Can't find coarse vermiculite in store

Anyone had any luck finding coarse vermiculite in a major chain store? My Lowe's only sells small bags from Miracle Gro, but even then they were out. I need about 40 CF of it, so I can order a bulk shipment. I have heard that Schundler and Sun Gro carry it but I don't know how to get to that since they sell through distributors.

Thanks.

I don't know where you are located, but I finally found it at three places: True Value hardware (had to order it), AgMart, and a large indpendently owned nursery. All were about the same price: $26 - 28. I've read somewhere that you might find it at concrete companies as it is sometimes used to make a light concrete, but I didn't try them. Where to find vermiculite seems to be the #1 question here. Good luck.

I don't know where you are either, however I did go through the Bulk Shipment ordeal, and had a truck pallet delivered last summer...
7 Springs farm in Virginia is a good source if you live within reasonable trucking distance if your looking for a bulk delivery...A pallet will cost you just over $400 and it's thirty 4 Cu Ft Bags... 10 Bags would cost you $155.00...

Vermiculite shipped by pallet

Read the information he posts on the above linked website, about middle way down the page, just under the Growing Mixes Section Concerning "His" Vermiculite product and Square foot Gardening...

I found the 4 cube feet of it at a farm store. I also talk with Lowes and I was told that they had it but were sold out of it, i would ask if they can order it for you.

Here's a little blurb on Schundler's website (one of the big manufacturer). There are 4 links of places you can buy online if that helps, also they suggest checking for perlite at masonry suppliers. Good luck!

http://www.vermiculite.com/

Thank you for your suggestions. I do have a True Value here so I will check there. I can also try Tractor Supply and Agri Supply to see what they have. Some of the links for buying online are only for wholesale, though, so I'll keep checking.

If, because of cost or not finding it, I had to substitute something else what would you suggest? Is perlite okay to use?

Wish me luck....hopefully I can solve this soon. We want to get the soil in the boxes in the next few weeks.

One more suggestion for Coarse vermiculite - Uline trucking.

http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-3393/Vermiculite/4-Cubic-Foot-Bag-Of-Grade-4-Vermiculite

The link is for their coarse vermiculite. The price for your quantity is $21 and you can find out the shipping cost when you are ordering. They are a trucking company and can deliver most everywhere in the US.

As for the perlite - I don't recommend it but it can be used. If you have worked with it before you know it is abrasive and has a greater tendency to float in the bed. You don't have that with the vermiculite.

If you have a Menards close by I found the carry it in the insulation section of the store....3cf $10!

I don't have a Menards (don't even know what that is!). But my husband was directed to a little Mom and Pop hardware store that can order it for us. So we ordered 4CF bags. They were 15.99 per bag. They were the ONLY place that had them. So if any of you live in Pitt County, North Carolina, go to Van's Hardware!!


Thanks for all yall's help!!

Last month I talked to a gal at Schundler in N.J. They had a fire last spring and were not yet back in production at that time but hoped to be very soon. I'm not sure that this is the complete reason we are experiencing such a shortage but I'm sure it is a contributing factor.

I think, around my part of the world, the reason very few places carry vermiculite is that most people don't know what it's for or how to use it. Personally, I never even heard of it before I started with SFG. When I finally found a 4cf bag at the local garden shop last year the fellow was amazed that I would want that much. He asked me why on earth I would want a "lifetime supply"! Little did he know. I almost told him that if he didn't restock I wouldn't come back there for anything.

He brought in 5 bags last week. I rushed over and bought two and told him to order more because I'll be back -- and so will my friends!

I had a very hard time finding large bags of the coarse vermiculite in my area, I live near Montreal. Uline was the only place I could find for mail order but it was so expensive to ship to Canada. So I kept researching and I really lucked out. I found a local insulation supplier that carries the exact same product for building insulation at $17 a bag, so you can always try some of your local insulation companies.

I've seen the suggestion on a lot of posts. It makes sense. My only caution is to make sure there is no cement in it. There had been a concern in the past about asbestos, too, but I think that has all been taken care of now. They aren't mining those mines anymore I believe.

Yes I believe that all vermiculite products have a No Asbestos claim on the packaging. At least all the ones I've come across so far have had it. :-)

(I tried a search of the forums and failed...)

So i just found locally - Medium Vermiculite in 6cu foot bags for the same cost as the 2cu ft bag of course.

I was wondering if the medium is too small for SFG purposes?

Thanks,

Dan

Sorry for the double post but I couldn't find an edit button...

So after more search I found the answers I was looking for on this thread.

http://squarefoot.creatingforum.com/vermiculite-information-f30/more-explanation-re-vermiculite-grades-t379.htm

So it looks like I'll get the course / x-course.

Dan