How to Use Vermiculite Powder in Flower Cultivation

　　Vermiculite is widely used in agriculture, mainly as potted soil and soil regulator, but also for soilless cultivation, its main role is to increase soil ventilation and water retention. Besides being used alone, vermiculite powder can also be mixed with perlite, sand and peat. Vermiculite has strong water absorption, so it is not easy to water too often to plant flowers with vermiculite. Vermiculite has a strong water absorption capacity, and can absorb 100-650 kg of water per cubic meter. The particle size of vermiculite powder used in soilless cultivation should be more than 3 mm, and the vermiculite used for seedling cultivation should be slightly finer （0.75-1.0 mm）。

　　Vermiculite powder can not be subjected to heavy pressure in the process of transportation and planting because of its fragmentation, porosity reduction, fineness and influence on air permeability and drainage after being used for a period of time. When it is used for 1-2 times, its structure becomes worse, and it is generally not suitable for long-term potted plant substrates, which need to be replaced frequently, and then it can be used as fertilizer. Or the nutrient soil components for seedling cultivation are applied to the soil. In family use, do not grow flowers with vermiculite with too small particles alone. Because the aeration of the soil will become worse, water-intolerant plants will be suffocated because they can't breathe.

　　Vermiculite powder is an inorganic substance, so it will not live or rot, but fragile, after three or five years will become like powder, ventilation, water retention will become worse, at this time no longer useful. Vermiculite itself has no fertilizer components, it can be applied to the cationic fertilizer adsorption, reduce loss. Vermiculite is very helpful for seedling growth and rooting, but vermiculite has no nutrients, and it is easy to ash, not suitable for orchid cultivation. Vermiculite for horticultural use abroad can be divided into four grades according to its diameter: 3-8 mm is No. 1; 2-3 mm is No. 2, which is most commonly used; 1-2 mm is No. 3; 0.75-1 mm is No. 4, which is suitable for seed germination. The particle size of vermiculite for soilless cultivation should be 3 mm.