LECA - a good alternative ??

[Paulpash]

Here's the description - what do you think?

Techni-Clay Expanded Clay Aggregate

Techni-Clay Expanded Clay Aggregate is a special type of clay that has been pelletised and fired in a rotary kiln at a very high temperature. As it is fired, the organic compounds in the clay burn off forcing the pellets to expand and become honeycombed while the outside surface of each granule melts and is sintered. The resulting ceramic pellets are lightweight, porous and have a high crushing resistance.

Techni-Clay Expanded Clay Aggregate is a natural product containing no harmful substances. It is inert with a neutral pH value, resistant to frost and chemicals, will not break down in water, is non-biodegradable, non combustible and has excellent sound and thermal insulation properties.

Techni-Clay Expanded Clay Aggregate is an incredibly versitile material, and is utilised in an ever-increasing number of applications. In the construction industry, it is used extensively in the production of lightweight concrete blocks as well as both a sound and thermal insulation material, and flue & chimney lining material. Techni-Clay Expanded Clay Aggregate used in structural backfill against foundations, retaining walls, bridge abutments etc., can reduce earth pressure by 75% compared with conventional materials, and also increases stability while reducing settlement and land deformation.

Techni-Clay Expanded Clay Aggregate is also used in water treatment facilities for the filtration and purification of municipal wastewater and drinking water as well as in other filtering processes, including those for dealing with industrial wastewater and fish farms.

Techni-Clay Expanded Clay Aggregate has superb water-draining properties, and because it is much lighter than alternatives such as gravel, is far easier to transport and handle. This is why it is increasingly the preferred aggregate for sportsfield drainage contractors. It is also used as a growing medium in Hydroponics systems, and blended with other growing mediums such as soil and peat to improve drainage, retain water during periods of drought, insulate roots during frost and provide roots with increased oxygen levels promoting very vigorous growth.

Here at Claytek, we use it as a base carrier for our "Ultimate Cat Repellent", widely recognised as the best product of its type on the market.

Techni-Clay Expanded Clay Aggregate is supplied by Claytek Ltd in four different grades - 2-4mm round, 4-8mm round, 10-20mm round and 4-10mm cracked. If you would like to know more about our company or our products, or if you would like Techni-Clay Expanded Clay Aggregate samples, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

[JudyB]

Sounds promising, wonder what it looks like, have you a website to look at? Sounds a lot like turface, I wonder if the sizes are better, and I also wonder if it would be water retentive enough. I like haydite, but have heard that it doesn't retain water very well.

 

[Stan Kengai]

Marie, it's uses are the same as or similar to Turface, diatomite, haydite and others that are commonly used. I think it would work similar to those products, and it would just be a matter of price and aesthetics.

 

[Smoke]

I have used them before. I do not use them due to the sintered quality of the outside. keep in mind these are round balls. As they are fired the outside actually melts into an almost glass like surface. While the inside is great and porous, the outside is nearly waterproof. Asthetically, if you think your prize bonsai would look cool growing in marbles, then this may be for you.

For me they were not what I was looking for in an asthetic looking bonsai soil alternative. This product is almost totaly used by hydroponic farmers and has grown in recent years do to cash hydroponic farming....if you know what I mean.

Haydite is a far superior product to this. Also, price has been rather prohibitive in the past, with a two gallon bag selling for about $50.00. Drop in the bucket for a pot farmer though!

 

[biglou13]

i've used hydroton (similar if not same as leca) in growing mixes not finished trees. its about $40 for 50 liters. available at any hydroponic store. I like these as part of my mix because of large size, increased air transfer, and drainage. i re-potted a few pines and the was a mass of fine roots, around the hydroton. growing mix is now 4 bags turface, 4 bags pine fines, 1 50l bag of hydroton.

 

[akhater]

for what it is worth, i have been using argi-leca as main substrate for 2 years now, I am a total newbie and my trees doesn't worth anything (except for me of course ) so take it with a grain of salt.

argi leica 70% and peat-moss about 20% and some pine bark i have no issues at all.

I water every day from spring till rain fall

the ones i have are are pretty big so i break them for smaller trees

 

[Gustavo Martins]

I have used them before. I do not use them due to the sintered quality of the outside. keep in mind these are round balls. As they are fired the outside actually melts into an almost glass like surface. While the inside is great and porous, the outside is nearly waterproof. Asthetically, if you think your prize bonsai would look cool growing in marbles, then this may be for you.

For me they were not what I was looking for in an asthetic looking bonsai soil alternative. This product is almost totaly used by hydroponic farmers and has grown in recent years do to cash hydroponic farming....if you know what I mean.

Haydite is a far superior product to this. Also, price has been rather prohibitive in the past, with a two gallon bag selling for about $50.00. Drop in the bucket for a pot farmer though!

Smoke, there's a product called LECA Hydro which is not rounded and looks very much like black scoria (check image here, sorry it is in Portuguese) and has a smallish granulometry (4-10 mm). I find it aesthetically pleasing.
I think this could be a good replacement for scoria or pumice, no?

Re-usable, inorganic, inert, long-lasting, light, drains excess of water, increases air within the soil... What else do we need? The only problem I can think of is that it may dry really fast. So probably better suited to mix it with other water-retaining product (e.g. akadama, sphagnum moss,...)?

 

[my nellie]

@Gustavo Martins I use volcanic lava (like the one in your link) together with pumice and some organic material for my substrate.
In my climate I need pumice which retains water more than lava.