FAQ

It’s possible to grow most plants in perlite alone, although usually the finer grades and medium grades will work better and require less water. Seeds can be started in any grade of perlite, but with smaller seeds, finer grades of perlite would be recommended. Our Hydroponic Perlite is an excellent soil substrate that is 100% sterile growing medium and OMRI listed.

Harvest Hero is a specialty soil media manufacturer. Our flagship, patent-pending, 3-in-1 blend, comprised of perlite, diatomaceous earth, and essential nutrients, promotes superior growth of your plants by providing essential nutrients during vegetative growth. Using Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix takes the guess work out of home growing while improving crop production and yields. 

The Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix mechanism is 4-fold:

1. Promotes excellent gas exchange through the incorporation of horticultural perlite by aerating the soil profile to reduce compaction.
2. Supplies a suitable substrate for beneficial soil microbes to multiply.
3. Provides macronutrients for young plants or transplants.
4. Contributes diatomaceous earth, a form of soluble silica, that increases nutrient uptake, improves water holding capacity, and provides a strong, abiotic stress-resistant foundation for plants to thrive.

Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix has 2 macronutrients in the mix — phosphorus and potassium and is expected to last 6 – 8 weeks or even up to 1 year depending on the plant. The phosphorus and potassium stays put in the soil column until it’s ready to be used by the plants. If the plants are heavy feeders, expect a shorter cycle compared to a normal plant which requires only minimal amounts of phosphorus and potassium. With a normal plant, the nutrients can last up to one year. If you’re growing cannabis, which is considered a heavy feeder, expect the nutrients in the Enhanced Perlite Mix to last 6 months if you mix 20% of Harvest Hero with potting media.

One 8-quart bag of Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix will supply approximately a 7-gallon container at the prescribed mix ratio. One 12-quart bag of Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix will supply approximately a 10-gallon container at the prescribed mix ratio.

Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix is custom blended to be added in conjunction with sphagnum peat moss at a rate of 20-30% by volume. This product also reduces the total weight of the soil – allowing for less expensive shipping costs. Harvest Hero Enhanced Mix can be used for house plants, fruit and vegetable plants, orchids, lilies and is especially well-suited for cannabis gardening in containers.

One 8-quart bag of Harvest Hero Mix supplies approximately a 7-gallon container at the prescribed mix ratio. One 12-quart bag of Harvest Hero Mix supplies approximately a 10-gallon container at the prescribed mix ratio.

1. Potting Soil
   • Mix a ratio of 3 quarts of Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix to 10 quarts of coco coir or peat moss.
2. Root Cuttings
   • Mix a ratio of 5 quarts of Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix to 10 quarts of coco coir or peat moss.
3. Seedlings
   • Mix a ratio of 3 quarts of Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix to 10 quarts of coco coir or peat moss.

After the initial four to six-week growth period, you could begin your own specialized fertilizer program. The fertilizer ingredients you use will be dependent upon whether you want to remain in vegetative growth or initiate a flowering response.

However, there are additional growing measures that will work in harmony with Harvest Hero, such as an additional nitrogen source. If the seedling appears to lose its dark green color, apply ½ seaweed solution (use ½ strength of bottle recommendations) sprayed on the young seedlings. The seaweed will supply additional energy and minerals to the seedling and restore the dark green color. Harvest Hero will supply sufficient amounts of potassium and phosphorus and promote strong, healthy roots, stems, and leaves. Be sure to keep the soil moist at all times during the germination phase.

Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix contains no genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The product is composed of entirely natural ingredients plus the addition of essential nutrients. For greater detail, please download our safety data sheet (SDS).

Algae on soil surfaces represent no issues unless it becomes thick (2-5mm). Once it gets thicker than 5mm, it may impact soil gas exchange, though it is highly unlikely. Algae growth on the soil surface is typical and found on all soil surfaces exposed to adequate light sources. The exception being plants grown entirely in aseptic environments (they would exhibit no algae growth).

Algae on soil surface causes no pathological response to plants. It may be a source of carbon/carbohydrates for fungus gnats but with silica present, in the Harvest Hero, it becomes a non-issue. There is actually a positive symbiotic relationship between the plant, the roots, and the surface algae, and it is just another component of a healthy soil ecosystem.

It’s not advised to use Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix in aquaponic systems because the water-soluble nutrients become too readily available and could cause over-fertilization. However, we recommend using Harvest Hero Hydroponic Perlite for hydroponic systems. Perlite is an excellent soil substrate that is 100% sterile growing medium and is OMRI listed.

Mix in 20-30% Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix with peat moss. Remove soil around the drip line of the plant you want to revive. Take a band of soil from around the root ball approximately 6-10 inches deep by 5-8 inches wide. Be sure to not disturb the existing root system. Replace the native soil with Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix. Water well and keep moist for 2 weeks. You should see a flush of new growth in 10-15 days.

Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix is an excellent substrate for the development of new roots from cuttings. Use Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix at full strength, without adding peat moss. Place cuttings into the Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix after dipping the cut end in rooting hormone. Water the Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix well and keep moist. Gently supply bottom heat with a soil heating pad, cover the planting container with a plastic dome to prevent moisture loss, and keep fresh cutting away from direct sunlight.

To prevent possible contamination of your Harvest Hero products, please follow these guidelines:

1. What is the shelf life for Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix?
   Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix can be stored indefinitely if the product is kept dry. This product will not lose effectiveness or potency when stored over time. Keep Harvest Hero products clean and dry until use. Moisture will not degrade Harvest Hero products, but it will make it difficult to unload and may separate some of the material. Harvest Hero products do not contain any organic content. However, allowing water to absorb into the material may promote the growth of mold or other organic materials.
2. Keep the products away from odors
   Harvest Hero products exhibit a porous, microscopic structure, which allows for the retention of small amounts of liquids and/or gases on their surface. If you store the product next to products that have strong odors, it is quite common for Harvest Hero products to pick up these odors.
3. What to do if your Harvest Hero Product becomes contaminated
   You can dry Harvest Hero products and they should return to their original properties. Similarly, you can remove odors by applying heat. This is of course, inconvenient, and potentially costly, so please prevent contamination by using proper storage guidelines.

Harvest Hero products are sold by volume not weight. Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix is packaged and sold in five sizes:

1. 8 dry quarts (8.8L) – approximately 2.5 lbs (1.13 kg)
2. 12 dry quarts (13.2L) – approximately 4 lbs (1.81 kg)
3. 16 dry quarts (17.6L) – approximately 5 lbs (2.26 kg)
4. 24 dry quarts (26.4L) – approximately 8 lbs (3.6 kg)
5. 3 cubic foot (16.8L)  – approximately 26 lbs (11.7 kg)

For larger, bulk commercial quantities, please visit Harvest Hero’s purchase page and complete the special order form and a member from our Harvest Hero team will contact you to discuss your special order.

Harvest Hero’s 3-in-1 Enhanced Perlite Mix increases the oxygen levels in the soil and the soils ability to drain excess water while eliminating soil compaction. It also maintains soil pH levels, supplies essential nutrients during vegetative growth, while strengthening the plant’s cell wall, creating a soil environment favorable for microbial growth, larger plant yields, including flower and terpene production in cannabis plants.

Harvest Hero improves soil conditions to promote root growth and nutrient uptake levels in various soil compaction densities. Nutrient flow in plants is directly related to gas exchange, which is also directly related to soil compaction. Perlite reduces soil compaction and offers porosity and an accompanying increased ability for air/gas movement.

Compared to a standard perlite and sphagnum peat moss mix control group, Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix resulted in:

Field Test:

• Improved Soil Conditions Increased THC Total Yield
• Improved Soil Conditions Increased Dry Flower Weight
• Improved Soil Conditions Increased THC
• Improved Soil Conditions Increased Total Cannabinoids
• Improved Soil Conditions Increased Terpenes

Container Plants:

• Improved Soil Conditions Increased Leaf Weight
• Improved Soil Conditions Increased CBD Total Yield
• Improved Soil Conditions Increased Stem Weight
• Improved Soil Conditions Increased Dried Flower Weight
• Improved Soil Conditions Increased Root Mass

Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix cannot be used for hydroponic growing because the essential nutrients will become instantly soluble in the water, creating too much fertilizer availability and subsequent burning of the plant roots. However, you can use Harvest Hero’s domestically sourced perlite, vermiculite, and diatomaceous earth for your hydroponic growing needs by completing a special order request form.

Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix can be used to amend outdoor soils, gardens, and basically any place where you would grow a tree, bush, plant or shrub. Just incorporate a 10-20% mixture of Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix with the native soil (depending on soil type). This will increase drainage, increase the soil’s ability to hold oxygen, supply fertilizers and nutrients for the young plants.

You may find you will spend less time watering your plants. Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix allows for greater water holding capacities in the soil while making the nutrients readily available for growth.

The main differences between coarse grade and medium grade perlite is the particulate size. Coarse perlite is 2mm or greater and medium perlite is 1.5mm or less in size. Also, the smaller sized perlite has more surface area, whereas the larger sized has more pore space between particulates. The larger grades also have less bulk density when compared to smaller grades. Coarse grades can be used in medias requiring a higher rate of water drainage. Its best used for plants, such as cactus and succulents which prefer dryer soils.

Harvest Hero Hydroponic Perlite has the best particulate size to promote good root development and maintain soil moisture for robust growth. When using Harvest Hero Hydroponic Perlite, watering cycles become less frequent. A coarser grade of perlite requires frequent watering, sometimes needing to be watered 2 or 3 times a day compared to watering 2-3 times a week when using Harvest Hero Hydroponic Perlite.

Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix doesn’t contain mycorrhizal fungi or lime. The patent-pending 3-in-1 blend contains high porosity perlite, diatomaceous earth, and essential nutrients. The mycorrhizal and lime, however, does work in harmony with Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix as it improves fertilizer uptake which also helps you to save on nutrient costs in the long-term if you’re doing larger grows.

Lump charcoal helps with pH fluctuations and is a good carbon source that creates a surface for beneficial microorganisms to live on. However, it doesn’t provide any nutrients, soil porosity or gas exchange in the soil. Perlite, on the other hand, provides excellent gas exchange by aerating the soil profile to reduce compaction. Also, perlite increases plant vigor by delivering excellent drainage with increased oxygen uptake.

The nutrient profile in Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix is engineered to satisfy plants’ vegetative growth requirements (generally within 4-6 weeks). For faster-growing consumable crops such as leafy greens, the availability of nutrients is essential to generate robust growth. We recommend adding a balanced water-soluble fertilizer like Maxigro to ensure the availability of nutrients for vigorous growth.

Urea-based fertilizers (46-0-0) are very acidic and too strong for young, tender roots. We recommend using a calcium-based fertilizer (15-0-0) instead. For example, YaraLiva (YaraTera) Calcium Nitrate- 15-0-0 blend will produce the available nitrogen needed to finish a crop that takes less than 35 days to finish.

We suggest using calcium nitrate (15-0-0 at 275ppm) and mixing with a well-rounded fertilizer profile (such as 10-5-14) engineered for fast-growing plants. For example, GH MAXIGRO 10-5-14 at 120ppm with the Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix. Mix both solutions and combine the two to make your stock solution. If mixing Harvest Hero products with Coco Coir, add Maxicrop seaweed to color the stock mixture. This should compensate for the high carbon to nitrogen ratio of the coco fiber.

There are several considerations that impact the robust growth needed to grow shorter lifecycle plants (such as leafy greens). When mixing Harvest Hero products with coconut fiber or coconut coir, the coco has a carbon to nitrogen ratio of close to 90 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen. Soils containing peat moss, for example, have a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 20:1, which is the preferred carbon to nitrogen ratio. When carbon to nitrogen ratios are higher than 20:1, nitrogen is bound and used to decompose the organic substrate, meaning the nitrogen being applied to the crop is bound to the organic component in the media. To be successful when using coco coir products in growing media, one needs to increase the applied nitrogen to compensate for the increased carbon to nitrogen ratios.

We recommend using Canadian Sphagnum peat moss, which is just slightly acidic. pH values for Canadian Sphagnum peat moss are well within the acceptable ranges of cannabis culture. Be mindful, Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is slightly alkaline in nature, which will have a buffering effect over the slightly acidic nature of Canadian Sphagnum peat moss, rendering the mix neutral pH.

For raised bed applications, we recommend a minimum of 10% Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix by volume. Ideally, the mixture rate could be increased to 30% depending on the bulk density of your compost, field soil, or dirt. For artificial blends such as peat moss and Enhanced Perlite Mix, a 10-20% Enhanced Perlite Mix inclusion rate allow for supra optimal growing conditions.

If your purchase is exempt from sales and use tax, please forward a copy of your exemption certificate to SalesTaxExemption@harvesthero.com. Please make out the Vendor/Supplier to be Dicaperl Minerals, LLC.

Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix will do a great job keeping cacti and succulents hearty. Use a 50/50 blend of Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix with peat moss. This will supply excellent drainage and good root gas exchange.

Use pure Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix to store all your dry bulbs for the winter. Dig bulbs in fall, after the foliage dies back. Dry the bulbs on paper for 5 days and place the dried bulbs into plastic bags containing dry Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix. Mark the plant names on the bag and place the resting bulbs in a cool, dark place. They will be ready for planting come late winter or early spring.

Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix works well to improve soil conditions that promote new growth on trees and shrubs. Take a 2-inch diameter dowel or old garden shovel handle and pound this into the soil, along the drip line of the tree or shrub approximately 10-15 inches deep. Fill the hole created by the dowel with pure, un-blended Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix. This treatment will aerate the soil and supply nutrients to the root zone, where the tree or shrub will have direct access to the newly available fertilizers.

Most container plants require re-potting every year. The best procedure is to remove the plant from the container when the soil is somewhat dry, brush the loose soil off the plant’s root ball, then mix 20-30% of Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix with peat moss and blend well. Set the root ball in a container at the original depth, making sure not to set the root ball too deep but exactly at the original soil depth. Fill the new container with the freshly blended Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix, being sure to slightly firm the new soil mixture into the container. Leave the fresh soil mixture 1 inch from the top of the container to allow for watering.

Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix is well suited for commercial and industrial use. Its cost-effective benefits will allow growers to realize greater profit margins. Commercial cannabis growers will improve their soil conditions promoting higher yields, increasing terpene and THC levels, and reduce potting soil costs.

It is not advised to recycle or reuse Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix due to the inclusion of essential nutrients. To ensure your plants receive the highest level of nutrition, it is advised to use fresh product for every cropping cycle to guarantee adequate supply and delivery of essential nutrients.

The amount of nutrients contained in Coast of Maine Bar Harbor blend releases very slowly. When Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix is added, there should be no problems with hot levels of phosphorus and potassium. We recommend adding no more than 20% of Harvest Hero and you’ll have a superior product with enhanced soil performance.

Also, because Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite mix is not 100% organic, when you mix both Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix with Coast of Maine Bar Harbor blend organic potting soil, it will not retain the organic profile.