Perlite is expanded volcanic glass, and it is the cheapest meaningful upgrade you can make to any medium. It holds almost no water itself, so what it adds is air – and air in the root zone is what most struggling indoor plants are actually short of.
Why add it
Stops compaction. Soil in a pot settles and squeezes the air out over a few weeks. Perlite holds the structure open.
Makes overwatering much harder. Excess water drains rather than sitting around the roots.
Faster root growth. Roots colonise an airy medium noticeably quicker.
Cheap. A bag costs very little and improves an entire grow's worth of medium.
More perlite means more air and more frequent watering. If you are away for days at a time, stay at the lower end.
Handling it
Wet it before mixing. Dry perlite throws a fine dust that is unpleasant to breathe – a quick soak in the bag solves it entirely.
What we stock
Coarse horticultural perlite in grower-sized bags. Also see clay pebbles for the same job in hydroponic systems, and the full range on growing media.
Why buy perlite from The Hydro Bros?
We are a hydroponics shop in Croydon and we sell this over the counter by the bag. Discreet UK and European delivery, and excellent customer reviews on Trustpilot.
