Granulated, cooled lava gives house and garden owners a versatile natural product. Lava granules are at the beginning of a steep career as a powerful soil additive, vitalizing substrate component, reliable filter medium and creative design element. This guide will inform you about recommended purchasing sources and practical application options. Benefit from useful tips & tricks about a superlative natural product.

Lava granulate is breathable and permeable to water

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Where to buy lava granules?
  3. Use of lava granules
  4. Problem solver in the garden
  5. Natural plant care
  6. Beneficial for water worlds
  7. Non-slip grit
  8. frequently asked Questions

    9. the essentials in brief

    • Lava granulate (€13.99) does not rot, is breathable and water-permeable
    • Lava granules are used to cover beds, pave the way, to improve the soil or simply as decoration
    • For indoor plants, lava granules with a grain size of 2 to 8mm are used and mixed with 4 parts potting soil to 1 part lava granules

    Where can you buy lava granules?

    Lava granulate has rarely been found on the market as a single substrate. Most home and garden owners are familiar with this natural product as a grit and as an additive in high-quality potting soil for cacti and Mediterranean plants. We looked around the local and virtual market and found the following shopping sources for you:

    • hardware stores: Obi, Hagebau, Hornbach, Bauhaus
    • garden center: e.g. B. Rosenhof Schultheiss (Bad Nauheim), Dehner (more than 100 locations)
    • substrate trader: e.g. B. Interbims (Eifel)
    • builders merchant: e.g. B. Kieskönig (Anhalt-Bitterfeld), Kies-direkt (10 locations throughout Germany), Mobau (NRW)
    • online retailer: Amazon, Ebay, Manufactum, Vulcatex

    Late autumn and winter are the best times to buy lava granules from local stores. Since salt as a grit has been banned in many municipalities, regional retailers have increasingly integrated lava as an alternative into their product range. Saving foxes among hobby gardeners purchase lava granules in large quantities in big bags or in bulk at a significantly reduced price. Buyers who can drive up to the local supplier with a trailer for transport have a clear advantage. A numerical example illustrates the price advantage: 25 kg sack of lava granules with a grain size of 8-16 mm costs from 11.50 euros (0.46 euros/kg). 800 kg big bag of lava granules with a grain size of 8-25 mm costs from 135 euros (0.17 euros/kg) plus 99.90 euros shipping costs.

    For what use is lava granulate suitable?

    Lava granules are used in the garden, among other things

    Born in the hot core of our planet, lava granulate convinces with solid properties. If cooled lava is crushed, a natural product with a wide range of useful application scenarios is created. Porous lava rock has impressive attributes in its luggage. The inorganic material is, among other things, breathable, water-permeable and resistant to rot. The following table sums up how to skilfully use lava granules:

    garden plant care pond/aquarium grit
    bed cover Aggregate potting soil Plant substrate wet zone Road salt substitute
    pavement weed suppression Decorative element pond edge Spreading agent on snow
    soil improvement drainage for tubs filter medium
    design element moisture storage substrate in the aquarium

    Lava granulate fulfills the task with flying colors if you mix different grain sizes between 2 and 16 mm. The lava stones cant and join together more densely by themselves. This simple trick optimizes the use in the bed, as a filter medium, substrate or as grit alike.

    Problem solver in the garden

    Lava granulate is the hobby gardener's ace up his sleeve when it comes to coping with numerous tasks and diverse problems. The natural product is sturdy, permeable to water, breathable, durable and has an insulating effect on the floor. Compared to sand, gravel, grit and gravel, Lavamulch (€13.99) is lightweight and easy to distribute. With all the plants in the garden, Lava cultivates a harmonious coexistence without conflict. The following list gives an insight into common areas of application for lava granules in the garden:

    • weed suppression in beds, under hedges and trees, in grass pavers
    • soil loosening as an aggregate in compacted, waterlogged soil
    • plant base for roses, shrubs, conifers, vegetables, flowers, perennials
    • floor attachment for access routes, driveways, work routes, seats
    • heat accumulator gives off stored heat to neighboring plants at night
    • erosion blocker prevents soil erosion during heavy rain and thunderstorms

    In summer, lava granules used as mulch reduce the premature evaporation of irrigation water. This keeps the garden soil moist and cool for longer, which your plants really appreciate. Lava granules provide convincing proof of this benefit when the natural product lies at the feet of cacti and other succulents as mulch. The floral survivors can manage low water supplies better because the valuable moisture does not evaporate so quickly. Excessive amounts of water insure quickly into deep soil layers, because the drainage function of lava gravel prevents damaging waterlogging. In return, lava gravel effectively buffers severe frost so that roots in the ground do not freeze to death.

    digression

    Distinguish between lava granules and lava mulch

    The main difference between lava granules and lava mulch is the grain size. The trade offers grain sizes between 2 and 8 mm under the name lava granules. Grit sizes from 8 to 32 are referred to as lava mulch. However, the boundaries are fluid. Sometimes grain sizes between 8 and 16 mm are offered under both designations. Lava sand with a grain size of 0 to 2 mm is rarely found on offer. The fine-grained material is suitable as an alternative to road salt in winter or as quartz sand for sanding the lawn.

    Natural contribution to plant care

    Lava granules store water and release it to the plants when needed

    If lava granules come into play as a substrate component, plants and gardeners alike benefit from numerous advantages. Potting soil becomes loose and airy if you add a few handfuls of lava granules. If you occasionally forget to water, the porous grains will release stored water to the plant roots. Accidental pouring over does not result in harmful waterlogging if there is a layer of lava granules on the bottom of the vessel as drainage.

    Use lava granules with a grain size of 2 to 8 mm as an additive for the substrate of your balcony and house plants. The rule of thumb for measuring the right amount has proven to be: 4 parts potting soil, 1 part lava granulate. Before planting, cover the bottom of the flower box, (16.99€) pot and tub with a two-finger-thick layer of lava granules. Ideally, cover the drainage with a water- and air-permeable fleece. This gardening trick prevents substrate crumbs from settling between the lava grains and destroying the drainage effect. Furthermore, the inorganic natural product stays clean, so you can use it again after repotting.

    tips

    A good edging is mandatory if lava granulate is directly adjacent to the lawn as ground reinforcement or bed cover. If lava chippings get caught between the rotating cutter bars, the dilemma can cause serious damage to the lawn mower. A stable and sufficiently high construction, comparable to a gravel bed border, is recommended.

    Beneficial for water worlds

    Still and bubbling water remains crystal clear with lava granules. As a filter medium in ponds and aquariums, lava grains piggyback hard-working cleaning bacteria so that the water stays clear and clean. An indoor fountain ripples with immaculately clean water when a layer of lava at the bottom catches even the tiniest of impurities. Aquarists on a tight budget use lava granulate as an inexpensive substructure for the substrate. This trick reduces the need for expensive aquarium soil as the top substrate layer to the last few inches.

    Anti-slip on ice and snow - lava granules as grit

    Lava granulate is also used as a spreading agent

    Slippery paths and mirror-smooth driveways are a thing of the past when there is a sack of lava granules in the storeroom in winter. As a spreading agent, the natural product boasts immediate slip resistance on ice and snow. Furthermore, lava chippings are frost-resistant. Therefore, the granules do not dissolve, as is common with road salt. Thanks to a porous structure, lava granulate absorbs melt water, so that the dreaded freezing wetness is significantly reduced.

    Lava granules are also a good choice as an alternative to road salt, because adjacent plants do not suffer from consequential damage. Seeped road salt leaves a picture of misery on hedges, trees and perennials when it gets into the ground in large quantities and upsets the ecological balance. As a result, salt as a grit is strictly prohibited in many regions. Buy lava granules with a grain size of 2 to 4 millimeters if you want to use an all-round useful and environmentally friendly grit in the future.

    frequently asked Questions

    What is lava granules?

    Lava granulate is a purely natural product, created from solidified lava. The outstanding properties include low weight, good water permeability and a high mineral content. Furthermore, lava is completely odorless and does not rot. These attributes make lava granules the ideal soil conditioner, additive for potting soil and bedding material in winter. The material is very popular as a filter medium for ponds and aquariums. Last but not least, colorful lava granules are useful in creative garden design for natural ground reinforcement.

    How do I properly apply lava granules for weed suppression?

    The expert use of lava granules against weeds is based on a combination of correct grain size and appropriate layer height. A grain size of 8 to 16 mm has proven itself well in the garden. Spread the mulch 6 to 8 cm high in the bed for effective weed suppression. Coarser granulations and thinner layers leave dandelion, ground ivy and henchmen too much room for growth.

    Why is lava granulate so well suited as a filter medium for ponds and aquariums?

    The porous surface of lava granulate serves as a welcome settlement area for millions of industrious cleaning bacteria. These bacteria make a valuable contribution to keeping the water in the pond or aquarium clear and healthy. For this purpose, the filter basket is filled with lava granulate. Grain sizes between 8 and 32 millimeters are suitable for use. If necessary, lava can be crushed with a hammer so that it fits into an aquarium filter.

    tips

    Lava granulate is well on the way to displacing classic bark mulch as a natural ground reinforcement. The natural product does not rot, is odorless, hardwearing and does not release any nutrients into the soil. A wide range of warm tones makes lava mulch the ideal design element when planning a front yard, prairie garden or cottage garden.

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