Perlite cannot replace bark... perlite is squishy when compressed and crumbles into dust, doesn't hold much water & it's too light to anchor established perennials with.

Even the hydroponic addicts consider it disposable for their annual crops :)

I use mix of perlite (doesn't crumble into dust? and I don't find it squishy?) + turface + grit for all my succulents. I actually like the lightness of perlite since using grit makes pots heavier. I have few other plants in the same mix, but mostly with added bark (plants like brugmansia, passion vine, olives, ficus benjamina, hoya and some other) - more like 5.1.1 mix. Every potted plant I have has perlite in the mix, and quite generous amount. It does improve drainage. Many ppl don't like it since it floats to the top & apparently gets easily blown away, but I also use top-dressing of grit, so it stays put.

Edited to add: it is quite difficult to get good bark in Ontario, Canada; so if I find any I save it for non-succulent plants. Many are in large pots & using gritty would be pretty heavy for me. It is also difficult (and expensive) to get pumice - I would definitely use it if available.

What ratio do you use of granite, perlite, and turface?

Ethan - Perlite is a little more delicate than bark, but has the advantage of never becoming hydrophobic. This makes it easier/faster to water than mixes containing bark. The disadvantage is that perlite has a lower CEC, but you could easily compensate for that with Turface.

I also find that perlite still holds a surprisingly large amount of water. If you fill a pot of pure sifted perlite and soak it, the amount of water retained is quite high.

Currently, I am sand/perlite mixes for seedlings and cutting propagation (gritty mix does not seem very good at this, at least in my growing environment/care).

Rina was generous enough to trade me an Aloe rauhii in the summer, so I got to try out her mix myself. Normally, I repot every new plant but her mix has performed very well for me so far. There's definitely something to it!

This A. rauhii has flowered for me in August, September, and is sprouting a third inflorescence right now:

Based on Rina's experience, I tried my own grit/perlite only mixes for Schlumbergera and they have also done quite well for me this year. The small cuttings from the summer had over 30 buds by Christmas.

In the end, I wouldn't say perlite is really a direct replacement for bark. But it does make a good substitute and has many advantages (and a few disadvantages too, of course). Overall, I still plan on continuing to use grit, turface, bark, perlite, and sand for different applications in my growing.

Tamiya - were you thinking perhaps about vermiculite? That will become squishy and deteriorates much faster than perlite. Perlite will become dust when crushed, but that doesn't happen in pots, only if on purpose? And yes, there is always some dust in the bags, since these are stored and probably thrown around in the stores...

Kevin

I see that you have more babies too. Aloe looks great - as are all your plants.

Rina

Rina- are you using 50/50 grit/perlite and 50/50 grit/turface? Thanks!

Yes, I have some plants potted in those mixes as I wanted to experiment (but vast majority of my succulents are in mix of perlite+turface+grit). Rina

What about something like acadama? It's used in hydroponic and semi-hydroponic settings. It comes in different sizes, I do believe... but I have a bag of it in rather small little balls of clay, which are about the size of the bark pieces desired.

I'm using it in place of turface, actually.

Jodik - Akadama is a great substitute. Not only different sizes, but baked at different temperatures (which affects how it retains its structure over time).

It can be quite expensive in Canada, so I haven't switched over to using it.

Best substitute is not to use anything. 50/50 grit and turface has the same water properties as gritty. The bark is just a filler.