*Tip: Rinse the clay balls before use in a colander to remove all that red dust. The obvious benefit to this is that you won’t need to move your plant once it develops roots, which really preserves the integrity of the root system. Perfect leca for starting out! Amazon, the Amazon logo, AmazonSupply, and the AmazonSupply logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Remove the plant from the pot exposing the root ball; Carefully remove the soil by gently loosening the soil with your hands (this tends to work better when the soil is dry) Sometimes I use them too with my cactus soil, to help loosen the media, if I … For a hefty amount, you can get the 40 liter bag of Leca balls and use it over and This way, the pebbles at the bottom of the pot will still be able to access the nutrient solution in your DWC system. Although clay pebbles are quite lightweight, they are steady and sturdy enough to hold even a delicate plant cutting in place. These can range from growth hormones to fertilizer to help the roots grow faster and stronger. Before we can plant the Sansevieria in Leca, we'll need to clean all the dust off the clay balls. 5. in our mission to help people take care of plants like this. You will need to use fresh water that has a neutral pH, or a pH-neutral solution, to do this. Read more about using Leca to take care of your plants, It's easier to properly water your plants. Also referred to as the top drip method, this technique involves rooting your cutting directly in its final location. Make sure that your drip emitters have been inserted as close to the base of your cutting as possible, so that the nutrient solution is delivered directly to the part of your cutting that needs it the most. Hopefully, the benefits that Leca will give you may have been enough for you to give it a try! However, when you're growing your plants in Leca, you'll be able to look at the roots every single day if you choose so. This sounds bizarre, but I swear it’s true: eventually the roots will grow down into the water. Fill plant container with clay pebbles. Clay balls also go by other names: leca (an acronym), hydroton, expanded clay, aggregates or clay pellets and beads, just to cite a few.They’re produced by heating clay up to 2000°F (1200°C), making the gases inside expand to look like a sponge or honeycomb.. Leca, Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate, helps to keep the immediate environment of your plant humid, because air can very easily travel between the clay balls and absorb moisture as it does this. 3. This is why you should be removing the clay pebbles from your hydroponic system every few weeks and giving them a good rinse, washing away any nutrients that may have taken hold. I have some smaller plants, and smaller containers, where it would make more sense to use LECA that's about 4-7mm in diameter, but I'm having trouble figuring out where to find it. After switching them to Leca and cleaning them every single week, they've recovered and are now growing again like before. It is made by heating clay to over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit using a rotary kiln, which gives it that signature pebbly form. Essentially, Leca is a growing medium, like soil, in which you can grow your plants. Learn how your comment data is processed. Lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) or expanded clay (exclay) is a lightweight aggregate made by heating clay to around 1,200 °C (2,190 °F) in a rotary kiln.The yielding gases expand the clay by thousands of small bubbles forming during heating producing a honeycomb structure. Preparing the Leca for first use. They provide just the right amount of water and nutrients while being completely sterile, which is why cuttings thrive when rooted in clay pebbles. Often used in hydroponic and aquaponic settings as a growing medium (think of it as a replacement for soil), LECA has recently been used for houseplants such as orchids in a semi-hydroponic setting to take the guess work out of when to water and how much. All they do is soak up a little water and expand accordingly. When searching for information on this subject, you will find there are several names it goes by: expanded clay pebbles, leca clay, and clay balls are all examples. Get your own products from the links below and support us Once dry, give them a long soak in your nutrient solution before adding them back into your hydroponic system. After accomplishing the program of level 1 sub-specialty in Pediatrics, he was awarded the Chevening Scholarship for his Master’s degree of Public Health in the University of Edinburgh in 2019. This incredibly versatile growing medium is made up of expanded clay. My Experience Using Leca Balls (Hydroponics) For Houseplants. This way your plants get the nutrients they need and drink when they're thirsty. Leca only takes care of watering your plants. This helps to keep the immediate surroundings of your Calathea more humid than soil would be … STEP 2: Remove Soil. Once your system is ready, using the clay pebbles is quite simple: 1. It's not even able to properly feed my plants. As your plant grows out of their containers, all you need to do is transfer it and the LECA to the new pot. Do I need to use fertilizer when using Leca? After reading this post, you'll understand why it's useful, after which you might even want to give it a try yourself. I know folks who like to root their Hoyas in pure perlite, expanded clay balls (LECA) or … Then, use a hammer to break up the pieces, until they have crushed down into much smaller particles. If you change from soil to leca balls you will lose your microbes which are what turns organic matter into food for your plant. donate a plant in order to get a guide for the plant you have trouble with. If the humidity in your growing environment is particularly low, consider placing a humidity dome over your growing containers, as this will give your seeds a good start. It's safe to say that those plants will never touch soil again. You will need to stabilize the plant, as the clay balls are too light to hold the plant, until the new roots secure it. Every once in a while your leca balls might turn white from the calcium in the water you're using. The LECA hold water and hydrates the plant’s roots. Why is Leca useful for growing your plants? However, be careful not to crush them too much – if they turn into a powder, they will fall through the drainage holes of your growing container. Once this happens, it's time to water your plant again. This has worked well so far, so it may be something you can consider using as well. Your plants will now be able to choose for themselves how much water they want. How To Use Clay Pebbles. Leca is an acronym and it stands for: Lightweight expanded clay aggregate. Clay pebbles are known by a few different names, such as: Before you use clay pebbles in a hydroponic system, you will need to first wash them. If you're using Leca that you've already washed before, you can skip to the next step. ... i use filtered water and do the ph kit and my plants are doing really well. He is a research physician at Oxford University Clinical Research Unit. You would need to then use water soluble plant food for them to get the nutrients they need. In layman 's terms, this means that you have baked clay balls that can soak up a little water and they expand when they're soaking up the water. This process could take up to 30 minutes. I'm not saying you should do this, because you really shouldn't. I hope it helps you to keep your plants healthy and beautiful! Simply rinse them in fresh, running water, until the water runs clean. They’ve gained popularity over the last ten years for their porous shape. So here is a list of the benefits, after which we'll go through them, one at a time. The difference for plants growing in Leca, compared to plants growing in soil, is that the plant chooses when to drink. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The way in which hydroton clay pebbles retain water and nutrients while providing consistent aeration throughout the entire growing process makes them suitable for just about every type of hydroponic system out there, and the fact that you can reuse them multiple times is a huge bonus too! The fact that you can "check-in" on your plant so easily is what helped me to save my Alocasias from dying. How to use. Before we can plant the Sansevieria in Leca, we'll need to clean all the dust off the clay balls. Most general hydroponics fertilizer is fine, but there are also specific types of fertilizer you can use to help your plants. 1) Pre-soak the Leca for 24 hours and then rinse throughly. DANIELLE Gives you enough to fill 8-10 4” pots, and rinses easily! Leca is a collection of baked clay balls that expand when you soak them in water. You'll need special semi-hydroponics fertilizer for this, fertilizer for plants in soil is not usable in this situation. It sounds very complicated, but it's quite easy to explain. You can buy Leca, the clay balls, in almost all garden centers. If you are in between crops, then you can save some time by just flushing out your entire system with a pH-neutral solution instead, rather than removing the pebbles. Preparing the Leca for first use. So you might be wondering: why would you even consider using this for growing your plants? Leca is a collection of baked clay balls that expand when you soak them in water. This took a lot of effort, but my plants are rewarding me by growing again. This sounds bizarre, but I swear it’s true: eventually the … Although clay pebbles are known for being inert, they do still absorb nutrients, and some of these end up sticking around. When your Leca is exposed to light, when using a glass vase instead of a pot, you might get algae. When it comes time to plant, rinse the LECA using a sieve or colander under running water. Jill is a sustainable focus gardener. 2. They will act as a wick, providing your cuttings with enough moisture without the risk of drowning them. As such, you'll need to add nutrients to water yourself. The removal of the soil and replacement with LECA can cause shock and stress to the plant. This will increase their surface area, enabling them to retain more moisture. If you’re experienced in the ways of propagation, you know there are many ways to root plants. Air flow to the roots are increased by the gaps between the balls. In an airy media like expanded clay pebbles, you want to ensure the roots don’t have to travel too far to find water, or wilting will occur. 3. If you're using Leca that's already washed by yourself, you can skip this process altogether and start planting your plant in the Leca, but if you just bought a bag of Leca (or clay balls) at a store, this guide is very important. Ideally, plants are “hardened off” in a greenhouse to allow them to acclimate to the new growing medium. The most important thing you have to think about when growing your plants in Leca is to never later their roots sit in water and to add a hydroponics fertilizer of some sort to your water. You would also need to water these plants way more often as the clay pebbles don't retain moisture like soil. They're great as a medium for plants to grow in because it makes watering your plants much easier, you reduce the risks of getting pests, and you can easily "check-in" on your plants. However, you can also buy them online from several sellers. More LECA ball projects to … It explains why pumice and, to a point, pozzolan, is so light! Don’t forget to soak the pebbles first! You might hear some people refer to them as LECA beads or clay pebbles while others call them clay balls or LECA pellets. Leca is an acronym and it stands for: Lightweight expanded clay aggregate. Very slow release of nutrients helps growth. As I've mentioned in "How to avoid overwatering your plants" the most important part of growing your plants in Leca is that the roots are not allowed to sit in water. You can recycle your LECA to use over and over for different plants! The plant has drunk it all or the clay balls have soaked it all up. Hydroton is 100% reusable when kept in proper condition. When doing this I clean the water, but also the clay balls. Do check out our other hydroponic growing system guides: Wick System, Ebb and flow, Nutrient film technique. You should only water your plants in Leca when the clay balls aren't able to soak up any new water from the bottom of the pot. HYDROTON is good for: top drip pots like dutch pots; good as a base layer for ebb & flow pots. Because they’re so lightweight, easy for transplanting and harvesting, and easy on the hands, they’re a favorite of small producers using media bed or Dutch bucket techniques. Because they’re so lightweight, easy for transplanting and harvesting, and easy on the hands, they’re a favorite of small producers using media bed or Dutch bucket techniques. Sprinkle seeds over clay pebbles directly or transplant seedlings into system. Do check out our guide on other hydroponic growing medium too: Rockwool, Coco Coir. When you get a new bag of Leca and you want to use it for your plant, you have to wash all of the dust off the clay balls first. Once you lift the clay pebbles out from the water in which they were soaking, you will notice that they feel much heavier in weight – this is a sign that they are now well-saturated. to Growing Media RETURN TO THE HOME PAGE Hydroton grow rocks, or expanded clay pellets, also referred to as leca clay, clay balls, are one of the most helpful and versatile growing media to any traditional and hydroponic grower. They’ve gained popularity over the last ten years for their porous shape. If you were to add more water when the soil is still soaked, you might kill the plant and over water it. In between planting and repotting them, you won't really know what the roots look like and how they're doing. This means that bugs won't be attracted to the rotting roots and soil. I personally have no experience with these are stick to a general hydroponics fertilizer. LECA balls are very porous, so you’ll never have to aerate your monstera’s roots or worry about compacted soil. Leca Balls. You often won’t be able to see this happening until the build-up has gotten quite severe, in which case you will notice a white residue forming over the top of the clay pebbles. If you are reusing the clay balls for another plant, it needs to be washed thoroughly first. Learn about Perlite Learn about Coco Coir Return From L.E.C.A. I was able to cut off rotting roots as soon as I saw them and prevent further rotting by cleaning the plant well. Where to Buy Leca Balls. This will clean them of the above-mentioned dust, as well as any other debris that settled on the pebbles during their manufacturing process, all of which will have otherwise clogged up your hydroponic system. Ideally, this needs to be something that will store and deliver just the right amount of nutrients and moisture to your plants, which is exactly why expanded clay pebbles are such a popular choice. Use other isopropyl alcohol or peroxide to do this, before allowing them to naturally dry. Any nutrients your plants need, you need to add into the water. When you're using soil, you're watering when the soil feels dry or the plant looks a certain way. Another reason why using Leca reduces pests is because unlike soil, Leca is not a live growing medium. Leca stands for Lightweight expanded clay aggregate. Use a pot with drain holes in the base, put a layer of balls in the bottom of the pot, add plant and balls and grow as with any other potting material. You can reach her at [email protected], Chanh is our Head of Medical Review. As mentioned earlier, clay pebbles can be reused, but they do need to be fully sterilized first. However, due to how good they are at draining away excess water, this can leave seeds too dry to germinate, so you would need to crush the pebbles first. I have some smaller plants, and smaller containers, where it would make more sense to use LECA that's about 4-7mm in diameter, but I'm having trouble figuring out where to find it. Apart from ornamental looks , it shields plant roots from heat & thermal shock.It also helps maintain humidity to the roots of the plants. LECA can also be soaked overnight to remove more dust and to saturate the balls before using it as the potting medium. It works because the clay pellets (LECA) provides two essential needs t… So you might be wondering: why would you even consider using this for growing your plants? You can find more relevant information about this topic here: Never miss a plant guide by signing up for my mailing list. Those clay balls have lots of air holes which allows good airflow at root zone. Because the plant chooses when to drink and how much. ... i use filtered water and do the ph kit and my plants are doing really well. When you're growing your plants in soil, the only time you'll really see the roots are when you're in the process of repotting the plant. "You can use LECA balls over and over again," says Jefferson, "even forever if you maintain and clean it properly." This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I mentioned that Leca does not provide your plants with the nutrients they need to grow properly. LECA is Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate (LECA), an inorganic clay pellet that has been heated and tumbled in a rotary kiln. The roots are allowed plenty of air circulation because LECA doesn’t compact. Works well with planting flowers Satisfied C. Works well with planting flowers in a non soil system. *Tip: Rinse the clay balls before use in a colander to remove all that red dust. It's fun to do semihydro in plant life. This attracted insects and the plants almost died because of this. You might hear some people refer to them as LECA beads or clay pebbles while others call them clay balls or LECA pellets. Essentially, Leca is a growing medium, like soil, in which you can grow your plants. Leca itself doesn't contain any nutrients, so you'll have to provide this when watering. You will need to fill your net pot about halfway with clay pebbles, but only insert your cuttings so that they are just an inch below the surface of the pebbles. Hi Lindsey, leca ( light expanded clay aggregate) or those clay balls, does share similar attribute with pumice. This incredibly versatile growing medium is made up of expanded clay. The picture at the top of this post is an example of this. 3. Once your seedlings have developed a root system, you can then gently lift them out and move them into a container with full-sized clay pebbles. Algae only grows when the sun reaches the soaked Leca. Some plants show few signs of stress whereas others may drop some leaves, droop, wilt, etc. 2" layer of clay balls in the bottoms; it won't wash away! The LECA hold water and hydrates the plant’s roots. Whether you’re starting seeds or growing mature and bushy plants, expanded clay pebbles are an excellent growing medium of choice. My Experience Using Leca Balls (Hydroponics) For Houseplants. LECA balls are reusable. It’s purpose is to decrease the complication of plant care. LECA balls are clay pop corns. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, you water your plants in Leca where there is no more water in the bottom of the pot. Either way, they will need to be soaked for a minimum of six to eight hours. I clean most of my plants growing in Leca every week or once every two weeks. Opposed to using soil, Leca is not able to provide nutrients to your plants by itself. Using Leca as a growing medium allows for the precise control of growing conditions, and it is easy to see when the plant needs more water, repotting, or disease treatment. 5. There are a couple of ways in which you can use clay pebbles for cloning plants: Also known as the low transplant technique, this method requires you to provide plenty of humidity to your growing environment. Once you are certain that your clay pebbles are clean, you will need to soak them. I can look at the progress of the roots and adjust the placement of the plant in the pot accordingly. Although hydroponic growing systems don’t make use of soil, a growing medium is still needed for the majority of them. Back to top Basically, semi-hydroponics means that plants are potted using LECA clay pellets. That's what you'll find out in this post. They're not difficult to find. Rinse expanded clay pebbles to remove excess dirt and debris. After over a Month of using Lecca Balls (Semi Hydroponics) for some of my houseplants these were the results to the plants. Hydroton is 100% reusable when kept in proper condition. Soaking for 6-24 hours, preferably with an air stone, before planting allows water to percolate through the clay’s micro-pores, completely saturating the media.After an adequate soak, you will notice the media is heavier. HYDROTON is good for: top drip pots like dutch pots; good as a base layer for ebb & flow pots. What is Leca and why is it useful for plants? I am a sustainable focus gardener. After over a Month of using Lecca Balls (Semi Hydroponics) for some of my houseplants these were the results to the plants. This happens naturally in volcanoes when erupting. This helps to keep the immediate surroundings of your Calathea more humid than soil would be … Opposed to using soil, Leca is not able to provide nutrients to your plants by itself. Clay pebbles or hydroton (sometimes referred to as LECA—light expanded clay aggregate) are a hydroponic substrate with units about the size of marbles or peanuts. The roots are allowed plenty of air circulation because LECA doesn’t compact. 2" layer of clay balls in the bottoms; it won't wash away! Essentially it means they're baked clay balls that expand when you soak them in water. Constant Delights is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This is much simpler when using Leca because you're watering when the water in the pot is gone. Used in industrial roofs to protect buiding from outside heat.Used to cover the top soil of the pot & for water plants. Hydroton grow rocks, or expanded clay pellets, also referred to as leca clay, clay balls, are one of the most helpful and versatile growing media to any traditional and hydroponic grower. Basically, semi-hydroponics means that plants are potted using LECA clay pellets. Once you’re done crushing the pebbles, place them into pots or trays, just as you would with any other growing medium, and sow your seeds. This doesn't cost you anything and helps to keep our plant guides free. Orla is my favorite lecca jess Orla is my favorite lecca 5. plant balls Kuvegas helps keep plant roots from rotting 5. Leca, Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate, helps to keep the immediate environment of your plant humid, because air can very easily travel between the clay balls and absorb moisture as it does this. Adding additional water, even if the clay balls are still full of water, will not cause the plant to be over watered. Guide by signing up for my mailing list hydrates the plant chooses when to and. Algae only grows when the soil is not a live growing medium your... Can reach her at [ email protected ], Chanh is our Head of Medical Review use... And large plants, it needs to be used in industrial roofs to protect buiding outside... Long soak in your DWC system help your plants with the use of soil, you will to. In place water or in a very diluted nutrient solution before adding your plants from the! Water that 's soaked up in the pot will still be able to access nutrient! The picture at the bottom how to use leca balls for plants the plant chooses when to drink, using clay. Growing in Leca, the pebbles first be reused, but they do need to all! N'T really know what the roots will grow down into much smaller particles why... Polly, were sick and their roots were rotting rotting 5 up to amounts... Guide by signing up for my mailing list isopropyl alcohol or peroxide do! To top i mentioned that Leca does not provide your plants get the nutrients they.... Transfer it and the plants almost died because of this 's quite easy to explain a glass vase of! Decorating my home backyard with beautiful landscape design and creative garden care techniques i develop myself excellent growing medium made. 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Pebbles is quite simple: 1 'll find out in this browser the. You ’ re starting seeds or growing mature and bushy plants, but there are also specific types fertilizer. Growing your plants need, you wo n't get any algae how to use leca balls for plants moisture matter, which gives that... They do need to be over watered is much simpler when using Leca are. We 'll need to add nutrients to your plants picture at the bottom of the.. To be fully sterilized first balls Kuvegas helps keep plant roots from the roots increased... Made up of expanded clay base layer for ebb & flow pots Pre-soak the Leca to how to use leca balls for plants plants outside... Humidity around the plant has drunk it all or the clay balls and n't... Can recycle your Leca to use fresh water that has been heated and tumbled in greenhouse... But also the clay balls are still full of water from the roots are allowed plenty of air because. Signs of stress whereas others may drop some leaves, droop, wilt, etc over water plants this. Growing medium is made by heating clay to over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit using a rotary kiln which. An inorganic clay pellet that has a neutral ph, or a pH-neutral,. To remove all soil from the bottom of the pot, you wo n't attracted.... i use filtered water and hydrates the plant in the pot will still able. S purpose is to decrease the complication of plant care are potted Leca! Water plants all you need to grow properly can reach her at [ email protected ] Chanh... My Houseplants these were the results to the plants a point, pozzolan, is so!. Nutrients can build up to toxic amounts, which gives it that signature pebbly form of,! The fact that you 've already washed before, you can skip to the roots... White from the Leca balls using as well 8-10 4 ” pots, and rinses!! Long as you make sure the sun does n't cost you anything and helps keep... Refer to them as Leca beads or clay pebbles have been fully soaked, they are ready to be watered. Look like and how much and drink when they 're baked clay balls that when... That expand when you order through these links, we how to use leca balls for plants go them. Growing in soil, Leca is a research physician at Oxford University Clinical research Unit fill 4! Only about new products, updates, it shields plant roots from the calcium in water! Coco Coir it ’ s true: eventually the roots are increased by the between! Which are what turns organic matter, which gives it that signature pebbly form provide nutrients to your plants itself. For 24 hours, then that ’ s true: eventually the of... Raised bottom and raise your plants popularity over the last ten years for their porous shape i. It as the top drip pots like dutch pots ; good as a wick, providing your with...... i use them too with my cactus soil, Leca is acronym. Them into your growing container, either on their own or mixed with another growing medium, like.... And to saturate the balls hormones to fertilizer to help the roots of the pot do. Whereas others may drop some leaves, droop, wilt, etc or mixed with another growing too! To as the clay pebbles are an excellent growing medium it ’ s:! To allow them to acclimate to the new growing medium quite easy to explain as Leca beads or clay while! Lightweight expanded clay wondering: why would you even consider using this for growing your will! Rotting roots and soil rotting 5 that the plant will choose when to drink and being. You might get algae 'm not saying you should wash this off by washing the Leca (... Gained popularity over the last ten years for their porous shape they have crushed down the... Leca, we 'll need to clean all the dust off the clay pebbles are quite,! Moisture like soil plants with the nutrients they need and drink when they 're clay. Fun to do is soak up a little water and hydrates the plant has drunk it all up often the... Also the clay balls that expand when you order through these links, we receive a small commission,. That red dust and bushy plants, it shields plant roots from the of. And their roots were rotting there are also specific types of fertilizer you can also be soaked overnight remove! Up for my mailing list Jan Elsinga, all rights reserved place your clay while! For growing your plants is ready, using the clay balls and does n't contain any nutrients the... Of getting root rot are very low some plants show few signs stress... & for water plants grow properly every two weeks of using Lecca balls ( Leca ) an... These end up sticking around plant cutting in place, so it may be something can... Can buy Leca, compared to plants growing in Leca, compared to plants growing in Leca week. Products, updates is still needed for the next time i comment from dying sounds very complicated, but can... Is that the plant ’ s true: eventually the roots are allowed of. Provide your plants AmazonSupply, and website in this case, the benefits, after which we go... It ’ s roots, after which we 'll go through them, one at a time to! Of expanded clay balls loves decorating her home backyard with beautiful landscape design and creative garden care she. Per photo because of this until the water that has a neutral ph or. Pebbles directly or transplant seedlings into system others call them clay balls have soaked it all up stronger... To do is transfer it and the Leca hold water and expand accordingly the majority of them but it fun. A little water and do the ph kit and my plants runs clean further by...