Ordered vermiculite from http://homeharvest.com/ twice. Been happy with it.

V.

I go to my local small independent garden store, talk to the owner and ask her to special order a 40# bag of the coarse stuff whenever I need it. It comes in with her regular shipment whenever it comes in so I don't have to pay shipping. It has worked out very well for me. I use the same method to get my perlite, bone meal, and blood meal in 40# bags.

You can get large vermiculite in Issaquah, suburb of Seattle at the Grange Supply, they order it from their supplier in Snohomish or you can do as I did and ask them who their supplier is in Snohomish and drive to pick it up instead of waiting 2 weeks for the stuff.

Any news yet, or does anyone else know where to buy it in So. California at something less than full retail? Does anyone know where you can buy it in bulk rather than 4 cu. foot bags? What other uses does it have? It used to be used as house insulation but that was a long time ago. Can perlite be used as a substitute? Thanks - Jim in Corona (So. Calif.)

Vermiculite and perlite have very different water retention characteristics. Vermiculite absorbs and retains large amounts of water. Perlite sheds water, retaining almost none, and is usually used to improve drainage and soil aeration.

I wouldn't use it as a substitute unless I were growing cacti!

Otherwise, I wouldn't substitute perlite for vermiculite at all.

I got mine from Sky Nursery in Seattle, WA. They had it in 40# bags and 15# bags, in both certified asbestos free and the nasty stuff. I needed it for starting broccoli and cauliflower so I got a small bag of the safe stuff. If I need it when I build my soil (my brother is against it, says peet does just as well), I'll get a few of the 40# bags. They're about $30 a bag. I haven't been to the Grange but Issaquah is a hike for me.

Sinfonian

Priced it at Home Depot in Mobile, AL the other day -- a 4 cubic bag was $12.97.

Judy

Here is a link that might be useful: Ft2Garden.com

Wow Judy, I knew the cost of living in the Seattle area was higher than other places around the country, but for the 3.5 cubic bag of "certified asbestos free" was $28. That's more than double. Did you notice where it was from? Mine was from Arizona, which is over 1,000 miles from Seattle, thus the shipping costs were outrageous.

I'm looking at close to $300 for the amount of vermiculite I need. Plus the compost and pete, wow.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden in progress...

Wow -- $28 for 3.5 cubic feet. Jeezzzz!

When I make my next trip to Home Depot, I will get the name of the supplier and post it here for you.

Do you have a Home Depot in Seattle?

Judy

Here is a link that might be useful: Ft2Garden.com

Yep, I was at two of them yesterday, though not for vermiculite. Instead I got 40 bags (similar size to a half-bale of peet) of blow-in insulation and was crawling around my attic with a 50' hose blowing it in. Whew.

After seeing the varying prices, I will call around for both price and availability before I get it, but I'm still three weeks out from building my mix.

Hello. I've been reading the forum and taking away a lot of great info for awhile and finally decided to sign up. This year we're going to try square foot gardening for the first time. Does anyone know of a vermiculite source in Southern Illinois? So far I've only found one local nursery (Herrin, IL)who carries it and they want $24/4cf bag. (Yikes!) I'm jealous of those who say they're getting it for $16-18. :) Thanks!

Anyone got a good source in the UK?

The cheapest I can find it, is £15 per 100lt.

Can anyone tell me where to get it at a reasonable price in Pennsylvania?
Thanks,

I'm in Durham, NC. Last year I bought it at a hydroponics store, $19 for 4 cubic yards. Home Depot and Lowes don't have it in this area.

Can anyone post a reasonable source in Texas? I'm going to do one bed Mels mix (with leaf mold instead of peat) and one lasagna style.

Zamzow's in Idaho is now carrying a 4cu foot bag for $20. Lowe's also carries it here for $4 for 12qt bags.

Found in Gardena, California at Yamada Co. (310-327-5668):

Ultra Tech Vermiculite
Premium Grade, Horticultural, Coarse (#2)
$14.75 for 4 cu. ft.

Spread the word!

I searched and searched for vermiculite all over Fairfield County (Connecticut) and was shocked at the prices. $41 for 4 cubic feet! There aren't a lot of farms around this area and I think the general thinking is that people in this area have money to burn so they will pay whatever the price. Not having such money to burn, I ended up ordering online from a supplier in Virgina (7 Springs Farm) whose website said this was the exact type of vermiculte used for square foot gardening (A-3 Coarse). I paid plenty for shipping, but overall less than if I purchased it locally. If there's anyone from this part of CT that knows specific places (not just ideas) of where to purchase vermiculite please let me know!!! Thanks!

Northeast Georgia. I found mine at Ace Hardware in Winder, GA. Last weekend I asked at The Homeport Feed & Seed, they have it in stock.
Hope this helps.

I actually ended up getting the bulk of my vermiculte in 4 cu. ft. bags from Stueber Distrbituting in Snohomish, WA. They're a wholesaler that sells to the public as well. They're an easy trip up highway 9 and I got a SCREAMING deal! I also got my peat moss in full bales there. I got 4 cu yards worth of material crammed into a F150 pickup for like $300!

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure!

In Abbotsford, BC, I found Vermiculite at Terralink Horticulture for about $25 (incl. taxes) for a 4 cu. ft. bag. Next time I'm cross border shopping....

Long Island, NY. (1) Riverhead: Green Island, 631-727-4993. $13.50 for 4cu ft; 730 W Main Street. (2) Flushing: Hydroponic (not sure name). LIE access road between Kissena and Main, westbound side. fine and medium, $22/bag 4cu ft

I live in Modesto, CA. Locally, I've only found vermiculite at OSH and Ace Hardware; Home Depot and Lowe's do not carry it. OSH has 4 qt bags (1.99) and Ace Hardware has 8 qt bags (3.99).

My local Home Depot (Santa Ana) has vermiculite in 3.5 cf bags for $24. I found it for around $17 at Flowerdale Nurseries (Santa Ana and Costa Mesa). Lowe's had the best price for peat. Home Depot only had Miracle Grow ammended peat.

Does anyone know of a source for coarse vemiculite in arkansas or memphis, tn? i had a local nursery order it. for $23 per 3.8 cu. ft. plus tax.

Been looking for Vermiculite for a few weeks, all I can find is 8qt bags. Any source near Lancaster County, Pa?

Fayette Seed in Lexington, KY sells the 4 cuft bags of Therm-O-Rock brand for $18.99.

Fayette Seed
731 Red Mile Road
Lexington, KY 40504
Phone: 859-255-3334
Fax: 859-255-4300
Email: info@fayetteseed.com

I'm from Riverhead NY. That is an awesome price for vermiculite SSYL! I need to talk my family back home to do a square foot garden (they have a deer problem in the garden out back and deem it a lost cause). A SFG next to the house would be so much easier for them.

In Appleton Wisconsin I found it at Menards for $9 for a 3cuft bag. It was in the insulation section, Sunshine Brand Mica Flakes. Attached is the website for Sungro, which makes this brand. It looks like they have a very extensive Retailer Locator on their site, so you might want to check it out if you are having trouble finding a local source.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sun Gro Horticulture

I was happy ordering from Allemons-Gardens via eBay. $27 for a 4cu bag. Shipping via FedEx to Brooklyn, NY was another $28.

Here is a link that might be useful: Allemons Gardens