Seed Germination---Use vermiculite alone or mixed with soil or peat, and very little watering will be required. You will notice that not only more seeds will germinate, but they will germinate faster. When vermiculite is used alone, seedlings should be fed with a weak fertilizer solution when the first true leaves appear. A tablespoon of soluble fertilizer per one gallon of water should be enough.
 

When vermiculite is mixed half and half with soil, peat, composted pine bark, or other properly composted soil materials, no additional feeding normally is required right up to the time of transplanting. Because vermiculite is sterile, the threat of what some professionals call "damping-off" is virtually eliminated. And later, seedlings can be removed from vermiculite with little danger of breaking off hair roots, and the dense root growth enables young plants to take hold immediately.
 

House Plants and Containers---Vermiculite eliminates the problem of compacted soils in flower pots. Mixed half and half with soil, peat, or composted soil products, it provides excellent aeration and moisture control, and it lightens the mix so larger pots can be placed on shelves or hung from the ceiling. In addition, vermiculite amended soils allow the roots in a flower pot to spread out quicker and more evenly, and require far less watering.
 

Storing Bulbs and Root Crops---Pour vermiculite around bulbs placed in a container. If clumps with bulbs are dug out, allow to dry for a few hours in the sun and then place them in cartons or bushel baskets and cover with vermiculite. The absorptive power of vermiculite acts as a regulator that prevents mildew and moisture fluctuation during the storage period. It will not absorb moisture from the inside of stored tubers, but it does take up free water from the outside, preventing storage rot. Stored tubers are protected from even the most severe temperature changes.

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