Perlite is a mineral aggregate consisting of natural volcanic rock and expanded by heat treatment. It has a white colour and is very light, porous and free of substances harmful to plants. This mineral has a very high air capacity and thus ensures the air capacity of a substrate. It is easily rewettable, structurally stable and pH neutral, thereby promoting the rewettability and capillarity of a substrate. It is used as an aggregate in substrates with content of up to about 30%.

Clay is a very important mineral aggregate for substrate production. It absorbs the nutrients and slowly releases them to the plants during the course of cultivation. This prevents the rapid leaching of nutrients. Besides the high buffer capacity for nutrients, clays have good water storage capacity and ensure faster rewetting in the substrate. The advantages of clay substrates are higher crop safety and a more uniform plant appearance. Brill uses natural clays from the region and small clay granules, which have a comparably positive effect on the substrate properties with a significantly lower application quantity.

Expanding clay is industrially produced from natural clay in a thermal process and is used in various branches of horticulture. It gets its essential open-pored structure from break-up of the hard fired material. Due to its hardness and structural stability, expanding clay permanently ensures high air capacity and safe drainage in growing media. In addition, its open porosity promotes rewetting. Its properties are particularly indispensable in container substrates with a long cultivation period, e.g. blueberries or in container and tree pit substrates.

Sand from regional deposits, washed and screened to a very fine grain size, improves the rewettability of the substrate and increases the volume weight. Furthermore, it supports structural stability and flowability. For example, it gives container plants better stability and supports drainage in the substrate.