using 100% perlite for plants?

i did a search before making a completely new thread and had no luck; maybe it's blatantly obvious but i just wanted to double check.

do i have to have soil for my plants? or can i use perlite? i just switched to 100% perlite and it seems one of my plants is now extremely wilted. it could be from under-watering but i'm just making sure it's not from the perlite. thanks in advance.

well going to a soiless grow(perlite only), you need to give it the water and nutrients it needs...its not like a regular soil grow where the soil holds on to water, perlite really doesn't hold moisture around long, so you have to either do top drip feeding or water it every few hours to prevent it from drying out and dying

massah said:

well going to a soiless grow(perlite only), you need to give it the water and nutrients it needs...its not like a regular soil grow where the soil holds on to water, perlite really doesn't hold moisture around long, so you have to either do top drip feeding or water it every few hours to prevent it from drying out and dying

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cool, thank you!

wow have not seen on of those in a while.LOL.ol school hydro, look up hempy bucket's. you'll find everything you need to know.

i have a friend that was using those back in high school.

why did u switch to that ?

organizedgrime said:

i did a search before making a completely new thread and had no luck; maybe it's blatantly obvious but i just wanted to double check.

do i have to have soil for my plants? or can i use perlite? i just switched to 100% perlite and it seems one of my plants is now extremely wilted. it could be from under-watering but i'm just making sure it's not from the perlite. thanks in advance.

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skinz18 said:

why did u switch to that ?

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well, my main concern was fungus/gnats. but, i switched back to soil/perlite. also, i watered the wilted plant and she's back to her perky self.

I used to clone in half perlite and half vermiculite. The vermiculite will hold water longer. I think you'll need to top-feed perlite 2 or 3 times a day. Don't try to ebb and flow in perlite because it floats.

To answer your question, yes, perlite alone works as a soil-less medium. Hydroton clay will work the same, plus it doesn't float as much.

With perlite only, you'll also need to monitor the pH of your nutrient solution closely because perlite won't shift your pH like peat or coir will.

Welcome to RIU. Good luck to you!