Tepojal for plants: what it is, what it is for and how it is used

The tepojal or tepezil is a volcanic rockwhich in many places is called pumice, for being a pumice stone. However, this last way of calling it can change according to the country or the area, therefore, what is called pumice stone in some places is called tepojal in others and in other places two different types of stones are called that.

It is a material whose properties improve the composition of soils for cultivation of practically any species of plants, which is why it is widely used in organic gardening and horticulture, in addition to its other uses as a construction material.

Tepojal includes in its composition the following elements: silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, iron and ferric and ferrous oxides, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium oxide and titanium dioxide. All of these are useful components for plants.

The benefits of tepojal for plants they are very varied.

• To begin with, this stone lighten the ground. The tepojal or tepejil substrate It is a lighter material than the common soil or substrate, so it helps to make the mixture lighter and looser, compacting less and, therefore, favoring the aeration of the roots and an easy development for the plant.
• For the same reason, it is also a great ally when it comes to improving the capacity of floor drainage, something vital in the vast majority of species: very few plants tolerate flooded soils. Succulents, whose roots are especially sensitive to excess moisture, benefit particularly from the use of this material.
• Its porous texture makes it a highly absorbent material. This allows it to absorb both water and fertilizers, fungicides or pesticides, releasing them continuously and slowly, and thus improving their performance. This is also a great help in maintaining controlled soil moisture levels.
• By lightening the soil, it makes the task of tilling it easier. remove and aerate the earth with tepojal it is faster and more comfortable.
• To the maintain proper humidity levelsit becomes necessary to water less often and helps prevent the appearance of cracks or crusts in the soil due to the effect of the sun.
• It is chemically inert and neutral pHso it does not affect the balance of the ground.
• It does not favor the appearance of fungi or pests of any kind, being very useful for hydroponic cultivation and for cuttings.
• It is also often used in the formation of vertical gardens or cultivated roofs, since it helps to greatly reduce the weight of the substrate to be used, also benefiting the crop.
• It is a non-organic material, so it can be reused without losing its properties or degrading in the short term.
• Its composition is rich in a large amount of essential micronutrients and macronutrients for plantssuch as iron, vital for the formation of chlorophyll or potassium, which promotes root growth.

The use of tepojal substrate for plants It is very simple. It is only necessary to mix a part of this material with the soil or substrate in which we are going to grow. Here are some tips:

• Sometimes we can limit ourselves to putting a layer of tepojal on the ground or substrate, at the base of the plant. In this way we create an insulation between the plant and the ground, helping to keep it away from excess moisture and maintaining a more stable temperature on the ground.
• However, if we want to lighten the soil and improve its drainage and nutrient properties, it is better to mix it, trying to homogenize the mixture as much as possible. The good thing about tepojal or tepezil is that, unlike other similar materials, it has a slightly higher weight, so it mixes better with the earth instead of tending to rise to the surface.

We advise you to read this other article on How to make a substrate for cacti and succulents.

Whether you want to know what can be used as a substitute for tepojal oa What other materials can tepojal substitute?we must bear in mind that it is usually used as a substitute, or vice versa, for other types of porous stones.

Thus, tepojal or tepezil is usually used together with perlite or vermiculite. They are materials of similar compositions, that fulfill similar functions and with small changes in their thickness, granularity or color. Vermiculite is the one that retains the greatest amount of water of the three, and is therefore more suitable for plants with a greater need for it. For the rest, they can be used indistinctly according to taste, although it is also very common to mix them in order to enjoy the properties of all of them.

Here you can learn more about what vermiculite is, its uses and how to make a substrate with it.

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