Leca for Noobs
What is LECA?
L.E.C.A. is an acronym for Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate. It’s used in lieu of soil or moss as an alternative medium to grow your plants. Leca comes in the form of little small clay balls that retain moisture and slowly releases it to your plant’s roots.
So you’re probably wondering why I made the switch to grow only in leca.
It’s easier to water your plants — less risk of overwatering. One of the most common killers of plants is overwatering. When you use leca appropriately, you’re creating an environment in which the plant will choose when to drink water or not. Aside from bottom watering, I’m no master at using soil so I’m glad I made the switch to leca early on.
Less risk of root rot. The leca clay balls leave a lot of air gaps in-between the balls. This helps your plants get oxygen to the roots. The most common cause of root rot is lack of oxygen.
The risks of getting pests are reduced (however, you 100% can still get pests growing in leca). One of the reasons I decided to use leca was to avoid pests but now I know they can lay eggs in leca too. The upside is that its easier to clean and sterilize the leca than it is to microwave soil and deal with the stench that comes with it.
Leca is reusable. You can boil and sterilize your leca and use it with other plants. I’ve done it many many times.
You can keep an eye on your plant’s roots.
The water roots make it easier to chop and prop.
Your plants don’t need soil to grow as long as you are giving it the nutrient it needs via water, it can thrive in leca.
Prepping leca: After rinsing off the clay, I boil it to make sure I get everything. I boil it three times if I am reusing leca.
When I first got into leca, I joined the Lazy Leca Club Facebook group and let me tell you…leca is anything but lazy. Leca is dusty…some people don’t care to clean their leca but I’m not one of those people.
I rinse three times, then boil three times and then I store it in a bin for use. I do not want all that leca dust sitting in my nutrient water but you do you.
Where do you buy your leca?
I purchase 25L of Mother Earth’s Hydroton leca from Amazon.
