I posted this on your blog.

John, you probably already know I'm presonally biased toward vermiculite because I need to justify spending so much to fill my beds. However, I am the first to conceed that it is not necessary for a successful garden.

That said, I am kind of surprised that it would break down then I've read so often that it doesn't. I for one will think long and hard before adding more vermiculite to my garden.

I haven't had my garden long enough to say if it goes away or not, but you'd think Mel would say it does since he has had his garden for decades. Is it possible that the vermiculite manufacturer you contacted just wanted to sell more product? I think the truth is probably a little of both. For that matter, have you found that peat doesn't decompose? If it does, then over time you would end up with 100% compost. Wouldn't that be a shame.

Definitely worth more investigation, especially when I dig into my garden in the spring. Food for thought.

John, I think the response you got makes sense. It's a soft rock. It gets crushed.

What I wonder about is why your beds have not raised at all, My current veggie garden is about 7 years old. I add chicken chit to it every fall. Rabbit poop when I have the inclination to go dig it up at the neighbors. Ashes in the winter, leaves in the fall and grass clippings all summer. It is definitely heaped. This spring I will build walls around it. Both to keep the amendments in and the grass out.

I used to have a much larger garden ala Ruth Stout and even there, 4 years later I can see that the old garden area (now part of the lawn) is a good 4-6 inches higher than the rest of the yard. Certainly it is a very large area and sloped so much that nobody but my husband and I can spot the old outline of the garden without help, but it is definitely higher.

Could run-off be the reason it has not gotten higher? Kay

Kay, in the photo below, the grass in the foreground was part of my garden 15 -20 years ago when the family was home. The soil under the RB boxes was part of the same garden. I do not know if you seen my composting area, but I added twice that much compost plus about 8000# of HM or mushroom compost per year on a 20Â X 70Â garden. That area is nearly flat and level, so run off is not a problem.

John

{{gwi:1260627}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Johns Journal

I replied with an email and asked;

Subject: Re: Vermiculite disappears
Is the same thing true for perlite?
John

There reply was;

Not exactly  perlite is friable but retains its absorbency quality. For this reason it is ideal for landscapers and outdoor garden beddings.

John

Here is a link that might be useful: Johns Journal