

Vermiculite acts more like a sponge in the way it soaks up water and holds on to it. Although both can hold plant nutrients such as those in soluble fertilizers perlite has a low rating and. If applied to plants that are cacti it is feared that they can rot the roots. It both protects seedlings from fungus that so often ruins seed starting and helps to retain water in the tiny little pods that seeds start in.

Vermiculite finds its way into many seed starting systems. Perlite on the other hand will add drainage to the soil that it s mixed with. However what perlite does is increase drainage. While vermiculite is able to hold more water it allows less aeration for the plant root when compared to perlite.

Vermiculite will mix with soil and help to retain water. We ve already covered the biggest difference. This water retention property is the most well known difference between perlite and vermiculite. Where vermiculite captures more water than perlite.

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Perlite is rated as low in its capacity for ph buffering and vermiculite is rated as high. Those small balls have all kinds of nooks and crannies that suck up water. They are both used in propagation of new plants and for seed starting and cultivation for indoor growing outdoor growing and composting. Perlite on the other hand is round and holds its water like a little cavern structure.

Vermiculite is flat and holds its water like a sponge. It is important to know that perlite does not absorb water while vermiculite does. But and this is an important but vermiculite is more compressible and less porous than perlite giving vermiculite higher water holding capacity when it s used as a planting medium. Thus its use also differs according to the level of ability to capture water.