LECA Hydro Clay Balls

Clay Pebbles, Hydroton Balls, Clay balls or Hydro balls all known as LECA (Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate) are baked clay pellets that form an ideal substrate for use by experienced growers. Our Leca clay balls are manufactured from special types of clay that have a low soluble salt content. Because of this, they are particularly suited for use in hydroponic cultivation systems. They can also be added to your potting mix to help make it more free-draining and chunky.

Our LECA clay balls:

- have both high porosity and high air content which stimulate the development of strong roots that grip the substrate well

- are inorganic, have a neutral pH value, are fungus free and do not rot

- environmentally friendly and reusable

How to use LECA: Cleaning Leca before you're using it for the first time is very important to keep your plants healthy. Ensure you wash all the clay balls thoroughly in fresh clean water until the leftover water is clean (This might be 4-5 cycles). It's probably best to do all of this outside, as you might not want the clay dust in your sink.

Potting up a plant in LECA is the same as it is in soil. Add a few inches of LECA into the bottom of the pot, then hold the plant at the height you want it and backfill the pot with LECA. To maintain constant absorption and give your roots plenty of water, you’ll want to keep the pot about 1/3 full of water. Read up on the plant’s specific nutrient needs, then apply a hydroponic fertilizer at the recommended rate. Lastly, you’ll need to keep the pH at a healthy level, so be sure to purchase a pH tool and monitor regularly.

Benefits of using LECA: Firstly, the biggest benefit of using Leca is that it allows plenty of airflow and oxygen to reach the plant’s roots. This encourages their growth. LECA is also known to reduce fungus and bacteria growth. Plus, there are little to no wasted nutrients from fertilisers because Leca acts as capillaries. The clay balls soak up the water that has been enriched with nutrients and easily deliver it to your plant’s roots. Proper watering of your plants is made easier and checking in on them is simplified.

Volume: Choose from the following options - 1 Litre, 2 Litre or 3 Litre Bag

All our products come safely secured in our eco-friendly packaging (even our sticker and tape is compostable!).