Leca beads How to Properly Use LECA for Plants (5 Easy Steps) To use clay pebbles for plant cultivation, plant owners must first clean the LECA. Methods described are deeply rooted in science, observation, and experimentation. You will need a pot with drainage holes, a solid pot without drainage holes (slightly larger than the first pot), and enough LECA to fill the smaller pot Beginner's guide to Semi-Hydroponics for houseplants, aroids, orchids, and hoyas. Baked clay balls are porous, absorbing a lot of water and providing a suitable environment for plant roots. Jun 24, 2023 · Want to elevate your plant care game? Learn the advantages of using LECA for plants, how to choose the right product, and see our top picks. Apr 13, 2020 · Leca stands for Lightweight expanded clay aggregate. 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. Mar 13, 2024 · Whether you call them leca beads, hydroton balls, expanded clay balls, hydroleca, or hydroponic pebbles, they’re essentially all the same thing. LECA Starter Kit and guide available for purchase to ease into growing plants in a Semi-Hydroponics environment. Leca has a pH level of 7 and is free of nutrients. 7. It works great for plants if you know how to use it properly!. LECA has an approximately round or oblong shape due Details This is a bag of expanded clay terracotta balls or beads to use either as a drainage base for your pot or as an alternative medium for your plants with added nutrients to replace soil. The clay balls are lightweight and absorbent by nature. The pebbles and beads in this assortment vary in size from 0. It all begins with prepping your LECA. Then, water-propagated plants should be chosen and set in LECA. Here's how to do it. That means they help retain water better than your average inert growing medium. 1 These little balls of clay are used in place of soil for houseplants and are commonly used in hydroponic gardening. Learn 5 simple methods to incorporate LECA into your indoor gardening routine. 6. It looks very aesthetic on indoor plants, especially with clear glass 5. LECA, also known as lightweight expanded clay aggregate, is a collection of kiln-fired clay baked into round balls. Jun 20, 2020 · Wondering if Leca is the right growing medium for you? Here's a look at the pros and cons of using lightweight expanded clay aggregate to grow your plants. May 28, 2025 · Discover the benefits of using LECA clay pebbles for houseplants. 32" or 8mm to 0. Leca, Lightweight expanded clay aggregate, is a collection of baked clay balls that make watering your plants much easier. Used in all types of gardening functions, these porous pebbles allow for superior drainage and air circulation so roots get plenty of oxygen. 62" or 16mm. Adding these below your soil helps balance capillary action and is lightweight. Even better, LECA can be easily found in plant stores, and the most popular way is to use it as an alternative to soil. In this post, we're going to find out which plants work well with Leca and which ones might not do too well with it. Jul 27, 2025 · LECA, or Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate, also known as clay balls and hydroton, is a versatile growing medium that has become quite popular among plant enthusiasts. Replace the LECA clay pebbles as needed, typically every 12-18 months, to maintain optimal growth conditions. Feb 25, 2025 · LECA balls, also known as "lightweight expanded clay aggregate," are made from clay, brick dust, and waste from the mineral albite. This growing medium is a clean, low-maintenance alternative to growing indoor plants in potting mixed with traditional methods. Dec 19, 2020 · Which plants can you grow in Leca? Leca is a very versatile growing medium for your houseplants, but whether or not you can grow your favorite houseplant in Leca depends on a few things. But how can you get started? What do you need to know? You'll find all the answers here! Aug 24, 2016 · 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. They are beneficial to plants in that they help to retain water, increase aeration, and reduce the amount of plant pests. It used to be that only specialty hydroponics growers knew what to do with these little expanded clay pebbles, but today, LECA is widely loved by houseplant fanatics everywhere. But what is leca exactly? Leca are baked balls of clay. Monitor the pH levels and adjust as necessary, as LECA clay pebbles are pH neutral. LECA involves replacing your houseplant’s normal soil or potting mix growing medium with clay balls. Heat-expanded lightweight pebbles. I tried this method to see what it was like. (Honestly, I just call it “leca” and drop the capitals for convenience). Clay pebbles are an excellent Jan 12, 2022 · Lightweight expanded clay aggregate or, Leca, is a medium in which you can grow plants. The heating process causes gases trapped in the clay to expand, forming thousands of small bubbles and giving the material a porous structure. Ensure the LECA clay pebbles are fully submerged in water for hydroponic systems or regularly moistened for aeroponic systems. Aug 7, 2023 · LECA balls are all the rage these days and for good reason. Expanded clay (exclay) or lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) is a lightweight aggregate made by heating clay to around 1,200 °C (2,190 °F) in a rotary kiln. In this post, we'll go over why it is useful for growing your plants and what benefits it can offer you and Sep 7, 2023 · Using leca for plants is a fun way to propagate plants. LECA Preparation You wouldn’t want to live in a room filled with trash right? Well, your plant doesn’t want that either. iqbe pfnkdp uppn vfriko htd jjfj zwmndn pcwqn lvvpajb gae eliw fhj uwvum jeumnfrr chmspj