Anurag - the thread about container soils and water retention was written with the hope that those reading it would come away with an understanding of how water behaves in soils, & particularly how particle size and other physical characteristics impact perched water retention and o/a water retention. It's up to the grower to decide what he/she wants to do - how diligently they want to work at reducing the amount of excess water their soils hold. 1:1:1, screened bark:screened Turface:grit is the most productive soil I've used, but I don't use it for everything. Veggies & plants I know are only going to live a year of go 1 year between repots, usually go in the 5:1:1 mix. All of my woody plants, housep0lants including succulents, and other plants I know will be in the same soil for 2 growth cycles or longer, go in the gritty 1:1:1 mix. The 1:1:1 and 5:1:1 ratios are guidelines, but they're good ones. They minimize the amount of perched water a soil holds, and the gritty mix makes a good run at maximizing the volume of water held inside soil particles while still offering additional adjustability. If you live in a rainy climate and you're using the gritty mix, you might want to increase the amount of grit and decrease the amount of Turface commensurately. If it's dry where you live, increase the Turface and decrease the grit - but make sure that the soil holds enough water to carry you through the dry days, but not so much your plant suffers during periods of prolonged rain. Shading the pots when it's hot is very helpful. High soil/root temps is one of the primary limiting factors for container growers. I like soluble synthetic fertilizers. There is no more efficient way to ensure your plants get what they need, when they need it, at the right ratio, and in a favorable o/a concentration. How you fertilize is up to you, but soluble synthetics make fertilizing almost foolproof, as long as the grower holds up his/her end of the deal. When you root prune, the object is to eliminate large roots that aren't attached to the trunk and are in unfavorable positions to make room for and increase the number of fine roots, which do all the work except anchoring and transport. You'll need to develop a feel for root pruning because all plants don't get the same treatment. Reread the thread about water movement in soil, and the one about trees in containers. Make sure you understand what's in those threads. If you do gain that understanding, it should make a significant difference in what you get back for your efforts. Best luck. Al

Probably won't crush up the pellets. So I'll probably stick to perlite or vermiculite, and maybe just do a different use for the expanded clay. Maybe I'll take up bonsai, or something. (no, I really won't) On the coir powder. I guess I'm surprised you haven't heard of it. Just this weekend, I was at a local farm that utilizes a Vertigro type system, and I must have been looking at about 3 tons of the stuff - aside from what was in the planters. They use the coco powder (which is also available at my local hydro shop) with about 1/3 of the pot filled (at the bottom) with pine bark. It drains out the bottom of one stacked pot, into the top of the next one, until it reaches the bottom. I'll see if I can get you a brand name on the "coco powder".

The Pilea Peperomioides (Chinese Money Plant) is the plant I've been wanting! I've looked everywhere (as you all know its really low inventory - most people start their own with a clipping from a friend's). Might anyone find it in their hearts to possibly cut off a little offshoot and mail it to me in NY state (USA)? I promise I would then grow it and pay it forward (or back) ! Please consider. I'm at xanda.martins@gmail.com

quote: The available and non-available water in commercial perlite of 0–4 mm diameter was 13.6 and 36.5 per cent of its volume, respectively . it slurps the water instantly but it holds on to it (has to do with surface tension), the water is not released into the surrounding soil to make it soggy. foremost it aerates the soil (true whether it's small or large size perlite) so it helps to prevent root rot by providing more oxygen to the roots, not the other way around. lava rock can be substituted instead - it'll hold water internally slowly releasing it to the mix. it's sort of like the sponge, sucks up extra water from medium and then slowly feeds it back. and it has nutrients too and is much larger. if you can find it - use that to 1/3 of the mix. but perlite is easier to get and cheaper too. https://sohumsoils.com/ingredients/perlite/ https://www.bettervegetablegardening.com/perlite-in-potting-soil.html http://homeguides.sfgate.com/recommended-ratio-peat-moss-perlite-46321.html