Where to find vermiculite for sq ft gardening?

Mrs. K in TX

I've called around to nurseries, and I've checked at Lowe's and Home Depot, but all anyone has is small 8 quart bags of vermiculite, and to make enough for one 4X4 bed, you need 2.67 cubic feet, which is basically 80 qts.  At $4 a bag, I really don't want to spend $40 just for that part of the soil.

For those of you who have done Square Foot Gardening, where have you gotten your vermiculite?

kastle

I ordered it online.  It wasn't cheap.

hoping4septimus

I got it at lowes and I didn't use as much as he says for the mix... and my plants still grew... spend your money on good compost.

leighzlou

I got mine at a local gardening center. It ran me about $35 for the 4 cu ft bag.

almond1123

It may be early for Lowes but they did carry it last year about April?  Many of the private nurseries around here carry the big bags as well.  Don't bother with the garden Center places if that's what they are called where you are.  They were not very good.  Also if you have a lawn service that does beds in your neighborhood you could ask them where they buy theirs.

Not sure what part of Texas you are in but a little advice from me.  I had to tweak the formula a little because it is soooo hot here.  The beds I did according to the formula dried out a little too quick.  I scaled back the vermiculite by 1/3 and it works perfectly.

Good luck. 

 

carrottopshaw

Websites for hydroponic gardening sell it for less than most places. I got mine at our local hydroponic veggie place. They sold me a bag of their personal stock. FWIW: I live in FL and used less than half of what Mel suggests. As pp said, I used good quality compost and peat moss and used just minimal vermiculite in my 8x4 bed. We haven't had any problems and have had great harvests.

flame

Check out feed stores. Vermiculite is often used in animal feeds. I was able to pick mmine up for a quarter of the price it was at Lowe's/  Also, you can substitute zeolite for vermicultie. 

Mrs Manners

I found mine at a nursery (Pike Family Nurseries - they're a chain but I don't know if you have them there). It was $20 for 2 cu. ft. bag.