What Type of LECA do You Use?

[expressmailtome]

I have searched and found a few types of LECA but one caught my eye: Growing Hydroponic Orchids . I did not know if anyone has used this system? If you have not, does it at least seem like a good one?

Any recommendations from personal experience are also greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

Matt

[RosieC]

Hi Matt,

I've never tried this way of growing, but take a look at our Semi-Hydrophonic area where lots of people grow with a system very very like this.

Our SH expert is Ray and there is lots of info on growing that way on his website. Semi-hydroponics Orchid Plants T5 Lighting

A lot of OB menbers swear by growing this way for a wide range of orchids.

I'm going to move your post over to that area as I think you may get more people who know about this stuff seeing it over there.

[Ray]

Matt,

That is a pretty good system, but you should keep a couple of things in mind:

As the plant absorbs nutrients from the solution in the medium, it changes the chemistry in the pot. That change is even more extreme when you consider that the waste products - both in solution and as gases - of the plant's biological processes also poison the solution in the pot. Because of that, it is necessary to flush the medium and refresh that solution on a regular basis.

In that 3-component pot, that means removing the culture pot from the outer pot to flush the medium, dump the liquid from the outer pot, and then rewater/feed it.

As to the LECA, there are lots of brands out there, and each has its own set of properties - no two are identical. PrimeAgra is the only one I'm aware of that is engineered specifically for horticulture, rather than be made as a concrete additive and remarketed to us, so its properties have been optimized. (Be aware that I import and distribute PrimeAgra because I found it to be the best, so there might be a bias...). That does not mean, however, that the other brands are not usable. Your growing conditions and watering habits play a huge role in how a particular medium performs.

As to the type of LECA, there are lots of different brands out there, each having its own set of properties. PrimeAgra is the only one I'm aware of that is engineered specifically for horticulture (rather than being made as a concrete additive and remarketed to us), so its properties are optimized (NB: I import and distribute it because of that, so do have a bias). However, that does not mean that other brands cannot be successfully used - your growing conditions and watering habits play a role in what works well and what doesn't.

You also have to take care not to overfill such a pot, or will drown the root system.

The single-piece pots I devised from deli containers cannot be overfilled, and the flush/refresh process occurs at every watering.

If your collection is small, the 3-component pots might not be that big of a problem to deal with, but if yours is large, having to check each pot individually might become an overwhelming task.

I grow a lot of my tropical houseplants in those 3-piece pots, but my orchids are not.

[RosieC]

I had not noticed this '3-component pot' difference to Ray's system. It's interesting to understand the difference that would make.

I keep reading about SH... still not taken the plunge though.

[Ray]

WHOA - the forum won't let me edit my post! OK, let's add another then....

As to the brand of LECA, there are lots out there, and each has its own set of properties related to absorption, release, wicking ability, porosity size, shape and distribution, surface texture, particle size shape and uniformity, and no two are identical.

To my knowledge, PrimeAgra is the only one that is engineered specifically for horticulture (rather than being made for concrete, then remarketed to us), so its properties have been optimized. [Be aware that I import and distribute it for that reason, so do have something of a bias.] That does NOT, however, mean the others are not adequate under some conditions. An individual's growing conditions and watering habits play a HUGE role in how well a particular medium performs (all media, not just LECA), so you may-, or may not need the benefits of all of the optimizations.

[trdyl]

Hello Matt.

I grow Phalaenopsis, Cattleya Alliance, and a couple of Vandaceous in S/H. I use PrimeAgra for my medium. I have a few plants that have been in the same container and medium for 6 years now with no need to repot. I have found with other types of media you realy do not want to overpot them. With S/H overpotting works fine since the medium does not deteriorate. Once the plant has adjusted to S/H root loss is pretty much eliminated.

[DelawareJim]

Matt;

I've been playing with different brands of LECA and systems for a couple of years now and use different systems and media for different plants. As a horticulturist, I have over a hundred plants and the only ones now in soil are those that are too big or too old to transplant, or just won't grow in LECA.

For most of my orchids I use Ray’s semi-hydroponic system and PrimeAgra. I've tested different combinations and this works the best for me.

However, for my Paphs and Phrags, I use the 3-pot system from the link you provided (the system is actually called hydroculture) and PrimaAgra. They seem to like being moister by being closer to the nutrient source. (I guess I could use Ray’s container with a hole higher up, but my wife and I like the look of the pots better.)

For my houseplants I use the hydroculture system from your link and their LECA simply because it looks better, I got everything as a package at a good price, and we had some experience with it in Europe where it originated about 20 years ago. Interestingly, their LECA is much more irregular in shape with a rougher surface that locks together pretty well. The pots and LECA are produced by a German company called "Leni".
LENI home design

For hydroponic and semi-hydroponic veggie gardening, temporary plantings, experimenting, and "workhorse" uses like emersed aquatic plant propagation and plant production, I use Hydroton simply because it's cheap and I can get it almost anywhere.

Finally, comparing the different forms of LECA when I've done side-by-side test of divisions of the same plant, those in PrimeAgra perform the best. Across the board, they are greener, and grow bigger given the same light, water, and fertilizer conditions. Leni's LECA is a pretty close second, and Hydroton does the worst although the results are still acceptable.

Cheers.
Jim

[Izzie]

Would a LECA like Hydroton be a good additive to media used for Catts and Phals?
For example, for Phals, mostly CHC with some Hydroton and charcoal
and for Catts, large bark, charcoal, and some Hydroton?


Or is Hydroton generally not the best LECA in the world...?

[DelawareJim]

Izzie;

I think if you plan to use it as part of a mix to add a non-decomposing portion that provides some aeriation it doesn't matter what brand you use and the hydroton should work as well as any other. It's just like adding charcoal or perlite.

But if you are thinking about growing in hydroton with a portion of something organic added to the hydroton, you're looking for trouble by clogging up the air spaces.

I know an orchid grower who uses straight hydroton to grow his Masdevallias in the traditional manner in 4 inch plastic pots with great success. They're in a greenhouse and get watered every day though.

Cheers.
Jim

[Jerry Delaney]

I use Hydroton for the LECA, not because I think it best, but because the local hydroponics store keeps it in stock. I have no complaints concerning the Hydroton but I use Ray's pot system.