medium for alpines

[John85]

Usually a mix of 50% grit and 50% loam is recommended
But it makes the large pots very heavy
I wonder if you use another mix that is free draining and yet moisture retentive

[Dionysia]

Depends what you want to grow but replace much of the grit with perlite, pumice and Seramis. The good news is they're all lighter, the bad is that they are all expensive and pumice is difficult to source although Ikea apparently sell it for hydroponic use. The pumice and Seramis also retain moisture whilst still being free draining. Seramis is molar clay mined mostly on the continent and a cheaper alternative is Sophisticat pink cat litter and Tesco low dust lightweight cat litter which are produced from it. Don't use any other types as it will bind together which is exactly the opposite of what you want. Personally I rarely use more than 10-20% loam/JI but again it all depends what you are growing.

[Neil]

Coarse Perlte, Sophisticat pink cat litter and pumice is what I use and anything from fifth to half by volume is loam depending on what I am growing.

[John85]

What about beads of expanded clay?They are light, easy to find here and cheaper specially if you buy the smaller ones
I wonder if chipped and sieved bark (4 /6 mm) would work for the not too difficult ones

[Neil]

John, I assume you are talking about LECA, Lightweight expanded clay aggregate, and yes it will do the same.  Not sure about the chipped and sieve bark, does it not break down.

[shelagh]

Since we find it hard to get leaf mold we use sieved composted bark for anything of a woodland nature and ferns.

[John85]

A gardener advised me to use crushed old roof tiles  instead of grit.Not very lighter but it is free and retains a bit of water.
Has anyone tried this?

[David Nicholson]

Would it be right to say, had I spent ages reducing all these roof tiles to grit, that
I’d be shattered?

[John85]

It would be right to say you have time to waste.You don't have to be very ingenious to find an easy and quick way to do it.I drove my car a few times over it.Job done in 5 minutes for the price of not even half a liter of petrol!

[Maggi Young]

It would be right to say you have time to waste.You don't have to be very ingenious to find an easy and quick way to do it.I drove my car a few times over it.Job done in 5 minutes for the price of not even half a liter of petrol!

 
     Lateral thinking!!