rePotme Hydro LECA
 

I ordered LECA from rePotme and just got it today. Based on the photograph of the media and the description, I was expecting roughly gravel shaped pellets. The media I got is almost perfectly spherical and has a mix of quite large spheres and smaller ones. I emailed them to see if maybe there was a mistake.

I watched the AOS webinar recording about S/H done by Ray and also have been checking out his website and what I understood from it is that the media should be uneven in shape. Perfectly round LECA can cause problems.

My questions are, has anyone used the LECA from rePotme and does it work well, and is it really bad to use spherical media? If so, where can I find the more gravel shaped LECA?

I have used Hydroton for years, and it is round, as you describe. I have not had any trouble with it, and I have plants that have been in it since 2009. Several of my containers are pretty tall, so I may be getting some benefit from a slightly more moist environment that results from the closely-interlocking pieces--at least that is what I think. Ray will probably chime in with more authority.

The shape and surface texture of the particles affects both packing density and wicking rate, but the most significant difference is the stability in the pot, with rounder being less-stable. However, if you find a way to have the plant remain still while it develops its root system, there is no real problem.

While disappointing, it is not surprising that you did not get what you expected from RepotMe. It's par for the course for them.

Hmmm. I think as a first timer, I'd rather have as much going for me as I can and would like to not have to also deal with keeping the plant stable. May I ask, where can I purchase the correct LECA? It seems to be very difficult to find.

I guess I will not be making future purchases from RepotMe.

Since your in the Northeast you may want to look into HTGSupply They have stores in Maine, Mass and Conn.

Hydroton Clay Pebbles - HTG Supply

I bought their brand. Nice blend of larger and smaller clay balls (not too much smaller, but they are smaller) and their not perfectly round. You'll find nooks and crannies and oval shapes. I thought it worked rather well. Might be worth a try.

Wow, the difference in price is huge. I should have known I wasn't getting a similar product just based on what I paid. Why is this so difficult to find and so expensive? The shipping alone costs more than what I paid for the product I have now. I'll have to think long and hard about whether or not it is worth spending so much for my first go of it.

Uniform spheres of all the same size will have more potential for open pore space. If the particles are irregular, or are of different sizes, there will be less open pore space. So, the Repotme product you describe will be less porous (for epipytes, more porosity is better).

Chlorophile, do you have a hydroponic shop near your home? I am able to get Hydroton at my local "pot shop" and avoid paying shipping. It is a substantial saving for something that is heavy.

No, unfortunately I do not. I called a few of my local garden centers to see if they could order it but none of them would.

Looks like Hydrocorn XL is really what I am looking for, Hydroton seems to be basically what I already have-round spheres. It would end up costing me somewhere around $60.00.

IKEA or look at JoAnn's, Michael's, or Hobby lobby... because LECA is also used in flower arranging.