Hi Gang,

I can only second the frustration voiced by John Lonsdale. I cannot find
good perlite, and a search for pumice revealed no suppliers within 200

of Houston, TX area. Neither the bonsai society nor the various cactus
societies had good leads.

I've given up on finding good perlite (or pumice), and have started using
substitutes; I don't know if they are the best, but they are the best in
terms of availability and my willingness to spend money. I use scoria

rock such as is used for landscaping) and Styrofoam peanuts. Both have
drawbacks and benefits for me. Styrofoam peanuts are essentially free for
me from my workplace.

Because it is so rainy here, I plant cacti, some bulbs, and many agaves,
etc., directly in scoria. I fill the container with scoria, or a mix of
scoria and Styrofoam peanuts.

Then, I pour a soil mix over the chunks. Sometimes, the soil mix is only
10-15% organic matter, so the whole affair is really 100% scoria (by
volume), with other materials filling some of the interstices. Along with
fungicides, extra water in dry periods, and other measures, this seems to
satisfy many xeric plants.

The whole perlite size-reduction issue is perplexing. I wonder if we

growers who have noticed the difference just don't provide a large enough
market for the vendors. I've tried some other possible subsitutes such as
Turface, and find that expanded clays hold too much water. Drystall is

option (horse bedding material made from volcanic aggregates), but it is
apparently not offered in this area.

Cordially,

Joe

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