LECA stands for light-weight expanded clay combination. To place it merely, Leca is available in baked

Reusable LECA Clay Balls
clay balls that take in slightly water, after which they broaden barely. It’s a rising medium like soil, used to develop crops. In contrast to soil, Leca is a group of clay soils and doesn’t comprise any vitamins. It’s odourless, eco-friendly and reusable. These little clay pebbles can impressively maintain as much as 4 occasions their weight in water, they usually permit air and water to maneuver freely all through the rising medium leaving house on your crops to breathe.
What are the Advantages of Utilizing Leca?
It’s an Extraordinarily Porous Medium
Leca’s porous nature makes it a superb drainage materials on your rising medium. Clay pebbles are designed to wick up water and drain it out into the underside of the pot whereas permitting air to maneuver freely all through medium combination. This ensures that roots get sufficient air to remain wholesome whereas remaining totally saturated with water.
Much less Danger of Root Rot
Leca is a porous materials that absorbs water and air into its inside construction. This helps promote wholesome root improvement by permitting the roots to simply breathe at the same time as they sit in a continually moist atmosphere. Roots are likely to rot when oxygen isn’t in a position to flow into all through the rising medium. Leca helps forestall this from taking place by preserving the soil aerated and permitting the roots to completely trade CO2 for O2.
Rising Crops Hydroponics Saves Water
Probably the most widespread issues hydroponic gardeners have is that their crops are drying out. This normally occurs as a result of the water being fed to the roots is evaporating into skinny air by way of the drainage gap. Leca may also help forestall this from taking place by preserving moisture trapped close to the roots, the place it belongs.
The Leca Balls may be Recycled
What makes Leca a very good funding is its sustainable use. After rising a consumable plant like a vegetable, you should use the clay balls to develop one other one in one other pot utilizing a hydroponic system.
Leca is Environmentally Pleasant
Whenever you examine Leca with potting combine, there may be one facet that Leca will at all times win. Leca is reusable and sturdy. Even with out contemplating the environmental impression of peat moss, the truth that you’ll be able to reuse leca makes it a extra ecological sound medium than potting soil.
In contrast to potting combine, which breaks down over time, you should use leca again and again.
Much less Mess
In contrast to soil, leca requires a lot much less water than potting combine and doesn’t develop into a dirty mess when you’re repotting your crops. Leca can also be simpler to spill, because of its light-weight properties.
The Dangers of Pests are Lowered
Probably the most widespread issues with soil-based potting combine is that it’s really easy for pests to develop into established in it. The heat and moisture current within the soil make it excellent breeding circumstances, whereas the natural matter offers a number of vitamins for pests to thrive on. In leca, the plant additionally chooses when to drink water and keep away from being overwatered. Because of this bugs gained’t be interested in the rotting roots and soil.
Fertilising is Extra Price-Efficient and Environmentally Accountable
Hydroponic fertilizer can maintain water because the soil does, but it surely’s additionally soluble in an effort to get higher uptake by your crops. As a result of hydroponics use flood and drain programs, the salt focus is maintained at very low ranges, lowering the danger of plant burn.
How one can put together LECA earlier than use
LECA wicks water very successfully. If roots come into contact with very dry LECA, it should wick water away from the roots and might trigger the roots to desiccate. All the time be sure that they’re effectively soaked earlier than use.
Treating LECA earlier than you utilize it’s a should, this ensures your plant can start it’s Hydroponic life with a wholesome begin. If LECA isn’t soaked correctly it might trigger a plant to develop so much slower than it ought to.
Step 1: Rinse the LECA
Take away the LECA from the packaging and provides it an intensive rinse to get all particles and clay mud off.
Professional tip: Use a mesh laundry bag and a backyard hose and do that outdoors.
Step 2: First Soak
Soak the LECA for twenty-four hours utilizing faucet water. This primary soak will get the primary wave of the crud out of the LECA.
Professional tip: You’ll be able to observe the PPM of the soaking water after this primary soak.
Step 3: Second Soak
Dump out the soaking water and substitute with contemporary faucet water / hose water. Soak for a further 24 hours. After this soak you should use your LECA!
Professional tip: The second soak normally leads to about 300 – 400PPM after 24 hours. Keep in mind in highschool science class the place you discovered in regards to the Regulation of Chemical Equilibrium? Yeah, no me neither…. Mainly, whenever you put your LECA (product) along with water (reactant) the water and chemical substances inside the LECA needs to be at equilibrium with the water outdoors of it till it’s equal inside and out of doors. In case your water is at 100PPM and your LECA is at 800PPM, over time your water will measure larger in PPM and your LECA will measure decrease in PPM. The rationale for the second soak is to hurry up the method. Soaking 800PPM LECA in water that’s 100PPM versus 400PPM, the 100PPM will go so much quicker, and the equilibrium level will probably be decrease.
Step 4: Dry and Retailer
Drying and Storage is advisable when you’re not going to make use of the LECA immediately. You’ll be able to dry the LECA within the mesh laundry baggage, they permit for wonderful airflow! In case you plan on utilizing the LECA immediately, skip this step.
Professional tip: You can even add CalMag (Calcium Magnesium complement) to the soaking water, in addition to any rooting hormone. Including these dietary supplements can occur as early as the primary soak, because the Ca and Mg ion substitute for the much less fascinating soluble minerals within the LECA.