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Excess Vermeculite - Any Other Uses Besides Mix?

14 years ago

I'm cleaning out my GH to get ready to winter sow and I won't be making my own soil mix this year BUT I have this huge bag of vermeculite still left (and is hogging much needed room in the GH).

Other than making soil mix, any other ideas I can run with to get this stuff used up? (If this was 1970, I'd make some bean bag chairs!!! OMG, R U as old as me??)

Going dumpster diving for more milk jugs - wish me non-stinky luck!

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Comments (6)

donn_
14 years ago
Vermiculite has the same qualities in garden soil as in potting mix. Dig it into your flower or vegetable beds, and it will add tilth, aeration and drainage.

If you're into crafts, you can use it in hypertufa mix. Check the forums for details.
aliska12000
14 years ago
What about 2 large bags of peat I don't need. It is too much work to dig it all in. Dump it here and there and cover w/used potting soil (have some largish containers I need to change the soil in).

I don't have a good composting setup.
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nbacres
Original Author
14 years ago
I was kinda hoping for some ideas that don't involve too much muscle & sweat :-O) ha ha!

donn, I'd never heard of hypertufa mix crafting so checked out the forum. My DH will ban me from the house adn garage if I started another hobby (he's a fan of the GH, kinda a fan of seed starting & the fish pond, BUT thinks I'm totally crazy for my seed saving, dumpster diving, home-on-the-farm-composter and WS project with milk jugs).

Wondering if I fill the WS jugs up with 2" of potting soil and add another 1-2" of vermeculite?? Would that be too much for the seeds? What about the verm on the bottom and soil on top?

Maybe I'll just sit the bag outside and let the 40 mph Iowa wind blow it around - kinda like an October snowstorm#@#@@.
briergardener_gw
14 years ago
Mix vermeculite with peat moss and some compost, pine bark (small) or potting soil, add lime, put in black bags and moisten, you can keep bags outside. In spring you can use it in containers or garden. Your plants will be happy. Peat moss and vermiculite are not heavy, no muscle required.
aliska12000
14 years ago
Wondering if I fill the WS jugs up with 2" of potting soil and add another 1-2" of vermeculite?? Would that be too much for the seeds? What about the verm on the bottom and soil on top?

nbacres, I wouldn't do that. It's too heavy and grainy, almost like glass shards, pretty light though. It would probably be better to mix it in; I'd guess 3:1 ratio potting soil to verm, or 2:1 might be ok, but my gut instincts tell me no except in very small quantities. It might work the way you suggested, but why take a chance? It does not retain enough moisture which seeds need whether they're planted on top or deeper.

I just sprinkle a slight covering of vermiculite on the top if the instructions say to slightly cover. I'm not sure but what it encourages mold faster from my experience.

On the bottom, I don't think the roots would be happy in it.

Scatter it over the garden or lawn in smaller quantities if you want rid of it or mix it in planting holes, not too much to aerate the soil. In my first try at starting rose cuttings, I used 1/2 verm and 1/2 peat. Bad idea. Should have used 1/2 pearlite and 1/2 peat, use a planting medium now.

Maybe somebody will have a better idea or you'll come up with something more useful and creative. I'm no expert though.
wendy2shoes
14 years ago
If you have any tubers you're storing, vermiculite makes a good packing medium.
I wonder if it would deter slugs from around hostas?

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