No, you don’t need to fertilize your plants when using clay pebbles. However, if you want to, you can fertilize your plants every month or so. 5. Can I reuse my clay pebbles? On top of being truly beautiful to look at, clay pebbles excel at keep the air around the plant moist. Many houseplants come from the tropics, where air humidity is naturally high.

There you have it – all the facts we can find to help you when choosing the suitable growing medium for your soilless garden. Yet, that decision still can be tedious. If you are in between crops, then you can save some time by just flushing out your entire system with a pH-neutral solution instead, rather than removing the pebbles. Fully Sterilize Clay Pebbles Before Reusing Them Beginner and Professional growers across the globe use a variety of growing mediums including soil, coco, and clay pebbles. In the above we’ve learnt key benefits to each substrate, and how they can be used. This in turn will help you to decide which is the best growing medium for your crops, by taking into consideration your plants needs and the area where you’re growing your crops. Although clay pebbles are quite lightweight, they are steady and sturdy enough to hold even a delicate plant cutting in place. They provide just the right amount of water and nutrients while being completely sterile, which is why cuttings thrive when rooted in clay pebbles. There is nothing to add to the water but heating the Clay Pebbles is good enough to kill bugs, algae, and fungus.Cocopeat, sometimes called coconut fiber, is powdered husks from coconuts. It is a suitable medium for growth in hydroponic gardens because it is entirely organic. Drainage: Traditional indoor plant pots have drainage holes and stand in saucers to allow excess water to drain freely. For modern decorative plant pots without drainage holes the grow pot could be stood inside the pot on a saucer, or in a pot liner for extra protection. Alternatively, for a professional design look, the plant can be repotted directly into a pot liner with a layer of hydrogranules to provide both a drainage layer and a reservoir for the plant. The roots above the granules will pull the water gently out of the granules (capillary action) to keep them moist but not wet. The growth medium you choose for your hydroponic garden needs to have good drainage and absorption capabilities. Your growth medium should also match your needs so you can be assured of bigger yields and easy maintenance. Here are some of the most commonly used growth mediums in hydroponic gardens. Perlite Clay pebbles are often used in hydroponic gardening. Hydroponic gardening is a type of gardening that uses no soil. Instead, plants are grown in a water and nutrient solution. Fill your pot ⅓ full with the medium (this prevents plant roots sitting in water and developing root rot)

Clay Pebbles give a level of nourishment that soil cannot keep over time. They are best for developing seedlings or for potted plants. There are three major functions to soil. It provides a basis for plant growth, a habitat for bacteria and fungi, and it filters water and recycles raw materials. It helps healthy plant development by providing ideal conditions for your plants’ roots to extend downwards and/or outwards through the soil to anchor the plant. Air gets trapped in the spaces between the soil particles which provides additional oxygen that can be absorbed by the plant root cells, helping break down sugars to convert into energy to the plants.No harmful gas or any chemical component is involved in making clay pebbles make them naturally environment-friendly. Clay pebbles are made up of natural components and minerals that help plants grow faster and healthier. Other Benefits Some other benefits of using clay pebbles in your hydroponic garden include: Roots in hydroponics also aerate better than when in soil. Plants also grow individually because they are placed in separate cups. Hydroponics is Cleaner Hydrogranules are used in hydroculture planting. These clever little granules are manufactured from baked and expanded clay pellets and provide hydroculture plants with optimum conditions to thrive, as well as providing improved drainage and root aeration when used with potting mixes. The density of your clay pebbles is an important factor in how it will perform as a potting medium. Pebble density is rarely advertised directly for most LECA products, but sometimes brands will offer an average porosity of their product. Porosity is a measure of the empty space within the structure of the clay pebble. A good porosity is anywhere between 60-85%.

You need to take time to rinse them periodically because the Clay Pebbles are extremely porous, they can hold the nutrients for much longer. Have you ever found out how to grow plants without using soil? Fortunately, with the help of modern research, it has been made possible. You can use Clay Pebbles instead of soil and potting mix. Clay Pebbles are also called Hydroton. As the name might seem to imply, these things can get heavy. (Hydro- ton, get it?) Especially if you have an entire ebb-and-flow table of them. Tip: If you’re using new hydroton, remember to rinse it once before using; it can be dusty and cause clogging problems in mesh filters or drippers.Once saturated, clay pebbles can end up quite heavy, making them unsuitable for large systems where growing containers need to be moved. Add several nutrients. After rinsing and soaking the Clay Pebbles, place them in a container and add a small nutrient solution. Use a base-grown nutrient at one-quarter strength. Clay pebbles can also be used to make a miniature greenhouse. Simply place a layer of clay pebbles on a tray, and then place your plants on top. Place the tray in a sunny spot, and the clay pebbles will help to create a humid environment. While grow stones are smoother than some media, they are not so smooth as to discourage colonization by microbes. As you may know from our biological surface area resources, BSA provides habitat for the microbes which make nutrients from organic sources like fish feed available to plants. Less BSA means fewer microbes, which means a less responsive and less stable system. Though possessing less BSA than some media, this grow medium still offers high BSA.

Perlite, though, is cheaper per square foot than clay pebbles. Thus it is a better choice if you are building a large hydroponic system. Make sure to soak the clay pebbles in water for a few hours before using them. It will help them hold moisture better and prevent them from drying out your plants. It is important to consider the type of clay the pebbles are made from. There are two main types of clay: porcelain and earthenware. You can also add a layer of clay pebbles on top of the soil. This will help keep the soil moist and will also provide extra nutrients for your plant.When potting your plant, add a layer of clay pebbles to the bottom of the pot. This will help with drainage and aeration. Clay pebbles can be used to propagate new plants. Simply take a cutting from your desired plant, and root it in a pot of moist clay pebbles.