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Me in a local garden centre today: Excuse me, I cant seem to find any vermiculite or perlite, I want some as I need to take some cuttings this weekend, do you have any in stock?

Employee: Sorry, want do you want?

Me: Vermiculite or perlite…..

Employee: What is that?

Me: Normally comes in small bags of about a kilo, small white or silver grains that weigh next to nothing but improve drainage/aeration in compost for seed sowing or cuttings, couple of quid a bag or there abouts.

Employee: Never heard of it, is it a type of compost?

Me: No

Employee: hang on, let me ring some one. (He pulls his cordless phone out of his pocket to ring a colleague, conversation similar to above). Sorry sir, not sure what you mean. Does it go by another name?

Me: No, is there anyone else I could ask as the stuff is used by 90% of gardeners and I am sure you have it here some where amongst all this Christmas decoration tat!!!!!

Employee: The manager is at lunch. He might know…..

Me: Don’t worry, I will go some where else, oh and when will this decoration stuff be gone so you go back to being a Garden Centre?

Employee: Oh, the sale ends second week in February when we get ready for Easter. (Big Smile)

Me: Aaaarrgghhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Walk out in a huff.

I drive 3 miles down the road to a local nursery/grower, owner steps out of a poly tunnel as I pull up. I ask if he has any, his reply, sure how much do you want, he has piles of the stuff and fills a carrier bag for me and charges 50p…………

Enough said.

Jerry

A blessing in diguise Jerry, like losing a tanner and finding a bob. 8)

UNBELIEVABLE :-X

Pat

Glad it all turned out for the best for you but it is really frustrating isn't it trying to get someone to understand what you're talking about when they should know?
Why, oh why, do  some garden centres employ people who simply don't have a clue??!!

Jerry, reading your post made me decide to search www.froogle.co.uk for vermiculite, and this site was one of the main ones that came up - seems like good value, so I thought I'd share. They have perlite and coir too although 100L is probably more than the average gardener would use.

http://www.hydroponic-shop.com/hydroponics_product/142/vermiculite__100_ltr_sack.html

I use it as a seed covering & to show when the compost needs water. = Tim

Quote from: tim on January 17, 2005, 17:55:35
& to show when the compost needs water. = Tim

Tim - how does it show you?

Jerry - that's so funny! I remember being in a big name DIY store recently. Couldn't find the perlite, but I couldn't even be bothered to ask because I knew they wouldn't know, and I couldn't be bothered to explain what it is!