Melo Villareal
The advantages of using Leca to grow your indoor plants
Growing plants is always difficult, especially for beginners. Keeping your plants healthy requires a lot of discipline, timing, and consistency. To aid with making your plant grow, using LECA is highly recommended. LECA stands for Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate. To simply put it, LECA comes in the form of clay balls that serve as a sustainable alternative to soil. Even if LECA does not have the same nutrient components as soil, plants still tend to grow. These are the advantages of using LECA to grow your plants:
Plants will be more responsive to water
When the balls of clay are soaked in water, they will expand. The balls’ expansion is caused by their absorption of water. Thus, the water will eventually find its way to the roots. While LECA does not contain nutrients, it is an easier way for the roots to absorb water.
When a plant is planted in LECA, the roots will not reach the bottom of the pot. The problem with using soil is that it may be insufficient to keep the roots from the bottom. Furthermore, the clay balls give plants the option to absorb how much water they need.
The clay balls can be recycled
What makes LECA a good investment is its sustainable use. After growing a consumable plant like vegetables, you can use the clay balls to grow another one in another pot using a passive hydroponic system. However, LECA’s long-term usage is dependent on how they are maintained. The important step is to wash these clay balls before putting them in another pot.
Moreover, LECA will not decompose. Since the clay balls are not compacted together, their quality will not rot. If the LECA’s quality does not rot, the roots will remain healthy. Compared to the soil, there is a chance that the roots will rot because of the soil compaction.
Less chances of having pests
One of the downsides of having a plant is the presence of insects. As plants attract insects, people become hesitant to have them inside their homes. It also doesn’t help that a plant’s appearance can be ruined by pests. What attracts the insects is the soil because of its live organisms.
Since LECA does not have nutrient properties nor active organisms, the plants will not attract insects. Also, the LECA’s environment has a neutral pH. This environment makes the LECA a non-desirable destination for pests. You also get to avoid other expenses such as by buying insecticides or organizing a safe spot for your plants.
Entry of oxygen is easier
The life source of plants is their root systems. Thus, keeping them healthy is a priority for plant owners. As mentioned before, soil has the tendency to be waterlogged. As a result, the roots are deprived of the needed oxygen to survive. Incidents of root rots happen frequently when plants are kept indoors where there is a lack of oxygen.
With LECA, the roots will be given space to breathe and absorb oxygen. Compaction will not happen between the clay balls as there is space between one another. This is why LECA is highly recommended especially for people who prefer to keep indoor plants.
References:
- https://plantophiles.com/
- https://www.thespruce.com/
- https://plantcareforbeginners.com/
- https://marialouisedesign.com/
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Also read:
- 10 Toughest Houseplants You An Grow Indoors!
- Terracotta Pots For Houseplants: Why And Why Not?
- 10 Easiest Indoor Plants That Anyone Can Grow
