Two questions:

Is "affordable Perlite" an oxymoron? Does anyone know of an online source that may offer more reasonable prices than what I''m seeing locally? I have massive amounts of soil I need to amend this year.

I just saw a product I'm not familiar with: Pelletized Gypsum. Is this good to use to loosen soil? I found it on Menard's site, which I've seen mentioned on forums here, so I checked out their website.

There's one in Cheyenne, WY. I'm a hop, skip and a jump away in Colorado, so I was surprised when I entered my zip code for a shipping to home estimate, and a 40 lb. bag of this stuff might cost $925.20 (not a typo) to ship. That seems just a tad bit high.

I can't say anything about your locale, but here in the SFBA there is a nearby kiln than makes perlite; they only sell it it 2 cu.ft. bags (which are huge, much bigger than a garbage bag) for about $32.
If you have to buy the same bag retail it is closer to $50.
Stores that supply pot growers are often a good source for materials like this.

No kidding a tad high!

There must be something wrong with my Colorado geography - I wouldn't consider those 2 locations a hop skip jump apart. Wouldn't Denver be a lot closer?

Gypsum is usually considered a soil amendment (calcium) but the pelletized stuff apparently is used for breaking up clay soils. But, like perlite, its processed so more expensive. Have you considered ground up pumice or lava rock? I can go down to the local rock/dirt place and buy it by the yard in CA.

Hortica said: I can't say anything about your locale, but here in the SFBA there is a nearby kiln than makes perlite; they only sell it it 2 cu.ft. bags (which are huge, much bigger than a garbage bag) for about $32.
If you have to buy the same bag retail it is closer to $50.
Stores that supply pot growers are often a good source for materials like this.

Thanks, I'll see if the pot grower thing is an option. I am without wheels, so for the time being, I need to order online.

Lucy68 said: No kidding a tad high!

There must be something wrong with my Colorado geography - I wouldn't consider those 2 locations a hop skip jump apart. Wouldn't Denver be a lot closer?

Gypsum is usually considered a soil amendment (calcium) but the pelletized stuff apparently is used for breaking up clay soils. But, like perlite, its processed so more expensive. Have you considered ground up pumice or lava rock? I can go down to the local rock/dirt place and buy it by the yard in CA.

Cheyenne is less than a three hour drive from me on the interstate. The highway is a strait shot from Wyoming through Colorado's front range (where I am) and on to New Mexico. So I don't think it warrants almost $1000 shipping!

I'm not as knowledgeable about all things gardening as many of you are, so wasn't familiar with using pumice or lava rock. I'll check out the local sand/gravel place. Nothing I planted last year did well because my soil was so compacted. I don't even want to plant anything until I can improve the soil at a price I can afford.

I made the mistake of ordering a huge bag of Perlite on ebay last year (it was a great deal), but didn't notice it was the fine stuff. It was so small and light that it was useless. I'll probably contact Menard's to ask about that absurd shipping estimate.

Thanks for your help.

Hortica said: I can't say anything about your locale, but here in the SFBA there is a nearby kiln than makes perlite; they only sell it it 2 cu.ft. bags (which are huge, much bigger than a garbage bag) for about $32.
If you have to buy the same bag retail it is closer to $50.
Stores that supply pot growers are often a good source for materials like this.

I did find a pot grower's website, and they have gallon bags of large perlite for $5, which compared to other prices i'm finding seems like a good deal. The same amount on another site is $20. So thanks for that suggestion.

My local garden store has large bags at about the same price @Hortica stated. They have it in several sizes.

If you are amending soil then compost is best. Perlite will make the soil lighter but not add anything. Compost and manure are better. Call your county extension agent for suggestions.

I have a local ag store that has a gardening section. I just ask them what they can order, and I get great deals on big bags of stuff like perlite. I got a 50lb bag of kelp meal for the same price as a 10 lb bag on Amazon. Free shipping if you can wait until the weekly truck comes in. Give your local businesses a chance.

OP, if you are loosening soil that isn't in a container, I don't know if perlite is the answer. I would think it would get ground into dust or blow away if it wasn't in a confined area.

Tomtom2 said: My local garden store has large bags at about the same price @Hortica stated. They have it in several sizes.

If you are amending soil then compost is best. Perlite will make the soil lighter but not add anything. Compost and manure are better. Call your county extension agent for suggestions.

Yes, I'm amending soil, for all my containers. As I mentioned, resources for getting out and about to shop is nil. And I can't afford shipping/delivery costs on heavier gardening supplies. So I'll stick with perlite. I have a little bit of compost from last year I'm planning on using up. But thank you for your suggestions.

Rubi said: I have a local ag store that has a gardening section. I just ask them what they can order, and I get great deals on big bags of stuff like perlite. I got a 50lb bag of kelp meal for the same price as a 10 lb bag on Amazon. Free shipping if you can wait until the weekly truck comes in. Give your local businesses a chance.

OP, if you are loosening soil that isn't in a container, I don't know if perlite is the answer. I would think it would get ground into dust or blow away if it wasn't in a confined area.

All my garden is container gardening - pots and raised beds. I only have a few in-ground small areas, and I'd never use perlite for those. I always support local businesses when I can. But as I stated, no car. My shopping options are limited and a challenge, which is why I'm looking to affordable online options.

For the greater portion of people in the USA, gypsum does not loosen clay soil. This is because gypsum only work for this purpose with a certain kind(s) of clay. Don't quote me, but I seem to remember that that clay was found in Wyoming (as an example). I dunno, maybe Colorado, too...

Home Depot large 2 cf bag of Perlite 26 dollars with free shipping.
and 4 cf about 45 dollars
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vi...

Leftwood said: For the greater portion of people in the USA, gypsum does not loosen clay soil. This is because gypsum only work for this purpose with a certain kind(s) of clay. Don't quote me, but I seem to remember that that clay was found in Wyoming (as an example). I dunno, maybe Colorado, too...

The soil on my property is, for the most part, hard-packed rocky clay. Which is why I don't have a typical grassy yard, and most of my gardening involves containers.

NJBob said: Home Depot large 2 cf bag of Perlite 26 dollars with free shipping.
and 4 cf about 45 dollars
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vi...

My neighbor is going to take me along on his next visit to Home Depot, so hopefully I'll get what I need there. But I wasn't aware they did free shipping ... good to know, thanks.

Perlite floats to the top of the pot with watering and blows away- I don't use it. Even when cheap it doesn't do the job I need it to do.

In the Western US usually the options @Lucy68 mentioned are cheap- I use either expanded shale or her suggestion of pumice to add grit (improve drainage by adding water/oxygen pore space.) Both are locally sourced for me in Utah.

Organics breaks up heavy potting soil as well, like bark fines, coco coir or spaghnum peat moss to name just a few. This is my suggestion if you haven't tried adding more organic material to heavy soil.

No to gypsum, unless you have a test showing sodic soil -and perhaps advice from your local agricultural extension. It can mess with the soil mineral availability for your plants...

'Hydroponic suppliers' are great sources of soil ammendments online, but shipping will always be a factor.

The advice to buy local is correct- usually because a local source can be far cheaper than shipping across the country. Can a neighbor pick up something for you?

As suggested, big box home improvement stores, tractor supply, etc (and maybe your Walmart) often have online bags of soil ammendments with a free 'ship-to-store' option on big and bulky items.

kenisaac said: Perlite floats to the top of the pot with watering and blows away- I don't use it. Even when cheap it doesn't do the job I need it to do.

In the Western US usually the options @Lucy68 mentioned are cheap- I use either expanded shale or her suggestion of pumice to add grit (improve drainage by adding water/oxygen pore space.) Both are locally sourced for me in Utah.

Organics breaks up heavy potting soil as well, like bark fines, coco coir or spaghnum peat moss to name just a few. This is my suggestion if you haven't tried adding more organic material to heavy soil.

No to gypsum, unless you have a test showing sodic soil -and perhaps advice from your local agricultural extension. It can mess with the soil mineral availability for your plants...

'Hydroponic suppliers' are great sources of soil ammendments online, but shipping will always be a factor.

The advice to buy local is correct- usually because a local source can be far cheaper than shipping across the country. Can a neighbor pick up something for you?

As suggested, big box home improvement stores, tractor supply, etc (and maybe your Walmart) often have online bags of soil ammendments with a free 'ship-to-store' option on big and bulky items.

Thank you. As I mentioned in my last post, I'll be doing some shopping at Home Depot. I haven't found coarse perlite floating to the top of my containers and blowing away to be a problem. I used coir and spagnum last year - as much as I could afford to buy, which wasn't enough.

Local ag store is too far away, and they never answer their phone, nor could I find the products suggested on their website, so they're not getting my business. I buy local when I can, when I can't, I buy online, which does not always mean more $$.

Your best recommendation among these is adding organic matter, in particular compost.

You may want to step back and consider what you want to achieve. Sounds like you planned a garden area with the typical high clay of the Front Range, and need to break up the clay. You said you need material in bulk, so perhaps a 10'x10' garden? I bought a cubic yard of compost for $40/yd plus $50 delivery here in Las Vegas. Mixing amendments into your soil might be a challenge; you certainly will need a rototiller. I also needed a jackhammer for my "soil".

The advantage of compost is it will keep your soil loose for oxygen and moisture penetration plus add nutrient availability. Have been told adding sand and similar to clay produces adobe bricks. Another compost advantage is reducing the impact of your alkaline soil. The CSU Soil Test Lab in Denver will analyze your soil for $40 and give you suggestions.

OP has three times in this thread said she's gardening in containers.

NMoasis said: OP has three times in this thread said she's gardening in containers.

Thank you Zoë. I haven't had an in-ground garden in years. My yard is soil covered with plastic and plastic covered with gravel - beautiful irises and stepables come up annually through the gravel. I have two small spots for in-ground plants. I need to amend soil for a raised bed my neighbor made for me, as well as containers and the two in-ground areas. That's it.

What's underneath that first little bed? If it's directly on soil, I agree that's you would do best with an organic like compost. What's in it so far?