styrofoam beads instead of perlite in hempy system?

PoTSD

PoTSD

Member
Hi. WHere I live I need to buy huge quantities of specially ordered perlite and vermiculite. I am interested in trying the Hempy bucket indoor method and looked on line and saw that styrofoam can be substituted for perlite. Does anyone have any experience with this ? Advice? Perlite substitute ideas? Thank you
 
  • Like
Reactions: ISK
PoTSD

PoTSD

Member
thanks for that awesomely quick reply. I was thinking of simply taking old packing material from our recycling center and bashing it down to beads
 
ISK

ISK

Well-Known Member
PoTSD said:
Hi. WHere I live I need to buy huge quantities of specially ordered perlite and vermiculite. I am interested in trying the Hempy bucket indoor method and looked on line and saw that styrofoam can be substituted for perlite. Does anyone have any experience with this ? Advice? Perlite substitute ideas? Thank you
Click to expand...
never heard of styrofoam being used in a hempy, but it might work okay

in the WOH thread, they talk about someone who had used the foam from an old sofa and had good results

BTW you don't really need vermiculite, as many of us have grown with straight perlite

Let us know what you end up doing, I would be interested in hearing
 
AimAim

AimAim

Well-Known Member
Perlite is made by mining a volcanic obsidian type rock, crushing it, superheating it, and it pops like popcorn into like 15X it's original size. So it's a 100% organic material. Sometimes you willl see a slight Nutrient NPK analysis on a bag like 0.04-0.01-0.06.

Typical elemental Chemical analysis is all things a plant can use, (like oxygen or air !) doubt if styro allows exchange of air into the pellets or your coffee cup would leak.

Silicone: 33.8 %
Aluminum: 7.2
Potassium: 3.5
Sodium: 3.4
Iron: 0.6
Calcium: 0.6
Magnesium: 0.2
Traces: 0.2
Oxygen 47.5
Bound Water 3.0
Total % 100.0


Styrofoam is made from petroleum, and invented by Dow Chemical. I don't think my plants need petrochemicals, but you may be on to something.

Perlite is dirt cheap.

Nuff said ?
 
Lemon king

Lemon king

Well-Known Member
AimAim said:
Perlite is made by mining a volcanic obsidian type rock, crushing it, superheating it, and it pops like popcorn into like 15X it's original size. So it's a 100% organic material. Sometimes you willl see a slight Nutrient NPK analysis on a bag like 0.04-0.01-0.06.

Typical elemental Chemical analysis is all things a plant can use, (like oxygen or air !) doubt if styro allows exchange of air into the pellets or your coffee cup would leak.

Silicone: 33.8 %
Aluminum: 7.2
Potassium: 3.5
Sodium: 3.4
Iron: 0.6
Calcium: 0.6
Magnesium: 0.2
Traces: 0.2
Oxygen 47.5
Bound Water 3.0
Total % 100.0


Styrofoam is made from petroleum, and invented by Dow Chemical. I don't think my plants need petrochemicals, but you may be on to something.

Perlite is dirt cheap.

Nuff said ?
Click to expand...
Great reply
 
PoTSD

PoTSD

Member
Mr. V you're most probably right but here I can only buy 100liter bags specially ordered. I am talking two plants.. Its not ideal, but like they say.. Necessity is the mother of ....who? Thanks for the reply
 
Gaz29

Gaz29

Well-Known Member
PoTSD said:
Mr. V you're most probably right but here I can only buy 100liter bags specially ordered. I am talking two plants.. Its not ideal, but like they say.. Necessity is the mother of ....who? Thanks for the reply
Click to expand...
Order your perlite as it'll do you a couple of grows if you don't use much. Happy growing
Gaz
 
vostok

vostok

Well-Known Member
PoTSD said:
Mr. V you're most probably right but here I can only buy 100liter bags specially ordered. I am talking two plants.. Its not ideal, but like they say.. Necessity is the mother of ....who? Thanks for the reply
Click to expand...
Clean River Sand is a better option

for a Hempy clay hydroton balls are the best

or crushed wind screen glass if poor

good luck
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top