Clay balls are also known as Light Expanded Clay Aggregate or Clay Balls and they are a very effective way to maintain your house garden. The uses of Clay balls are a ton and a variety of growers no matter what their experience with gardening is can use it.
What are Light Expanded Clay Aggregate Balls?
Clay Balls are made by heating and baking pure natural clay at very high temperatures. This results in the clay balls being super lightweight and highly porous. The best thing about LECA balls is when you soak them in water they expand quite well.
We prefer Cyco Platinum Series Hydro Balls as the ultimate choice for your home garden.
How to use Clay Balls for your houseplants?
The unique structure of LECA clay balls allows gardeners to check the nutrients in their plants and provides them with a certain level of control over the humidity and nurturing process. They are completely fungus free and have a neutral PH value making them a great choice to use over the topsoil. Cyco Platinum Series Hydro Clay balls can be used as a top dressing to reduce evaporative losses, and reduce algae, fungus gnats and unwanted seeds. The clay balls can be used to create a bottom drainage layer for potted plants to provide adequate runoff and maintain an ideal rhizospheric root condition for all your houseplants.
How To Use LECA as a medium for growing?
The most impressive attribute about Light Expanded Clay Aggregate Balls is that they can be used to substitute soil in your houseplant garden. LECA balls make it much easier to manage your plants than soil as it is far less messy. Clay balls can give the ideal state for your plants. These can include a balance of food, moisture and air for your indoor plants.
Although it may seem that Clay Balls are the perfect choice for growing every plant, the key factor to keep in mind here is that clay balls do not include any kind of nutrients as its completely inorganic and hence favour a certain set of plants.
What are the criteria for choosing plants for Light Expanded Clay Aggregate Balls?
- You need to choose plants that are not too fussy with watering. Ideal plants would be the ones that can survive in between waterings.
- Plants that grow their root system far more quickly tend to benefit from clay balls the most.
- Plants growing in the LECA system can get handled much more frequently compared to their soil counterparts and hence these plants should be fine with this treatment.
- Plants that thrive in oxygen-rich soil are far more susceptible to adapting to clay balls.
We recommend plants such as orchids, pothos, philodendrons and pileas as a great variety to start your hydro balls journey.
Using LECA in Top Soil
LECA balls act as a great protector in the topsoil of your indoor plants. The clay balls act as a unique defensive mechanism against indoor plant pests. Gnats and insects hate laying eggs on something that is not natural hence making it a perfect way to put a system in place that does not allow any pest to be living in your pots.
LECA balls have a lot of uses and are a great addition to your indoor garden. It is a great way to provide your plants with essential nutrients and a nurturing atmosphere.
Whether you are looking for a more effective drainage system or a great way to say no to pests on your plants, Light Expanded Clay Aggregate Balls are a great way to build your houseplant garden.
Head on to Dave’s Pet and garden to get your ideal houseplant setup with clay balls today.