You might be interested in the Hydroponics forum.

Have you started your plants from seeds or were they already established? Im looking for a solution to control gnats from eating all my seedlings.
Paula

Hi Paula,

No I didn't plant seeds in the perlite I used cuttings or tubers. But I have a question for you. Are you sure gnats are eating your seedlings? I have never heard of gnats eating plants. They just seem to eat me alive in the garden though. With all the rain we've had this year they are especially bad. :-( But you could try perlite and see what happens. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Good luck with your seedlings. Maybe slugs are getting them????

Lunajade: The gnat larvae are what is eating my plants and seedlings...not the adults. Ive been using some sticky traps, and just ordered gnatrol to finally get rid of most of the larva.....just hoping it helps!

Funny that I ran into this area. I just posted a message regarding using Aquatic Soil on Plumerias to keep it from getting overwatered and give it aireation.

I just have a feeling that this would work just fine.

Could also mix half and half with potting soil.

T2

I'VE DONE SOME EXPERIMENTS USING A VARIETY OF MIXTURES AND PERLITE SEEMS TO SHOW THE BEST GROWTH , THE FASTEST GROWTH AS WELL AS THE HIGHEST PERSENTAGE OF SEEDS TO GROW. THIS WAS DONE WITH 500 SPRUCE SEEDS AND SOON WITH OTHER SEEDS. THE DATA HAS BORNE OUT OVER 7 MONTHS SO FAR.
IT IS HARD TO FIND DATA ON THIS, ONLY ANECDOTAL STORIES SO FAR. IF ANYONE KNOWS OF ANY SCIENTIFIC STUDIES, I WOULD APPRECIATE AN ANSWER.
THANKS

I grow and cut 100# of basil a week on perlite beds. It is called Hydroponics. You need to be sure you used a complete nutrient with all of the micro and macro nutrients in order to ensure good long term growth.

My dayliliy bed is nothing but perlite, asbestos-free vermiculite and peat moss. Twelve years ago I removed the soil (red clay) from the bed and replaced it with that mixture. The daylilies have thrived. Also over the years as leaves and pinestraw have decomposed, the daylily bed has started turning into a rich humous. If I ever get up the energy to remove that much soil again, I will put in another bed with the same mixture. Works great in Georgia.

I'm a hydroponic grower and I container-grow strawberries in 100% perlite.

Here is a link that might be useful: Perlite Strawberry Photo Gallery

I use a mixture of peat moss, pearlite and screened garden soil rich in organic matter, composted and rotted leaves for seedings. worm castings are also good.
But for established plants, good balancedgarden soil is sufficient. organic matter (compost, plant cellulose, manures) works better than pearlite and the are in aboundance. With some small seeds, I have heard that it would be better to sterlize the potting soil, chemically or just baking it (in oven , by fire outside ).
perlite peat moss mixture good for growing small seeds, as the seed can push easily through it and the roots also can penetrate with ease. It also holds moisture and nutrient .
to me , it is just an infancy type of care for plant not for establishe plants. I think that the best way to grow things is to look at the nature and mimic it the best you can.