lots of this this stuff is just personal preference and i am NOT in opposition to any of NC's suggestions cause He Is one of those guys with mad skills that i can only ever hope to achieve---but---LOL i like larger perlite cause i recycle recycle soil and perlite breaks down just like everything else---so i have found that the larger pieces tend to stay around a little longer---in fact i believe NC actually uses rice hulls instead of perlite---i also drill my holes in the bottom of the bucket and never on the sides so no water is ever sitting when i over water or need to flush---that's always tripped me out---i ain't never seen a potted plant with holes on the side of the bucket till i came here---not even sure what the logic is LOL---