John,

If you don't find one near Tampa there is a supplier in Dade City. It is not wholesale as the general public can buy from them but the prices are very good for very high quality ag products. I actually just got back from there 20 minutes ago, it is a yearly trip for me. Osmocote, or in the trade the osmocote type fert is sometimes called Caliber cote they have in 3, 6 and 12 month release types and in many formulations, it is kind of pricey at $40 to $53 per 50 pounds.

Regular fertilizer such as 10-10-10 $11.75 per 50 pounds, Citrus type fert say 16-4-8 is $11.00 per 50 pounds. Pellettted sulphur is $10.50 per 50 pounds. I never asked about perlite or vermiculite but they either have it or can get it for you. If you have a tax # it is tax free or if you fill the form out and state it is for ag use it is tax free. Not sure if that is too far from you but just thought I would throw it out there.

Helena Chemical 352-567-5622

Big Earth Landscape Supply (formerly Whole Landscape Supply)

Here is a link that might be useful: Big Earth

Shell's Feed Store on the east side of Nebraska just north of Busch, cheapest price in town for the 4CF bags. If your going to buy in bulk ProSource One in Plant City will save a few bucks per bag but probably won't be worth the gas unless your buying at least ten bags.

Tom

Hey BR, those are great prices for fertilizer! I might just have to make a "one-tank" trip :-)

Tom

Tom,

Those prices are current as of yesterday. Helena is a national fertilizer supplier and the product is top notch. We make a trip down (about 45 minutes for me) once a year and load up. Most of their customers are the farmers and market gardeners in the area. Most places like them are wholesale only but they welcome smaller orders. Very nice people as well. They also have those blue barrels people want and I think they sell them for $5? For a whole barrel.

I was in Shell's Feed store today, they had a little Perlite, but a lot of Vermiculite. I was also at Worm's Way who had a lot of both, but were a little more pricey. I bought my Vermiculite from Big Earth which is listed above and they carry 4cf Perlite as well.

Shell's was a great find for me today. I just started vegetable gardening as an adult last year and was surprised that I couldn't find a "real" feed and seed store like from my youth. I went to Shell's because they were listed as a reseller for Serenade fungicide. It was nice to see everything they had for sale in there. Sorry to hijack the thread a little. :)

Thanks for the recommendations, all. Think I'm leaning towards shells, but will call first to make sure they have perlite and other stuff first.
It's rediculous that you can't find anything except retail here in Pinellas (perlite in 4cf bags$20, if you can even find that). Home Depot used to sell it (around $15) but discontinued.
john

Thanks BR, I definitely want to check them out. Do they have Saturday hours?

John, if all you need is perlite and don't want to make the trip to Tampa you can get the 4CF bags from Neeld-Gordon down near the 22nd Ave HD, but it will be $18-19 a bags vs. $15 a bag.

Now if you need pine fines the trip to Shell's is well worth it because Mulch Express and TreeMart a little further north on Nebraska both sell fines, ME by the truckload and TM by the 2CF bag, and Cypress Creek slightly north of TreeMart but on Florida Ave. sells fines by the truckload too, as well as fertilizer. So, within close proximity of each other you have a feed store, a mulch distributor, a landscaping company and a landscaping supply company, you can't beat that for convenience!

Tom

Tom,

I have no idea if they have Saturday hours. The place is just a series of warehouses with an office. I know M-F they are open 7-4 and closed 12-1 for lunch.

Hey BR, looks like their Florida Division office is in Tampa about five miles from where I work :-) Gotta check this one out next week, I'm almost out of fertilizer. Thanks!

Tom

Hi everyone, I have the same problem on the space coast. Does anyone know where I can purchase 3/4 cf of perlite near Titusville.

Luther

I'm not in your neck of the woods so somebody over there needs to chime in....If no one does I know this isn't exactly close but try Prosource One in Apopka, not sure how far that drive would be for you but their prices are usually very good.

Tom

So is what everyone's talking about here the coarse perlite? I gather that fine perlite is not appropriate for the 5:1:1 mix? I was just at Cypress Creek Landscape Supply, and I got 2CF bags of pine bark fines for like $4 apiece, and they had 4CF bags of fine perlite for like $15, but no coarse. The only place I've heard of so far that might have it is Grace's Hydro and Organic (according to a Home Depot employee), but that's way out on 56th St.

Pine bark fines $2.90 Garden & Hardware, Garden & Hardware Distributors Inc
13195 49th Street N
Clearwater, FL 33762-4017 don't remember how much the perlite is.

4 cf $12.80. Doesn't say what size on bag, but they supply mostly commercial accounts at garden supply. It is probably medium. And if Tom likes it, it must be good. Matter of fact they are only open Mon-Fri. Their store is only as big as my living room, but they have 2 warehouses.
Their is another post on this. search Update Perlite for more info.
john

Matt - It is the coarse perlite but if you don't want to make the trip to Pinellas and are willing to pay $22/4CF bag TreeMart will order it for you, they also sell the pine fines for $2.65/2CF bag...about the same location as Cypress Creek but on Nebraska instead of Florida. BTW, I had saved 14 of the 7 gallon containers for someone who never got back to me, if you want them let me know, otherwise they are going in the garbage this weekend.

Tom