8 LECA Mistakes to Avoid! Tips for LECA

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8 LECA Mistakes to Avoid! Tips for LECA

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Күн бұрын

Here are a few LECA tips I've learned after growing in hydroponics for the last ~17 years!
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
0:23 Lesson 1: Sterilize your LECA
0:59 Lesson 2: Determine your Watering Schedule
3:43 Lesson 3: Plant at the correct depth
4:30 Lesson 4: Increase fertilizer with more light
5:45 Lesson 5: Completely clean the roots of soil
6:45 Lesson 6: Check your roots often
7:18 Lesson 7: Give more root space
8:10 Lesson 8: Flush your LECA from the top down
8:30 Like the video pleeeeeease!
In this video we go over:
LECA Lessons Learned
How to Grow in LECA
LECA tips
#LECA #houseplants #semihydro
I do earn a small amount money from amazon affiliate links if purchases are made (and I mean pennies). This does not create incentive to make videos like this. My goal is to make reliable, honest, plant content viewers can trust.

Пікірлер: 97

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

We just dropped a bunch new plants for spring! prettyingreen.com/collections/all-plants

@j.l.c526 Жыл бұрын

Completely new to this growing medium but very intrigued. I enjoyed this video because as with anything “new”, the tendency is to jump right in without taking the time to learn from those with experience first. Tempted to order one of your kits!

@carolstuff Жыл бұрын

Love the lessons learned videos. Thanks for sharing!

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Thanks for checking it out Carol 😊

@ellenb7229 Жыл бұрын

thank you! this is the channel that I needed!

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Thank you!!! I love to hear that 🌱

@michellec2110 Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much- you answered so many of my questions.

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Awesome!!! Love to hear that 🤗

@melanieklarofficial 6 ай бұрын

This was SO helpful!!

@prettyingreen 6 ай бұрын

So glad!!! Thanks for watching Melanie 😄

@aplantprocess Жыл бұрын

Love your LECA tips. I like that you shared the importance of nutrients in scale with light. Most of my plants in LECA are my fastest growing plants. I pot most of them in vessels similar in size to what I’d use for other substrates. I’m upsizing all the time. It’s easy so long as the roots don’t grow too densely. A good rinse at that time seems to keep everything nice and clean. Starting with clean roots is key for me. Having a system that makes repotting quick and easy changed the game. Once the “process” becomes easy, plant maintenance doesn’t feel like a chore 💚 I learned a lot of this from you. Grateful for your content! I appreciate that you share what hasn’t worked as well.

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! It sounds like you have the system down! I feel like once you get through a few lessons in leca, and have a process, things get cleaner and simpler than soil. There is definitely a learning curve though! Appreciate you watching the video early and sharing your LECA experience!

@positivemind5163 8 ай бұрын

I AGREE WITH YOU PRETTY GREEN ABOUT THE LEAFS TO FAR DOWN INSIDE THE FLOWER POT.

@zandrawostel3765 Жыл бұрын

Love your videos. They are very informative.

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Thank you!! 🙌

@driqbal316 Ай бұрын

All your plants look beautiful.

@MyLocsMyPlants Жыл бұрын

yup very helpful I would love to hear more about aroid tips!

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Thank you!!!! I'll put something together

@eddiierivera8938 Жыл бұрын

Amazing video!! Always look forward to your videos!!! First comment yes!!!

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Yeee!! Thank you Eddie!!!

@aub_k2819 Жыл бұрын

Very helpful! 💚

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

🤗

@renatecormick7399 Жыл бұрын

I think I learned the hard way with leca. I started off growing some of my orchids in leca but went in totally unprepared. My advice to anyone new to leca is do some research then start slowly with just a small number of plants until you get the hang of it. I almost lost about 6 or 7 phalaenopsis orchids due to overwatering. Thanks for sharing some great tips, I am still learning, in fact you never stop learning when it comes to this subject.

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Agreed! Overwatering is usually the issue. Definitely keep trying and always learning 😊

@gaetanefredette5418 Жыл бұрын

Very informative,thank you

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Thank you for being one of the first ones to check out the video! :)

@Talhasarwar47 Жыл бұрын

I like when you make videos about leca cuz I have just started leca journey and your videos really help me what to do❤

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Aww I love to hear this!! Thank you for sharing which type of vids are helpful -- always hard to think of what to film each week 😅 Will keep doing new LECA concepts!

@Talhasarwar47 Жыл бұрын

Keep making new contents. ♥️👌

@dack4545 3 ай бұрын

Thanks dude about to try a grow in that stuff soon 👍🇦🇺

@prettyingreen 3 ай бұрын

Good luck!! Leca is the best!

@paultheplantparent2702 Жыл бұрын

I love semi hydro!!!! Great video!!! 😃

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Thank you!! Yes semi hydro is the best 😊

@coledition Жыл бұрын

Thank you this is a very helpful video ! I have my albo in half leca half perlite and water once a week.

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Nice! Make sure it needs the water at the 1x a week mark. It's a good starting point, but I've stretched some of mine out to 1x every 10 days :)

@Oliverisloved 9 ай бұрын

Great tips! I wished I would've seen your video earlier. I almost killed my split-leaf philodendron because I planted it too deep (lesson #3).

@_Lightning_Dog_ Жыл бұрын

Cool. I’m poised to experiment with Kratky and similar. Subscribed!

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Yes! I remember Kratky buckets! Thanks for the sub 😆🤗

@LeafyConversations 2 ай бұрын

I loved this video! Thank you!

@plantlove4me Жыл бұрын

Yes like the tips.

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Good to hear!

@necrove 3 ай бұрын

Thank you.

@prettyingreen 3 ай бұрын

You're welcome!

@PG-ys7zu Жыл бұрын

more like this pls

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Will do!

@rachelle2122 Жыл бұрын

Love LECA videos. What if the plant has fine roots & soil is almost impossible to remove all soil. Can that plant still go in LECA?

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Honestly, without removing most the soil, it’s really susceptible to root rot. Might be best to become a top down watered approach like what we talk about in other Leca videos like this one: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/o52qdMqaq7HGlnk.html You can add in some perlite, and use a pot with drainage… and just figure out the best schedule of watering for it! Maybe between 5-20 days, depending how much moisture the roots hold

@kiransingh-vs7be Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this. Normally I used leca for propagation, then moved them to soil. How to deal with burn leaves? Any suggestions

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Likely decrease fertilizer quantity

@user-ui1rc7zq4f 7 ай бұрын

I am new to plants in LECA. How often do you replace the water and is it necessary to clean the LECA? Also how do you replace the water. Sounds stupid I know but can you damage the plants while changing water.

@Stef2050 Жыл бұрын

I've been using leca to propagate cuttings for a couple years now and I honestly treat them like water propagations and I've had a lot of good sucess with it my cuttings would put out these really robust thick roots and it was honestly like a set it and forget it kind of thing.

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

I love this. This is exactly how it's done! They put out the best roots in leca -- you just have to know how much water to give them!

@erikm8372 11 ай бұрын

Yep. I agree. I always was confused about that until I just took a leap of faith. I thought “why am I rooting a cutting in water only to basically put it in water?” Lol. This is why I don’t necessarily see the point in the “long method”, aka, pre-rooting in water before the transfer to semi-hydro. I mean, even in traditional gardening, majority of outdoor herbaceous perennials, tropical, shrubs and trees can all be propagated by cuttings placed DIRECTLY into soil. Then they get stronger faster. Example: I’ve made Coleus cuttings root in water prior to planting in soil. Well, that’s pointless because they root into soil the same! And water roots are a little more tender (initially) when transferring to soil… Also, in the case of plants that have a natural reservoir “system”- like snake plants, aloes, cacti, succulents, and plants that actively store water, they don’t necessarily BENEFIT from a reservoir, or could die from it! With succulents especially, I’ve grown them in straight leca and Pon, just dry! And I water them weekly! The cuttings will always root in simple dry Leca or Pon. Or even perlite or pumice! Then you water accordingly without a reservoir.

@tude17 2 ай бұрын

Same... mine sit in a water reservoir, as long as it always has a reservoir, no need to worry if they need water or not

@jillianleblanc9370 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing I am trying to use the leca but somehow my leaves are turning yellow please tell me what I'm doing wrong have a blessed day

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

It might be overwatering! Allow the Leca to dry out more between waterings

@danityk8071 Жыл бұрын

in part 4, you mentioned the sign of chlorosis means lack of nitrogen. would love to know more to see what nutrients my monstera needs.

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Balance N-P-K like 3-3-3 works well. Also 3-1-2 ratios work well like Osmocote! I’m also currently testing a 13-11-11

@charlottecobain6986 Жыл бұрын

You can look up and learn ways to “read” your leaves for nutrient deficiencies. It takes some time and experiences but it’s a great skill to have to be able to figure out deficiencies by leaf appearance.

@tanatribe Жыл бұрын

Can i leave it with big fig , and not change or sterilize it

@janespright Жыл бұрын

Howdy! Have you tried growing bonsai in leca semi hydro? Can it be done?

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Hey! That’s a great question. I have not tried it, but I don’t see what it couldn’t be done! I’m sure someone has done it at this point

@mikedecem Жыл бұрын

those black tips arent from "too much water". I have plants in hydro for years where roots are in water basically whole time. Its from taking plants out and in and smashing roots with pots so they just die off from the point where they were damaged :)

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Definitely some from getting smash.. some sit in water and blacken off in my trays :/

@livcollier6054 Жыл бұрын

I have yet to have any success with leca 😅 I hope it gets better

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

It’s gotta get better!! Worth getting it right-it just takes time

@ppqaf Жыл бұрын

I really love the leca medium system but would you please please please do a video on how you clean roots from soil or moss pot and evaluate if the roots are worth cleaning after pulling the plant straight out of the pot? And it would be great if you can share some tips on what type of potting mix we should avoid when buying a plant in nursery or stores to save us some time before we transition them into leca? It is absolutely a whole lot of pain cleaning the roots when i first get the plant home. I am getting more back pain than ever hah

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

The way I discern what will stay and go on the roots, is by spraying a hose-on the fairly high setting. What remains after I leave. Then, if it’s moss, I usually have to tweezer out more bits from the roots! I’d stick with an Aroid mix, and use bagged soil from a high quality producer (ideally not big box retail). But smaller garden centers / hydroponics stores!

@charlottecobain6986 Жыл бұрын

To transition potted plants into leca I rinse off the soil/grow medium with a pretty strong stream of water (garden hose or some kitchen faucets have a blade spray setting that’s a flat fan of water and the spray heads are pretty cheap). Then I trim off basically all of the secondary roots because those are what’s likely going to die off and rot in the transition. I’ll usually start my leca transfers in clear vessels (glass jars or vases with a drainage/flush hole cut into it with a diamond hole drill bit) or plastic cups and orchid pots so I can monitor the roots until they start putting out new roots. Most people will say to start in leca with cuttings and not to bother trying to transfer soil plants into leca, but I’ve done it successfully tons of times. It can seem counterintuitive to cut off so much root mass from the outset, but it’s honestly one of the best things I’ve learned in transitioning plants to leca. You also don’t really want to leave any water in the bottom of the vessels as a reservoir until you notice new root growth. For the first couple weeks just run water through the cups and let drain every couple of days (or more often depending on how dry your home is). Once they develop new roots you can leave a bit of nutrient solution/water in the bottom or reservoir.

@greenguider 8 ай бұрын

The plant community uses the terms “leca” and/or “hydroton” to refer to all types of expanded clay. LECA, specifically, stands for Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate - a collection of baked clay pebbles that expand when you soak them in water. You can use LECA for propagation, or you can have your plants live in it!

@kristinatroxell9561 Жыл бұрын

Are these in a full hydro or passive hydro system?

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Both!

@heikkiparviainen6084 Жыл бұрын

I've just put in some grow beds with 1000 kg leca from Finja in Sweden. When watering, the water just beads on the leca and runs off. the leca doesn't seem to get wet. even the dust float. Never had this before with hydroton. Any ideas on getting the leca wet?

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

I've never seen this happen on LECA -- sounds like it might be some type of oil or hydrophobic substance on the LECA

@heikkiparviainen6084 Жыл бұрын

@@prettyingreen I thought so too. I called Finja and was told that no its not a coating, no chemicals are on it, Its due to the manufacturing process. The MSDS supports this. So I'm looking for ideas. Other than removing the ton I just carted in by wheelbarrow and disposing of it where? Its made to be inert and non toxic. 100% natural clay.Ill try washing it with soap to break the surface tension, Or maybe time will fix it..

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

@@heikkiparviainen6084 I would try something like soap, or a gentle solvent to break it off.

@claireramirez9704 Жыл бұрын

What's the bleach and water ratio? I tried adding bleach only so it smells like a pool and the roots burnt. I think culture gap means we have diff pool smells. H😊a ha ha.

@maricarol85 11 ай бұрын

1 capful of bleach/gallon (4 L) water. HTH

@notgojo491 11 ай бұрын

Keep them in some water always, they are called semi hydro for a reason 😭 thats wh, the roots rot, because the, when the, dry out then sit in water

@prettyingreen 11 ай бұрын

You can periodically water them! They don’t have to sit in water

@jillianleblanc9370 Жыл бұрын

I need some advice I put three of my plants in leac about 2 weeks ago but the leaves turn yellow please I'm asking you what did I do wrong could you help me with a text please blessed day

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Hey! It sounds like too much water :/

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Check the roots for rot

@AhmadAsrafHashim Жыл бұрын

if the point of substrate is to deliver water to the roots, wouldn't it be easier to plant everything in just water?

@prettyingreen Жыл бұрын

Great question! The substrate also has to deliver oxygen to the roots! So you'd have to pump in oxygen to the water using an airpump. This is called DWC (Deep Water Culture)

@thankgodformentalillness6221 11 ай бұрын

OK I just bought a Thai Constellation but there is no way to get the coco chips and perlite out of the root system without completely destroying it. I went ahead and replanted in leca thinking that it was only coco chips and perlite and then I watched this video. Do you think I should abandon the leca?

@prettyingreen 11 ай бұрын

No, don’t abandon it. Just be very careful about overwatering when it’s mixed with other media. Ideally keep it in a clear cup so you can monitor its roots!

@GreenWitch1 12 күн бұрын

We don’t grow in a greenhouse. Just use a self watering pot.

@anthonycordero5050 4 ай бұрын

Always get a grow formula with nitrogen and potassium calcium and beyond

@prettyingreen 4 ай бұрын

#LeafLux

@hennesseyme9112 18 күн бұрын

Only the gifted can grow plants in LECA.

@mymiracle79 4 ай бұрын

If it was for you I wouldn't have beautiful plants on Leca. You male nutrient feeding very easy, otter channel mafe nutrient adding too complex....I just buy your nutrients for my Leca plants. Thank you!!!!

@prettyingreen 4 ай бұрын

Thank you for the support 🙌