COLLECTOR GRADE PLANTS
Every raffall features a genuine rare Alocasia from our UK nursery — not mass produced, not common. Something worth winning.

Every month we raffle a rare collector-grade Alocasia at a fraction of its value. Limited tickets — real odds — one winner.
Every raffall features a genuine rare Alocasia from our UK nursery — not mass produced, not common. Something worth winning.
We cap every raffall at 200 tickets. That's it. Real odds, real chance — not a lottery with thousands of entries.
Every ticket sold includes a charitable donation. You're in with a chance of winning a rare plant and doing some good at the same time.
Description
Looking for Vermiculite? Often described as perlite's wetter cousin, this golden, flaky mineral substrate is one of the most useful components you can add to a custom Alocasia mix — and one of the most commonly underestimated. Where perlite aerates and drains, vermiculite aerates and retains, making it the component of choice when your priority is keeping moisture consistently available to a plant that genuinely cannot afford to dry out.
Vermiculite is highly hydrophilic by nature. Its layered, accordion-like structure expands to absorb water on contact, then releases it slowly and steadily back into the surrounding substrate — continuing to do so for days after watering. For Alocasia, which are notoriously unforgiving when left in dry substrate even briefly, this slow-release moisture reservoir built into the mix itself provides a meaningful buffer against the consequences of an uneven watering schedule. It's a component specifically chosen for Soil Ninja's Premium Alocasia Blend precisely because of this moisture management role.
Crucially, vermiculite doesn't sacrifice aeration to achieve moisture retention. Its physical presence within the mix creates air chambers throughout the pot, ensuring oxygen continues to reach the root zone even as the substrate stays consistently moist — the balance that rare Alocasia, particularly those in enclosed growing environments, genuinely thrive in. Available in coarse (5–15mm) and fine (1–3mm) grades; fine grade is well suited to Alocasia's finer root structure and distributes more evenly through the mix.
Key Features:
Add at 15–20% of total mix volume for a moisture-retentive custom Alocasia substrate, or use to adjust the drying rate of an existing mix that's drying too quickly for your environment.
Semi Hydro Growing
Using LECA or pon you can grow your plants without soil. Read our blog for more information
Feed Your Plant
Every watering during the growing season (spring & summer) using a water-soluble nutrients