Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Cultivation => Composts => Topic started by: Neil on June 12, 2010, 10:34:16 PM

Title: Perlag
Post by: Neil on June 12, 2010, 10:34:16 PM

Does any one know of source for Perlag? other than Garden Direct (http://www.gardendirect.co.uk/perlag-p-482).

Title: Re: Perlag
Post by: Giles on June 15, 2010, 03:02:29 PM

Neil,
I've tried all the suppliers I know, and can't find it anywhere else.

Title: Re: Perlag
Post by: Neil on June 15, 2010, 05:50:05 PM

Thanks Giles.  Its elusive to find  :(

Title: Re: Perlag
Post by: Maren on February 16, 2011, 06:38:53 PM

Have you tried American sponge rock? I got mine from Peter White http://orchidaccessories.co.uk/catalog/index.php?cPath=32, never used it before but thought I try it for deflasking Dactylorhiza. Well, actually, there was nothing else in the house, so it was pressed into action. To my delight, D. fuchsii and D. elata both are thriving in this stuff. I de-flasked them last summer and they are now three inches high.

Picture tomorrow.

Title: Re: Perlag
Post by: Neil on February 17, 2011, 11:25:10 PM

American sponge rock is known as perlite over here, which is what i do use but it is light and rises to the top of the pots.  So I am not that keen on it.

Title: Re: Perlag
Post by: David Nicholson on February 18, 2011, 10:05:56 AM

Sorry to hijack this but has Hortag disappeared too?

Title: Re: Perlag
Post by: Neil on February 18, 2011, 11:06:17 AM

No, hortag (http://www.westcarlston.com/chips_sands_grits.htm#perlite) is still available, but I can't find any info on GEM

Title: Re: Perlag
Post by: David Nicholson on February 18, 2011, 05:32:04 PM

Thanks for that Neil. At one time most garden centres used to sell it but now it's as rare as rocking horse manure.

Title: Re: Perlag
Post by: Maren on February 18, 2011, 10:49:24 PM

Hi Neil,

not sure whether calling American Sponge Rock Perlite is a misnomer. Perlite is dusty and easily crushed, I use it all the time, the horticultural super coarse grade Perlite is a constituent of my pleione compost.

The American Sponge Rock I have looks just like washed beige pebbles and will not crush. Maybe I should use a bigger hammer. ??? ???

Title: Re: Perlag
Post by: Neil on February 18, 2011, 11:45:44 PM

does it look like this Maren

(http://www.gardendirect.co.uk/images/products/252.jpg)

Title: Re: Perlag
Post by: Maren on February 19, 2011, 10:06:10 AM

Not really, it looks like this:

a) when clean (with my beautiful Sophronitis coccinea just to give an indication of size ;) ;))
b) when used (six months in pot with dactylorhiza seedlings);
c) washed. This shows the hard surfaces.

Title: Re: Perlag
Post by: Slug Killer on February 19, 2011, 03:02:20 PM

Hi Maren

Looks a bit like pumice but more absorbent.

Are the Dact seedlings in pure 'sponge rock' or is there anything else in the mix? They seem to like it anyway.

David

Title: Re: Perlag
Post by: Maren on February 19, 2011, 06:17:12 PM

Hi David,

I'm inclined to agree with you, it does look like pumice. The dactylorhiza seedlings are in pure rock. I kept them under a plastic domelet during the winter. They get a little water and feed from time to time. The spots are just beginning to show on the leaves. I am chuffed, this is my first success.

The seedlings were very strong and healthy in the flask, which I bought from Roellke Orchids. Kirsten Roellke has a terrific production line in growing orchids from seed. I went to see her lab on the way back from the European Orchid Conference in Dresden. Most impressive.

Title: Re: Perlag
Post by: Neil on February 20, 2011, 07:37:12 PM

Thanks Maren, maybe worth getting some and giving it a go.