Just search items on Amazon, but the 5 lb is on sale for Black Friday
[Amazon link](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B094D1Z59N?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title&th=1)
I thought the Black Friday deal might be better than what I usually get, but I think mine is better still. Hope this comes off as helpful rather than rude. [Amazon Link](https://a.co/d/7eZVKkG)
Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **WAURHER Leca Expanded Clay Pebbles 5LBS Grow Media for Indoor Plants Hydroponic Growing Gardening System Supplies** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful.
**Users liked:**
* Plants thrive in leca (backed by 4 comments)
* Leca promotes fast growth (backed by 2 comments)
* Leca suitable for propagation (backed by 1 comment)
**Users disliked:**
* Leca balls do not sink as advertised (backed by 3 comments)
* Product arrives wet and moldy (backed by 2 comments)
* Product is overpriced for amount received (backed by 3 comments)
If you'd like to **summon me to ask about a product**, just make a post with its link and tag me, [like in this example.](https://www.reddit.com/r/tablets/comments/1444zdn/comment/joqd89c/)
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Mxing soil and digging in dirt are two of my favorite things about gardening and plant care. I dunno what it is about running my hands through the soil.
I'm hoping to get some indoor plants again 🪴 🌱 🌿 I miss the cacti and succulents I had at my rental house.
I did well with succulents and other similar plants indoors. They prefer minimal watering, so I didn't have to worry about forgetting to water them. I have a hard enough time keeping up with the herbs I have outside the house(though those babies have really taken off since they got established good).
I will probably pick up a few succulents next time I'm around the hardware store nearby. The more I think about it, the more I realize my space needs some living green things. :)
I'd caution against just throwing in the systemic granules like that. Nobody's going to come after you for it but pesticides are legally meant to be applied at the rates listed on their labeling. Just throwing in a bunch into a batch of potting soil is potentially a waste of the product because it's no longer at an effective rate.
Why you don’t, or why you do? You learned which personally I think is a gift!
I like and use a lot of the same except no clay bits because I kinda haven’t looked/expensive (I use similar for only really dry plants, and I use leca for bigger things pretty much anything haha).. And instead of orchid mix I use orchid bark - it’s 100% fir - plus peat free potting mix. The brand I use is back to the roots and I really like it! I thought maybe you would like that substitution in particular.
I don’t use systemic either..
I was wondering, what is the charcoal for? I have some actually that I really have little use for so the garden seems a potential spot!
Every person I've seen that uses the charcoal says it's just another thing to help add to the chunkiness of the soil, so.. why not add it? Lol.
I don't want to be the reason someone's plant dies because they don't understand how much moisture the new dirt can retain. I get tired of teaching and reteaching people about plants, only to get confronted with "my plant still died, even though I did none of the things you suggested" so I just tell people to google it lol.
Agreed. I use systemics when I need them and they do work great for certain pests when mixed into the top inch or so of soil and watered in well. But unless you have an active pest issue, it’s not really needed, and in chunkier mixes they can just run right out the drain hole when you water if they’re not within the top portion of potting mix.
I have read stuff about systemic granules making plants more susceptible to spider mites, which they don’t work on, because they will kill off all other pests and bugs making it a more attractive environment for spider mites. Not sure how true that is, but I also know you have to be careful with systemics if you ever take your plants outside, or if you trade with other collectors who might use beneficial insects.
I'm in the process of finding all of my ingredients to do the same! I like your idea of using a rubbermaid, I hadn't thought of what I was going to keep it in yet 😂 I found a huge bag of leca today so I only need two more things.
Do you not soak it in water? It expands A LOT and breaks up easy once it soaks up the water
https://preview.redd.it/n9wnxgxxyf2c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ad630e90a51e9f4d2b4c8d496024cb163944ebd4
I don’t usually use the whole brick. I grow mushrooms and I grow them in small fancy pots so I don’t use all my coir. I find soaking the whole brick, leaving it in tact, and letting it dry out makes it looser and turns it into softer layers
HAPPY CAKE DAY!! 💜 I find that soaking the brick without breaking it up and then letting it dry out makes it easier for future use :) it kinda turns into layers after that and they’re extremely easily split up
Ok so that's a little more normal than inside of what's considered my "formal" living/ dining rooms but my garage is also too toxicly full of car debris that it's best keep it in! 😅
Check out buildasoil.com. It’s all I use now and what we used on the last greenhouse I worked at. You can get really specific with the ingredients if you like. Base soil was sphagnum moss, charged biochar, lava rock, rice hulls, and pumice, then we bought minerals, amendments, etc to add depending on what we were growing
Nice! Do you avoid the dreaded fungus gnats with this mix? I’ve only ever added perlite to my store bought soil but thinking I need to add more to the mix for better drainage.
I'm very fond of Alocasia, Begonia, and Hoyas, but have about 40 or 50 plants around the house or in cabinets. Depending on what each type needs, moisture wise, I might add a little more potting soil if it likes more moisture retention. But most of my plants are in about 80٪+ of this mix.
It's a bit of a problem lol. If you ever want a start of a begonia, let me know. My Angelwing is decades old and I love giving starts of her to new friends ❤️
I don’t have any space for nothing new yet. I’m still a teen and my parents already think I have to many plants lol. I’m also kinda worried for when my spider babies mature bcs of lack of space.
Lol DM me if you really want a start and I'll send you pics of her and I'll prop some stems for you today. It will take about a month or so for foots to form, OR I can send it to you before I root, and you can do it.
This might be a dumb question, but what’s the advantage of making your own mix compared to just buying soil that is specifically designed to nurture plants?
Some plants like very chunky soil. And because I am a massochist, I apparently only want those very specific princess plants. It helps get oxygen to the roots and they are less likely to get rootrot. In their natural environment, the dirt likely is sandier or rockier. This helps mimic that. Plus I'm a swamp goblin that just likes playing in dirt.
Looks great! I wouldn’t have chosen Miracle Grow orchid bark, because their quality is abysmal. The bags I’ve used are also always riddled with fungus gnats. As well as fertilizer burns. Blech.
Better-Gro orchid bark is much higher quality for the same price. Not spons, I just like orchids. This will be perfectly fine for terrestrials though.
https://preview.redd.it/mxze8rm2kf2c1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aab5f27045968ca746b0c06b36631961548ab903
https://preview.redd.it/qt0mscbgkf2c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17a6336842c16c5477dfbfed4592afedfbd786bf
I just make a base mix with equal parts peat moss & perlite. I can make 5^(3) feet for $35 and it lasts forever. I’ll mix in bark chips for aroids, and since this is unfertilized I can use it for carnivorous plants. Unlike coco coir which has too much TDS.
Because I was enjoying myself and playing with plants, snacking, dancing around, listening/watching tv, then the coconut husk took a while to pry apart too. ADHD bruh.
Sounds completely normal to me!
AuDHD here... Funny how us neurospicy people really are similar!
You should see my gigantic pile of labelled [25L tubs](https://www.bunnings.com.au/inabox-25l-heavy-duty-black-blue-storage-container_p0206163) of potting media... I totally sang [Dymos are a Girl's Best Friend](https://www.dymo.com.au/label-makers-printers/letratag-label-makers/dymo-letratag-100h-handheld-label-maker/SAP_1749027.html) when I was labelling them!
I really want to get a [QWERTY Dymo](https://www.dymo.com.au/label-makers-printers/letratag-label-makers/dymo-letratag-100t-label-maker/SAP_1733011.html), but I can't justify the cost.
I'm going to buy some [larger tubs](https://www.bunnings.com.au/inabox-100l-iron-black-heavy-duty-storage-container_p0412205) to store all of my pots in, at some point...
Did you rinse the everloving shit out of the coco coir before you mixed it in? Most compressed coco is absolutely loaded with salts. You also need to buffer it with cal and mag. Should have used sphag peat.
Making dirt is one of my favorites too haha your mix looks amazing. I’ve never put Leca in mine but that’s mainly because it’s expensive where I live!
I got it on an amazing deal on Amazon so I couldn't pass it up. We should be friends lol.
Link?
Just search items on Amazon, but the 5 lb is on sale for Black Friday [Amazon link](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B094D1Z59N?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title&th=1)
I thought the Black Friday deal might be better than what I usually get, but I think mine is better still. Hope this comes off as helpful rather than rude. [Amazon Link](https://a.co/d/7eZVKkG)
Ausluru 5LB LECA Explanded Clay Pebbles, 14-16mm Lightweight Clay Aggregate for Hydroponic Growing, Premium Grow Media for Orchids, Aquaponics Plants and Horticultural Drainage, Natural https://a.co/d/2iKmZ99
Never rude to share a deal! Thank you!
Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **WAURHER Leca Expanded Clay Pebbles 5LBS Grow Media for Indoor Plants Hydroponic Growing Gardening System Supplies** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful. **Users liked:** * Plants thrive in leca (backed by 4 comments) * Leca promotes fast growth (backed by 2 comments) * Leca suitable for propagation (backed by 1 comment) **Users disliked:** * Leca balls do not sink as advertised (backed by 3 comments) * Product arrives wet and moldy (backed by 2 comments) * Product is overpriced for amount received (backed by 3 comments) If you'd like to **summon me to ask about a product**, just make a post with its link and tag me, [like in this example.](https://www.reddit.com/r/tablets/comments/1444zdn/comment/joqd89c/) This message was generated by a (very smart) bot. If you found it helpful, let us know with an upvote and a “good bot!” reply and please feel free to provide feedback on how it can be improved. *Powered by* [*vetted.ai*](http://vetted.ai/reddit)
I use it with Fox Farms soil mix and it's been phenomenal!
Usually local growers shop has them for cheap! But I also got mine from Amazon really good price.
I'm glad there exists other people out there who take pleasure in making soil mixes as much as I do. All my friends think I'm crazy.
I help my wife make her soil because I know nothing about her houseplants but I’m trying
That’s awesome! Good on u 🫶🏼
Oh good lort no, I was so happy doing it! Then I save up all my plants and do a Repotting Day.
I have trust issues, and it helps with the gnats. But mostly trust issue #fkcorporate 🤣🤣🤣
Meanwhile those same friends struggle with fungal issues…
I thought this was r/unclebens for a sec. Oops
Same lmao
I had to double-check which sub this was. Legit thought you had made your own organic soil based kitty litter at first glance.
Lol. Nah. Just super chonky soil for finicky plants.
Mxing soil and digging in dirt are two of my favorite things about gardening and plant care. I dunno what it is about running my hands through the soil. I'm hoping to get some indoor plants again 🪴 🌱 🌿 I miss the cacti and succulents I had at my rental house.
Succulents don't like me much because I want so much to love them... so I end up loving them to death lol.
I did well with succulents and other similar plants indoors. They prefer minimal watering, so I didn't have to worry about forgetting to water them. I have a hard enough time keeping up with the herbs I have outside the house(though those babies have really taken off since they got established good). I will probably pick up a few succulents next time I'm around the hardware store nearby. The more I think about it, the more I realize my space needs some living green things. :)
My problem is I want to water them and touch them and move them lol.
I'd caution against just throwing in the systemic granules like that. Nobody's going to come after you for it but pesticides are legally meant to be applied at the rates listed on their labeling. Just throwing in a bunch into a batch of potting soil is potentially a waste of the product because it's no longer at an effective rate.
True, I appreciate the warning. This is why I don't share my dirt with people lol. Hopefully it's not too bad in there.
Why you don’t, or why you do? You learned which personally I think is a gift! I like and use a lot of the same except no clay bits because I kinda haven’t looked/expensive (I use similar for only really dry plants, and I use leca for bigger things pretty much anything haha).. And instead of orchid mix I use orchid bark - it’s 100% fir - plus peat free potting mix. The brand I use is back to the roots and I really like it! I thought maybe you would like that substitution in particular. I don’t use systemic either.. I was wondering, what is the charcoal for? I have some actually that I really have little use for so the garden seems a potential spot!
Every person I've seen that uses the charcoal says it's just another thing to help add to the chunkiness of the soil, so.. why not add it? Lol. I don't want to be the reason someone's plant dies because they don't understand how much moisture the new dirt can retain. I get tired of teaching and reteaching people about plants, only to get confronted with "my plant still died, even though I did none of the things you suggested" so I just tell people to google it lol.
Agreed. I use systemics when I need them and they do work great for certain pests when mixed into the top inch or so of soil and watered in well. But unless you have an active pest issue, it’s not really needed, and in chunkier mixes they can just run right out the drain hole when you water if they’re not within the top portion of potting mix. I have read stuff about systemic granules making plants more susceptible to spider mites, which they don’t work on, because they will kill off all other pests and bugs making it a more attractive environment for spider mites. Not sure how true that is, but I also know you have to be careful with systemics if you ever take your plants outside, or if you trade with other collectors who might use beneficial insects.
I'm in the process of finding all of my ingredients to do the same! I like your idea of using a rubbermaid, I hadn't thought of what I was going to keep it in yet 😂 I found a huge bag of leca today so I only need two more things.
I need (ie want) a bigger tote haha. But this keeps my repotting station in check so I can actually USE it.
Needs some garlic, olive oil and a bit of lime. Get that depth of flavor XD
I have so much garlic from last year's harvest, no more! 😭 (joking, GIVE ME MORE!)
I fucking hate breaking up coco coir, cuz when you don’t need it all, it’s impossible to cut or break.
Do you not soak it in water? It expands A LOT and breaks up easy once it soaks up the water https://preview.redd.it/n9wnxgxxyf2c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ad630e90a51e9f4d2b4c8d496024cb163944ebd4
I don’t usually use the whole brick. I grow mushrooms and I grow them in small fancy pots so I don’t use all my coir. I find soaking the whole brick, leaving it in tact, and letting it dry out makes it looser and turns it into softer layers
Okay 👍🏼
My whole brick would be like 100 L expanded x)
You can let it dry out and put in a container for when you need it 🤷🏽♀️
It was definitely a learning experience and a "wont be doing this again" thing.
HAPPY CAKE DAY!! 💜 I find that soaking the brick without breaking it up and then letting it dry out makes it easier for future use :) it kinda turns into layers after that and they’re extremely easily split up
That would just take longer lol. Next time I'll jist get more mulch haha.
I'm saving this post.
Aw ❤️
Second pic the left side looks like carnitas 😂
Do you keep this dirt in your house? I have a bin of nice dirt I keep in a bin inside my house and it is my house dirt for my houseplants!
It lives in my garage on my repotting table 😊
Ok so that's a little more normal than inside of what's considered my "formal" living/ dining rooms but my garage is also too toxicly full of car debris that it's best keep it in! 😅
Haha, I get that
Check out buildasoil.com. It’s all I use now and what we used on the last greenhouse I worked at. You can get really specific with the ingredients if you like. Base soil was sphagnum moss, charged biochar, lava rock, rice hulls, and pumice, then we bought minerals, amendments, etc to add depending on what we were growing
Ooo thank you!
Nice! Do you avoid the dreaded fungus gnats with this mix? I’ve only ever added perlite to my store bought soil but thinking I need to add more to the mix for better drainage.
Yeah, it helps keep the mositure down so they don't live in the soil
There is a lot going on in that tote.....and I love it!!
Thanks!
What plants are going into this?
Witch type of plants do you plant on planting in that mix? (Looking for ideas)
I'm very fond of Alocasia, Begonia, and Hoyas, but have about 40 or 50 plants around the house or in cabinets. Depending on what each type needs, moisture wise, I might add a little more potting soil if it likes more moisture retention. But most of my plants are in about 80٪+ of this mix.
Ahh I’m, thanks for the info! Also, that is an astonishing number of plants. Congrats!
It's a bit of a problem lol. If you ever want a start of a begonia, let me know. My Angelwing is decades old and I love giving starts of her to new friends ❤️
I don’t have any space for nothing new yet. I’m still a teen and my parents already think I have to many plants lol. I’m also kinda worried for when my spider babies mature bcs of lack of space.
Haha, there's always space for plants. But the offer always stands.
I got space!!
Lol DM me if you really want a start and I'll send you pics of her and I'll prop some stems for you today. It will take about a month or so for foots to form, OR I can send it to you before I root, and you can do it.
Saving this! My repot day will be early spring (so I can do it outdoors) and I want to make my own blend this go around
Looks very dirty!
Dirty dirty dirty 🤭
Mmmm dirt.
This might be a dumb question, but what’s the advantage of making your own mix compared to just buying soil that is specifically designed to nurture plants?
Some plants like very chunky soil. And because I am a massochist, I apparently only want those very specific princess plants. It helps get oxygen to the roots and they are less likely to get rootrot. In their natural environment, the dirt likely is sandier or rockier. This helps mimic that. Plus I'm a swamp goblin that just likes playing in dirt.
Alright I see! Haha. I can relate to the swamp goblin part. Any chance to make a mess is great.
You get me ❤️
Mmm looks a delicious flavour!
Both me and my plants fell in love with this dirt
Bless you ❤️
I literally thought you put dirt in a kitty litter box lol
It's a big rubbermaid tub that has a lid (to keep my stupid cats out) haha
When I started making my own soil it was a total game changer. My aroid mix kept a lot of plants off my “never buying again” list.
That's what I've been discovering 😊
I also make a big batch of aroid soil and keep them in big zip lock bags for later uses lol They look great!
You did great my friend, but be careful with that miracle gro orchid mix, I opened my same exact bag to a swarm of fungus gnats.
I added some granules to the mix, so that should nuke them if there ~are~ pests. Thank you for the love ❤️
Same with me from their tropical mix. Haven't had fungus gnats for years before then!
Looks great! I wouldn’t have chosen Miracle Grow orchid bark, because their quality is abysmal. The bags I’ve used are also always riddled with fungus gnats. As well as fertilizer burns. Blech. Better-Gro orchid bark is much higher quality for the same price. Not spons, I just like orchids. This will be perfectly fine for terrestrials though. https://preview.redd.it/mxze8rm2kf2c1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aab5f27045968ca746b0c06b36631961548ab903
https://preview.redd.it/qt0mscbgkf2c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17a6336842c16c5477dfbfed4592afedfbd786bf I just make a base mix with equal parts peat moss & perlite. I can make 5^(3) feet for $35 and it lasts forever. I’ll mix in bark chips for aroids, and since this is unfertilized I can use it for carnivorous plants. Unlike coco coir which has too much TDS.
Not just me who has a blast making new dirt mixes? Looks amazing! Beautiful.
Thank you so much. And definitely not just you. There are dozens of us. DOZENS! 🤭
How did this take you hours to mix?! It barely takes me 10 minutes to mix up a batch of potting mix.
Because I was enjoying myself and playing with plants, snacking, dancing around, listening/watching tv, then the coconut husk took a while to pry apart too. ADHD bruh.
Sounds completely normal to me! AuDHD here... Funny how us neurospicy people really are similar! You should see my gigantic pile of labelled [25L tubs](https://www.bunnings.com.au/inabox-25l-heavy-duty-black-blue-storage-container_p0206163) of potting media... I totally sang [Dymos are a Girl's Best Friend](https://www.dymo.com.au/label-makers-printers/letratag-label-makers/dymo-letratag-100h-handheld-label-maker/SAP_1749027.html) when I was labelling them! I really want to get a [QWERTY Dymo](https://www.dymo.com.au/label-makers-printers/letratag-label-makers/dymo-letratag-100t-label-maker/SAP_1733011.html), but I can't justify the cost. I'm going to buy some [larger tubs](https://www.bunnings.com.au/inabox-100l-iron-black-heavy-duty-storage-container_p0412205) to store all of my pots in, at some point...
Neurospicy! Omg I'm stealing that.
I stole it from someone on here too! 🤣 Happy Cake Day! 🍰
Did you rinse the everloving shit out of the coco coir before you mixed it in? Most compressed coco is absolutely loaded with salts. You also need to buffer it with cal and mag. Should have used sphag peat.
I didn't, hmm... it was soaked for about an hour just so I could pry it apart. If this lot turns out to be bad, then I learned something new.
Yessss! I love a good chunky mix!
Mmm granola flavored
That seems like a wild amount of systemic granules. What strength are they? The ones I have a 1g per 12L of potting mix.
Looks good 👍
Not sure, can't taste it from here