Why buy delivered plants?
Here’s 6 quick reasons from the top of our head.
If you’re new to the gardening game, you might not have come across the term LECA before. LECA stands for Light Expanded Clay Aggregate and it’s a popular substrate with both beginner and experienced growers alike. Also known as clay pellets, clay balls, aqua clay balls and hydro pebbles, these baked pellets have a huge range of uses.
Put simply, LECA is made by baking and tumbling pure natural clay at high temperatures inside a rotary kiln. As a result the balls are super lightweight and porous and expand when soaked in water. As we said before it’s a substrate (or growing medium), like soil in which you can grow plants.
Our preferred brand of LECA is Canna Aqua Clay Balls, as they are manufactured from specialised clay that has low levels of soluble salt. This means they won’t leech salt and are particularly suited for hydroponic and aquaponic gardening (they're the best of the best).
Due to their unique structure, LECA clay balls allow gardeners to control the level of nutrients and humidity their plants receive throughout the growing process. LECA clay balls are inorganic, have a neutral pH value, are fungus free and do not rot. This makes them an ideal growing medium, topsoil dressing, and drainage device for your plants.
While it may seem crazy, you can use LECA instead of soil to grow indoor plants. Unlike soil, LECA is a lot less messy than soil and is naturally neutral, making it a great substrate for indoor plants. These clay pebbles can provide an ideal balance of moisture, food and air for your indoor plants.
Keep in mind however, that unlike soil (which is fully organic), LECA does not contain nutrients. This means that any nutrients your indoor plants need, will need to be manually added to the plant’s water using supplements. Luckily the porous nature of these clay balls means that they easily absorb water and any added nutrients.
If you want to use LECA as a growing medium, start off by choosing indoor plants that aren’t too fussy. Choose a plant that:
Some great options include:
Once you’ve mastered growing these plants in LECA, you can experiment with cuttings from other plant species too!
Aqua clay balls can also be used to support healthy plant growth by improving the drainage in potting mix. To achieve this, add a 4 cm deep layer of aqua clay pebbles to the bottom of the pot before adding your potting mix or compost. Their round shape and small size (8-16mm) provides a high level of aeration, extremely quick drainage and unrestricted root growth.
Unlike potting mix and other solid substrates, it’s not organic, so it’s far less susceptible to pest, algae growth and plant disease. The extra space between the pebbles also allows for all-important oxygen to get to the roots, which eliminates the risk of root rot.
Yes! LECA added into soil will help to improve soil aeration and drainage while also retaining water. So, if you want to use these awesome clay pebbles in some capacity, it doesn’t have to be an either/or decision.
LECA can even be added on top of soil to protect your indoor plants. By adding a layer of aqua clay balls on top of your potting mix you can also greatly reduce the risk of indoor plant pests. LECA is particularly effective against fungal gnats, as they hate landing on and laying their eggs on inorganic material. This disrupts their reproduction cycle and prevents outbreaks.
Better yet, by adding aqua clay balls onto the soil’s surface you can lock in more moisture. By covering the topsoil you can shield your plant’s roots from heat and thermal shock, while creating higher levels of humidity beneath the soil. This is particularly handy in winter (or cooler climates) when the air inside your home can become very dry. As an added bonus, clay pellets also look super stylish!
Whether you’re looking for better drainage, higher humidity levels, or a new growing medium to experiment with, LECA is your answer! The best part is, you can use them over and over again (just wash and re-use). Packed in a stylish calico bag and with free shipping Australia wide, you can shop our multipurpose Canna Aqua Clay Balls here.
Here’s 6 quick reasons from the top of our head.
We sell plants by the pack, because when you buy 10 plants of one variety it’s quicker to pick and pack - saving us time and you money. When you buy from us, you’re effectively cutting out the wholesale and retail margin, allowing us to sell a premium plant for a fraction of the retail cost.
With best customer service team in the plant game, we have earned a 5 star reputation from independent feedback platform Feefo. We are realistic - sometimes things go wrong but we work hard to resolve it, even when it is not our fault.
Growing plants can be a bit daunting but with a bit of expert help you can grow a green thumb. Our phone number is front and centre because we are here to help!
Younger plants have a tendency to adjust in a new environment more rapidly than larger plants.
Digging holes is not that much fun! The good news is our plants require far less effort to plant for one simple reason - the holes are smaller.
Quality is important to us - if we wouldn’t buy it ourselves, we won’t send it to you.
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