First - my apology for not answering your original question about pot side - I think overpotting is far less of an issue with LECA than most other media types.
As to the mineral deposits, unfortunately, it's not just an "on the surface" phenomenon. Consider this scenario:
- You water regularly with a fertilizer solution.
- The LECA pellet becomes saturated with that solution.
- As it dries out, it does so from the outside in, with precipitation of the fertilizer solids as it does. Left to become totally dry, there will be solids all the way to the center.
- Re-dissolving of a precipitate is not as rapid as making the original solution, so when you water it again - with the liquid again penetrating from the outside in - all of the deposits do not redissolve. The stuff at the surface has a greater chance than does the stuff in the interior.
- Over time, you will see deposits at the surface , but it will be throughout the pellets.
The same is true of bark, but it simply doesn't absorb as well, so tends to decompose before the buildup is an issue (unless you are really bad about repotting).
All that said, I like LECA as a potting medium for more traditional culture. You simple need to be aware of the possibilities and account for them.
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