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Styrofoam vs. Perlite: Why Packing Peanuts Don't Belong in Garden Soil

Those white balls in potting mix are perlite—a porous, volcanic glass that holds moisture and nutrients—not Styrofoam. Styrofoam doesn't absorb water, floats to the surface, and blows away. While you can experiment, it won't improve drainage or aeration like perlite. Stick with proven soil amendments for reliable results.

About Gardening: Fixing a Tomato Garden Ruined by Fresh Horse Manure; Testing Soil pH for Blueberries and Estimating Yield from a Small Planting; Buying Bulk Soil for a Vegetable Garden: How to Evaluate Topsoil and Choose a Balanced Garden Mix; Why Perlite Is a Poor Long-Term Soil Amendment and How Tillage and Organic Matter Better Mimic Natural Soil Building; Quick Clay Soil Improvement for Vegetable Garden; Preparing Arizona Desert Soil for a Vegetable Garden; Why Are There No Earthworms in My Garden?; Potting Soil vs. Garden Soil for Containers: What's the Real Difference?; Buying Bulk Garden Soil in the Atlanta Area; Fixing a Failed Garden: Ditch Cheap Topsoil, Amend With Conditioner, Lime, and Fertilizer

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