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Advantages and disadvantages of growing foliage plants with LECA

The Luke tribe owns a collection of 40 beautiful green plants, but one of them struggled to keep its foliage.

“leaves are [die] Otherwise it will turn yellow and I’ll be like, ‘Are you overwatering or are you flooded?'” says the ABC Everyday graphic designer.

“Put your finger in the dirt [test it] But it’s always been the same… ‘am I doing it better or am I doing it worse’ confusion.”

Plant care can be confusing, especially when it comes to watering. As Gardening Australia presenter Jane Edmanson points out, The symptoms of watering and watering are very similar.

Looking for a solution, Luke came across a semi-hydroponics method called LECA (Light Expanded Clay Aggregate) and decided to give it a try.

What is LECA?

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The LECA is a small “marble size” ball made of clay that can be used in place of dirt.

Botanist Rosie Yi explains that LECA provides space for oxygen to flow to plant roots.

“Plants don’t have pumps in their bodies like we do,” she says.

“They have to absorb oxygen through their roots. [and so] LECA provides pockets of airflow around roots. ”

She explains that LECA also provides the perfect balance of hydration by slowly diffusing water to the plant’s roots.

A LECA setup typically includes two pots. The first pot has a small hole in the bottom to accommodate the LECA ball and plant.

The second pot will be slightly larger and will hold a small amount of water in the bottom.

“water [in the bottom of the pot] Diffusion to the clay spheres and water from the LECA spheres to the roots. ”

What is the difference between Reka and soil?

Another difference between LECA and soil is nutrients.

Rekha is made of clay Does not retain the nutrients that good soil and potting mixes provideThis means that caring for your plants can require a little more attention, time, and money (more on the cost of setting up below).

“All plants must have essential minerals such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that they need to perform their basic functions and grow. [plus] All trace elements,” says Rosie.

“You also have to use hydroponic nutrients, so it’s sitting in a body of water, so it doesn’t smell. As you can imagine, after a while it starts smelling a little funky.”

If you are troubled by common pests like a fungus gnat LECA may be the solution.

“Pests usually reproduce and lay their eggs in the soil, so when you buy a bag of potting mix, chances are it already has pest eggs in it. [whereas] They don’t seem to survive the LECA,” explains Rosie.

LECA balls are made of clay and help spread water to the roots of plants.(Provided by: Rook Tribe)

Makes watering easier, but watch out for algae

Unlike soil-growing plants, the LECA can check the water level in the pot, so you don’t have to guess how much water your plant needs, which helps prevent it. diseases such as root rot.

“When the reservoir bottoms out, just refill where the marker is,” says Rosie.

Remember to replace the pot with fresh water every 1-2 weeks, depending on the climate you live in.

Using a clear pot for your LECA setup can cause algae to start growing, especially if exposed to sunlight, so Rosie recommends “rinsing the pot” every two weeks or once a month.

You can even create a synchronized watering routine if you have a lot of plants like Luke.

“Previously, some plants needed to be watered every three days, while others needed to be watered every two weeks,” he says.

“Now he is watered once every two weeks…and only needs to refill the bottom third of the container.”

https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/what-is-leca-and-how-do-i-use-it-to-grow-indoor-plants-/101415002 Advantages and disadvantages of growing foliage plants with LECA

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