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Please Explain Grit

steveVmWNcjvRsteveVmWNcjvR Posts: 6
in Problem solving
When I read or see something about gardening in England, it's only a few seconds before "grit" comes up.  It seems to go into everything, and on top of many things.  

Here on the west coast of Canada, no one sells it, and no one, including botanical gardens uses it, and local experts, if they have anything to say about it, say to just throw in some perlite if there is some undefined concern about the soil.

Maybe someone can briefly explain what it is and why it seems to be used so widely.
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  • steveVmWNcjvRsteveVmWNcjvR Posts: 6
    Are Welsh and Scottish gardeners fans of grit too?  Why?  And how about the Irish?  
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    I suppose living on an island that is musty with rain calls for better drainage 😂
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • steveVmWNcjvRsteveVmWNcjvR Posts: 6
    Well I'm in a rain forest.  If we didn't have good drainage, we'd be a lake.
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    Many plants wont grow in clay soil, too wet in the winter, dried like concrete on the summer, grit helps with drainage so the plants don't sit in very wet soil
  • steveVmWNcjvRsteveVmWNcjvR Posts: 6
    Treeface said:
    which rainforest? What do you have against grit? Why bother searching "english garden" on the internet if you're nowhere near? I struggle to believe you'd get "grit" as a result.
    Maybe reread the above.
  • celcius_kkwcelcius_kkw Posts: 753
    edited May 2020
    As far as I know grit and perlite both serve the same purpose that is to improve drainage of the soil/potting mix. Perlite has the advantage of being light weight , easy to work with and creates a well aerated mixture but it’s more expensive compared to grit. So essentially each country will have their own preference for either perlite or grit I’d imagine.. 

    For container gardening I think perlite is more popular.. as nobody likes a heavy pot.. 
  • steveVmWNcjvRsteveVmWNcjvR Posts: 6
    Mary370 said:
    Many plants wont grow in clay soil, too wet in the winter, dried like concrete on the summer, grit helps with drainage so the plants don't sit in very wet soil
    Thanks.  Along with the comment from celcius, my conclusion is I don't need grit and I don't think I need perlite either with the sandy soil I've got.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Grit is a really useful addition in containers if you're growing plants which like sharp drainage, or for cuttings. Many people substitute Perlite though, as it can sometimes be easier to get hold of - especially if it's being delivered.
    We have lots of rain in the west of Scotland, and often very heavy, clay soil, but well rotted manure and lots of compost all mixed in over time, helps with drainage. It's also excellent for sandy soil as it does the opposite, and helps add substance.  :)

    Large parts of Canada have very similar conditions to Scotland, especially the west side. It's like Scotland- but a 'bigger' version.
    BC is a beautiful place - I have relations there  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • WaysideWayside Posts: 845
    edited May 2020
    I blame Monty Don for this.  He's obsessed with grit!  He appears to put it absolutely everywhere, but has a boggy garden for some of the year.

    I'd love to use it more in the greenhouse. I've been stuck this year for compost so have been using coir and sharp sand for starters.

    But building sands are very precious and scarse, and it's probably more destructive to use than using peat.  I'm guessing grit is by-product.  I'd love some for cuttings etc, so what is the most eco-friendly option in the UK?

    Perlite/vermiculite differs from plain old grit.

    I'd love to see some 'real science' here about drainage.


  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    I’ve never used grit when I had a clay garden. I couldn’t afford it or if I’m honest spent the little I could on plants. I just tried to choose those that would be happier in clay - having said that the cistus and lavender we had grew beautifully. Frustratingly the lavender better than it does here in better draining soil 🙄

    I think there is a lot of of hype around grit and as said Monty uses it constantly as does Carol Klein. My first year with a greenhouse, I dutifully used grit or vermiculite around my cuttings and on top of seed trays until I ran out. I didn’t replace my supplies and didn’t notice any difference in success when I didn’t use them.

    Am not saying it doesn’t help sometimes but question the need to use it constantly or to assume you must use it especially given dwindling world resources.

     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
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