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We advise all soil growers to use both perlight and vermiculite in their pots as it helps the plant and grower maintain the correct amount of water and it saves you money as it is cheaper per litre than good quality soil. 

Perlite and vermiculite are both minerals that have been superheated into very lightweight mediums. They are mainly used in potting soil mixes to decrease soil density. Perlite has similar properties to vermiculite but generally holds more air and less water where as vermiculite holds more water and less air.  If perlite is not contained, it can float which is not ideal for all hydroponic systems such as flood and drain.  When mixing a soil mix the most popular ratio is 50% soil, 25% perlite, 25% vermiculate however many grower adjust the percentages to suit their need depending on whether they want to retain more water or more air.