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Perlite And Planting Tulip Bulbs

TheNoviceGardenerTheNoviceGardener Posts: 12
in Plants
Now about to start planting my Tulip Bulbs. All in pots. Not sure why but my garden supplier has stopped sell grit so I have bought perlite and I was going to use a 25% perlite/75% compost mix. The compost also contains quite a bit of sand. Is it ok to use the perlite as I have heard of fluoride burning on the tulip leaves? 

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I very much doubt it would be a problem.
    Some perlite contains no fluoride, some perlite contains a little fluoride.
    Best thing to do is to wash it using a kitchen sieve under running water before using it.
    That should get rid of most of it - if there was any in the first place.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    If it were a problem, I expect people would have stopped using it for seed growing a long time ago.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • DaveGreigDaveGreig Posts: 189
    The bulbs you buy have next years flowers already stored within them and because of this I plant my tulip bulbs in spent compost and don’t bother specially mixing stuff up. I get good one year results from this and unless you’re trying to keep them for future years and have space to store the pots, I just wouldn’t bother with all that prep. I also plant winter pansies in the same pots to give a bit of extra colour and they do fine.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Yes, they have this years flowers in them, but if you don't give them good drainage, they may well rot.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Perlite is ideal for mixing with any compost for drainage, which, along with a nice bright sunny aspect,  is what tulips need more than anything else. 
    It does the same job as grit, but has the advantage of being light, which makes it ideal for pots if you have to move them around. Vital in wet parts of the country so that you can keep the pots more sheltered over winter, and move them out where you can see them later on. 

    I've never had any problem using it. I use roughly half and half with any compost for things like tulips. Same as for seeds or small cuttings if I was doing those. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited November 2023
    There are some plants that are very sensitive to flouride - tulips being one of them.
    Perlite may contain fluoride hence the question from the OP.
    I've never had a problem with perlite and use a lot of it, but I don't grow tulips.
    I've since read that a good washing should remove almost all the flouride, if there was any there in the first place.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Interesting @Pete.8. Thinking about it, I've probably never used new ,unused, Perlite for tulips though. It would be when I re use compost  that's had it in it for seedlings or cuttings. I expect it would get well washed through anyway if I did - keeping pots drier is always harder at this time of year. Trying to dry out dahlia tubers for storage is a challenge as well. 
    I would normally use grit or fine gravel, for pots, especially as I top dress them, and Perlite is no use for that.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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