I highly reccomend perlite as an inexpensive medium, but do wear a mask when handling the material as some brands have been found to contain asbestos.

Also, sawdust and sand (separately or mixed) are commonly used, but I haven't tried it myself.

Good luck with your project!

dm

David McCormick

Can't wait for the next issue!

Alternative media that I've read about:

Cypress mulch (at most garden or home supply stores - about $3 for 2 cu ft, a large amount) Perlite Lava rocks (my problem w/ them is the rocks are all sorts of sizes and shapes... no consistency) Peat moss (also cheap) Sawdust sand/gravel/ pea gravel Aquarium rocks Coir (coconut husk)

Some media are better for certain techniques. I can't see using aquarium rocks for a capillary system...

What's your favorite media?