Vermiculite has become short in supply due to the fact that a lot of it, possibly mostly from one souorce, contained asbestos.

Joe

Here is a link that might be useful: Vermiculite and asbestos

OSH has little bags. Or at least they did last year, when I bought one. There are OSH stores in Orange County, they may be in your area as well.

It is the dust from vermiculite that is a problem. I keep a plastic garbage can, the one with the lid that latches down, full of vermiculite. When I fill the garbage can I wet it down and keep it wet enough so there is never any dust. The areas that were known to produce vermiculite with an asbestos content are no longer being used as a source. Al

My earlier reply to one of the messages has disappeared into a bit bucket. Thank you for the OSH suggestion. The nearest OSH stores are in OC (as you say) and Rancho Cucamonga. I'll try them if I can't find a closer source. But (speaking to other readers), if you know of a retail source for small bags in Riv. Co. or northern S.D. Co., I'd appreciate the tip.

Let your fingers do the walking. Call various nurseries near you.

I've been looking. Ordinary nurseries don't carry vermiculite in any form. A horticultural supplier, L&M Fertilizer in Temecula and Fallbrook has giant bags, but not small quantities suitable for a home gardener.

Vermiculite is bad for two reasons-one is its carcinogenic.The other a lesser problem,but bad for plants.And that is vermiculite breaks down over time..into a slimey goo. Except for short term plantings-like veggies or some landscape plant, that is those plants that will not sit in that soil of vermiculite very long,its better to go with perlite. That also can cause cancer..but it doesnt break down!

Perlite and vermiculite have different properties and different functions. They are not interchangeable. The alleged cancer risk of vermiculite came from one mine in Libby, MT, where it occurred with asbestos. That mine was closed years ago. I may have found a local source for small quantities of vermiculite. We'll see.

Thats not entirely true about vermiculite. I read it is still mined in parts of the country-then shipped in generic packaging.You really dont know where its mined-or contaminated.Thanks to the Bush administration rules are relaxed and not enforced.

If you have a reputable source that says current supplies of vermiculite are contaminated with asbestos, please provide a citation.

Vermiculite is a part of my seed starting mix, but not a good choice for long time container mix use. Perlite I use as the major ingredient for starting cuttings. Neither are used for potting or longtime container mixes. Al

I found a 1 cu ft bags of vermiculite at Inland Empire Hydro Gardens in Temecula (where I live). Anyone looking for small quantities might investigate businesses that specialize in organic gardening and hydroponics.

Any actual confirmed cases of vermiculite, which has been used by gardeners and mined for decades, being linked to health problems with miners or secondly with gardeners?

Does anyone find it ironic that cigarettes are sold in grocery stores but gardening stores pull vermiculite from the shelves and refuse to order it....?