BEST Beginner SEMIHYDRO GEAR for 2024 ~ Grow Like A Pro in LECA & PON!

[@theproppist]

Up next -- watch me #deflask & #repot tissue cultured plantlets for the first time! 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/npzGc6GLndCMmJY Hey planty peeps! So this is my latest and greatest, with all new, fresh material (unlike my last video, which was more of an editing dry run!) So I think I managed to get all the products, shops and people that I mentioned in the video captured in the description -- let me know if I missed anything that you might be trying to find! What are your favourite semi-hydro accessories? Any gear you can't live without or hidden gems that no one knows about? Let me know here in the comments and maybe I'll test it out in a future video. Thanks for watching!

[@angelawhite1347]

😮😮😮❤

[@margimorris7360]

Hello. Maybe get yourself a soldering iron to help you make the holes bigger for you wicking system. I buy clear pots and put holes in the side of them to help air flow. So much easier with a soldering iron

[@theproppist]

@margimorris7360 Absolutely - I don't have a soldering iron but I would definitely get one for exactly this purpose, particularly with a larger-grained substrate like LECA. The thing I want to bear in mind is that with pon (or anything that fine), you want to avoid the larger holes as they create a bit of a headache -- you either need a layer of LECA or some sort of barrier material (mesh is common), or you'll need to make sure the larger holes are filled up with your wicking. And thanks for the comment, much appreciated!

[@margimorris7360]

@@theproppist I use both Leca and MAB Grow (I call it the Australian PON). You can make holes small as well depending on how far you push the Iron into the pot. Best $17 I have spent for the plant world

[@yolyrom7233]

@@theproppist Make sure you wear a mask if at all possible

[@BinuralOdyssey]

Or just get a drill lol.

[@TheLecaQueen]

Awesome! Love this.

[@yolyrom7233]

I’m a subscriber of your channel. I just mentioned you in a comment about how you use Leca.

[@jillcostanzo794]

I wish I had found this video like 6 months ago! These are all the questions and needs I had when I began my semi-hydro journey. So much good information in here and tips I hadn't seen or heard yet. Really appreciate the comprehensive info and recommendations!! 💚🌱

[@theproppist]

Hey Jill! Glad you enjoyed it and found the info useful! 🤘 I originally made this video earlier this year because it was just such a pain to find a good guide as to what kind of gear worked well with semi-hydro. Most of it was either trial-and-error or just passively accumulated from watching a ton of over KZbinrs try stuff out. I'll try and post an update with new learnings and stuff I've discovered later on this year - I've found I needed to update a few of my tactics and techniques after some experimentation!

[@GourmetCarpet]

I wish I could like your videos 800000000 times. I love your content so much. You’re so easy to watch and listen to. I’ve admittedly watched your Leca videos like 10x each as I’m acclimating my imports in water to build some water roots for Leca. You’re helping me build the mental confidence to be successful in my new journey. I appreciate you so much! I hope you go viral, as you deserve to within the plant community. Your content is 10000000% what I need in my life!!! You’re pretty bad ass! Thank you! 🥳

[@theproppist]

Hey GC! This kind of comment makes me sooooo happy! It's super gratifying to hear that you found my content good enough to actually encourage you to change up what you were doing and try something out of your comfort zone. I think I actually talked about acclimation a bit in my Ecuagenera Wishlist video over the summer if you haven't watched it, hope that stuff helps out a bit! Either way, if you have any more questions or if there's a video topic you think would be useful, let me know and I'm happy to take a stab at it if it's in my wheelhouse. Lots of good stuff coming soon!

[@GourmetCarpet]

@@theproppist I quite honestly went into semi-hydro/passive hydro because of you lmao. I had watched HakunaLaPlanta’s video many times over (they are super wonderful as well, as you suggested!) So, I took the big dive in, I had already purchased my imports, so why not utilize the opportunity to dive right into passive hydroponics! Might have been a financial investment, but I DID grow a pair and felt confident enough to really switch some of my imports that were acclimated and had some beautiful water roots.. and they look SO HAPPY already. Idk what magic this nutrient solution has in it, but my plants just visually look happier. New growth is sprouting, roots are doing happy root stuff!! So a BIG THANK YOU. I have OCD, so I need to be fully prepared and confident and you helped me feel like I could be ready for success! My plants THANK YOU. And I didn’t want to kill my plants with a bit heftier price tags. And now I feel like they have the best chance to live to their full potential. Thank you thank you! I made a post in a FB group of a bunch of supplies I bought, and you liked my post. So I definitely felt like I got the seal of approval. Haha.

[@GourmetCarpet]

@@theproppist also - I need my moss pole confidence. I know you do your leca poles but I’m not FULLY confident enough to go all the way there. I was wondering - would I keep my moss moist with the nutrient solution? Or my nutrient solution, but more diluted to be less like “over kill” since you have to keep the pole moist? (I use the exact same recipe you use) Or would I moisten it with nutrient solution just when I fill my nutrient resivoir back up? Sorry - OCD. 😅 Thank you again!!

[@planttherapy1860]

Lol, love the head light and label printer! Great video! 👍🏼

[@theproppist]

Haha! That label printer is STILL one of my best plant-related purchases. At some point I'll have to do a video cataloguing those, for reference... thanks for the inspo!

[@planttherapy1860]

@@theproppist I'm waiting for it! 😆

[@crizzytiger6423]

Hi, Just discovered your channel and after watching you with that head torch on, you’ve got another subscriber. I’ve been using mine for years, to inspect my plants and for doing household chores like dusting and hoovering, to the amusement of friends and family. I don’t care looking like a clown, either.😄 Those torches show up everything! Thank you for a very informative video. I’m just starting to look into semi-hydro and want to make sure I do my research, before transferring my plants. So many cool ideas, I saved this video immediately.

[@theproppist]

Heya - glad you enjoyed the video and found it informative! If you have any questions about semi-hydro, definitely let me know. I'm taking requests! 😉 I'll be doing a couple more semi-hydro-specific videos in the coming month or two, including talking about nutrient combinations and the different substrates I've tried over the last couple of years. I still use that headlamp pretty much daily between plant care and household stuff, hell, even for PC building and repair when I get into the smaller nooks and crannies... comes in super handy doing outdoor tasks when it gets dark, even harvesting veggies from my garden in the evening when you can't see much of anything. I know I look ridiculous, especially outside in public, but still it's definitely up there in the best $18 I've ever spent, lol! 😆

[@leticiacorces2636]

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO....answered so many questions regarding pots which I was searching for! Fyi.. this is the 1st video I have ever commented on...that's how informative you have been!! Thank you again!

[@theproppist]

Hey there! That is SO awesome to hear - I even took a screenshot of your comment and showed it to my wife. 😊 Super glad the content was useful for you!! Feel free to hit me up with any questions - I'm probably going to post an update video to this one sometime before the end of the year as I've found some new pots and whatnot that are probably worth sharing!

[@pamp3445]

Thank you for the shopping list! And sharing the good and the not so good!

[@Kim-ts8nq]

Great video. Glad that someone tagged your channel on Facebook. 💚

[@theproppist]

Hey Kim, thank you! Much appreciated! 💚 I think I owe Krystal a beer (or a seedling, lol) for posting my channel on the Anthuriums Canada FB group - kind of embarrassing as I don't consider myself any kind of expert, but hey, I'll take it! 😉

[@Jayl__]

Cool another Canadian plant KZbinr. Awesome! Similar culture in Toronto with a plant group and also a big weed hydroponics growers. I wish there are more hydroponic stores geared towards house plant growers for better aesthetics.

[@theproppist]

Hey there, thanks for dropping by! Yeah, it's a funny situation with the pot shops selling all the gear we need for semi/full hydroponics, but I don't mind it too much as long as I'm able to stick to some of the more reputable places. Jon's Plant Factory over here in Burnaby has been fantastic and I always recommend them because the guys there are so knowledgeable and friendly. In all honesty I think the weed business is their bread and butter so they cater to the customers who they see most often, but they do know us houseplant folks pretty well now. The boutique plant shops in my neck of the woods here, like @northshoretropicals (check Lauren's channel out if you get a chance!), generally have a great selection of interesting plants and containers, but they don't have a hydro focus so the options there are limited. There are a lot of hydro/grow online retailers based in Canada so I tend to buy most of my other gear from there if I can't find it nearby or on Amazon.

[@shparker519]

This is the first video of yours I have seen and I love it! I travel to Vancouver quarterly from Calgary for work. I usually stay in lower Lonsdale or Richmond. Can you recommend some good plant stores in the lower mainland with cool unique plants? Aroids are typically my jam. :)

[@Cowgirlatheart1952]

I learned so much thank you

[@Kate.g.]

In Canada, I am so agree with you grow place sale hydroponic and other stuffs (often many clients from Marijuana), at good price, very nice stuffs unique (often very good discover). I have real Lechuza pon, from my grow shop! Very nice video !

[@nknight5228]

Very helpful. Thanks for sharing

[@theproppist]

Glad I could help! Let me know if you have any questions!

[@LoveSonayon]

Thank you for all the great tips!

[@ginav1751]

Just stumbled across your video after all this time. Awesome and informative. I have all my Hoyas in Leca as well as six Monstera seedlings that have grown very fast. All doing great, and I agree, I hate soil in my house! 😊

[@kaiffeinated]

You’re such a great resource! Thank you

[@theproppist]

Hey Kai - thank you! 🙏🏼 Glad you found it useful - I’m open to suggestions for new videos anytime. 😊

[@kaiffeinated]

You mentioned you make your own pon mix, watching your process would be such a treat!

[@SUSixO]

Thanks for the video :) really loved those tips 😊

[@theproppist]

Glad you enjoyed it! 💚 I'll probably be doing a "refresh" sometime in the next couple of months with new gear I've come across that's worth sharing with everyone.

[@johnnelson9648]

Thanks!

[@nikiasankofa6301]

This was a great video!

[@theproppist]

Thanks - glad you enjoyed it! 😃

[@yolyrom7233]

Great video! Orchid pots are excellent for Leca use. Most of my plants, including African Violet’s and orchid’s of course are grown in Leca. The Leca Queen has a good KZbin channel using Leca for all of her gigantic plants. You should check her out.

[@slobodankajosilo5944]

I like her

[@nadine_double_v9901]

Thank you for this great video, new subscriber from France here 🌱🪴🍀

[@theproppist]

Bonjour Nadine ! Bienvenue, et merci d'être passée sur ma chaîne ! 🌿🪴

[@planttherapy1860]

Hi! New subscriber 😊 First comment, that Gunung Gading is gorgeous. And those beauties behind you are so beautiful!

[@theproppist]

Hey there, welcome, mutual sub it seems! 😃 And thank you - the Gunung Gading is definitely one of my favourites this year, and it grows like a weed, too. I had two of them in different environments/humidity level and both have thrived. That's the one thing about hoyas, I find - as much as they can be finicky about humidity sometimes, they're not picky about substrates and they're amazingly hard to kill outside of severe overwatering, lol. (Yeah, I've done it to a couple in moss.)

[@planttherapy1860]

@@theproppist 😆 Yes, mutual subs. I adore hoyas for that reason. I will put that one on my wishlist. It is a beauty

[@sjperttula]

Hey thanks for the great video, new subscriber from Idaho, I'm thinking of transferring my alocasias etc. to semi-hydro PON, but I'm cheap and don't want to spend a fortune on new pots . Thanks for all the great tips and ideas.

[@northshoretropicals]

Hi Nick!! Great video!

[@theproppist]

Thanks Lauren! I did say you could expect a shout-out soon. 😆

[@aquaman461]

Awesome video, ordered the printer, deli containers!

[@theproppist]

That’s awesome! 👏🏽 Glad you enjoyed it! Let me know if you dig up any cool and unexpected uses for your new toys. 🤘🏽

[@wendyacker245]

In the tiny net pots maybe use a tea bag or coffee filter to keep the substrate in

[@theproppist]

Yup, definitely an option. Unfortunately a lot of the tea bags around here aren't biodegradable and/or aren't super porous so they won't do great at letting your roots breathe or extend outside of the (tiny) net pot. This works best if you're planning on upsizing your pot relatively soon, IMO.

[@MamaCookieMonsterz]

Thank you for this video! I just got into semi hydro and I've noticed that the top layers dry. And I didn't see anything about using wicking til now.. I just put a layer of spagnum moss on top hoping that'll help

[@theproppist]

Hey Melanie! Glad you enjoyed the video and sorry for the late reply! You're right that the top layers will dry out over time - wicking will help but it's not a perfect solution since it doesn't have a ton of surface area. I've tried fabric tape as well with mixed results (it's pretty hard to keep clean and it tends to shred.) The sphagnum on top is good short-term, but moss dries out even faster than LECA from my experience, so the only way to keep that moist is to wrap it in something like cling wrap. The best is really to use something like a bubbler underneath your root systems because that will trigger LECA's capillary action and keep it hydrated,. Combine that with a relatively high humidity environment (think grow tent or plant cabinet, 60%+ humidity), or some sort of enclosure on the top of the plant's root system. Either way, there's no one-size-fits-all fix, but you can work around it.

[@MamaCookieMonsterz]

@@theproppist hey no worries! Thank you for replying and sharing the knowledge! Yeah I noticed that I gotta spray down the spagnum at least once a day cuse it'll dry out..😭 I don't have a cabinet but, I've been thinking of getting one.. And humidity is definitely low, specially since it's getting into fall now (in northern U.S.) so I have 2 humidifiers to keep it around 60%

[@theproppist]

No problem, as long as I enjoy doing this, I'll keep on sharing. 😃 The sphagnum is going to dry out, there's really no getting around it. Even in my grow tent with ~65-80% humidity depending on whether the lights are on or off, the sphagnum still needs watering at least on a weekly basis. And I give my plants in sphag a pretty solid soak (mostly bottom watering) once a week or so. There are a couple of options that can help - for smaller containers, you can try some cling wrap or press 'n' seal over top around the base of the plant, or if you're really creative you can cut up some plastic cups and attach them together into a kind of wrap or collar around the base of the plant, that works over LECA or Pon. I've also seen "plant collars" sold on some semi-hydro web sites, but that can get expensive and not everyone sells it. The other option is to just layer on enough of your sphagnum that it takes a while to dry out on the inside. The LECA will keep wicking upwards so it should eventually keep the base of the moss and the lower layer moist, but the top exposed area will always dry out pretty quickly. So just keep layering it on there so that you have at least 1-2cm on top of where your nodes are. Think of it like mulch on garden veggies, same kind of concept to hold the moisture in. Hope that helps!

[@charlottesedita3136]

How do I know when Leca balls sufficiently holding liquid

[@theproppist]

@charlottesedita3136 Sorry for the belated reply on this! I was away on vacation when this came through and I'm just getting caught up on comments (kinda late, my bad!) There's no real obvious indication that LECA is doing what you want it to do in terms of actual "volume absorbed/wicked" besides the colour of the LECA balls themselves. You have to check this well after watering unless you're somehow bottom-watering or filling your outer/cache pot and then placing your inner net pot into the nutrient liquid so it doesn't soak the upper part of the LECA. If you do it right after (top) watering, then you won't be able to tell anything as all of the substrate will be wet for a while. If you wait a day or so, things should dry out enough that the wicking should be visible in the darkness of the LECA above the water line. The darker it is, the more water it's absorbing. Once it's a consistent level of darkness, it's at max absorption. It will fade upwards until it dries out towards the top of the substrate in your net pot. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.

[@JonielVillanueva-j8g]

can anthurium grow in Pun or Lecca balls ? thanks

[@theproppist]

Yes, they most definitely can. I originally used LECA for many of my Anthuriums but I've since switched the majority of them (mostly ones I've repotted since) to Pon. From my experience most of them do slightly better in Pon. I'm using the DIY stuff, though, not the "official" Lechuza brand Pon. I covered what goes into making the DIY Pon in a previous video (can't remember which one off the top of my head.)

[@fraumustermann9416]

Hey I've just transferred a philodendron pink princess into lechuza pon and did just use a regular nursery pot. Is this a problem? I was thinking to just shower it when it's getting dry. Is there any reason not to do that? I have it sitting in a decorative pot I could fill with water and put a wig through the nursery pot but do I have to?

[@theproppist]

Hey there! No, there is absolutely no reason you can't use a nursery pot for semi-hydro if you have it inside of a container or cache-pot, if that's what you have on hand. It's not ideal, but it will work. Just make sure to clean off any soil before you do the semi-hydro transfer (from both the plant and the nursery pot.) The only reasons I'd say NOT to use a nursery pot would be: 1️⃣ - The plastic might not be the greatest quality as nursery pots are usually pretty cheaply made, so it may go brittle and then you'd have a bit of a tougher time transplanting or repotting later, or keeping a reservoir. 2️⃣ - Nursery pots often have pretty large drainage holes, so your Lechuza pon may spill out into the outer container or cache pot, which can be a bit of a pain in the butt. You can avoid this by either putting a LECA layer (larger particles) at the bottom, or if your pot's holes are too big for that, adding some mesh at the bottom before you lay down your substrate. 3️⃣ - Sometimes nursery pots only have a couple of small holes on the bottom, which can make running wicking into your reservoir kind of difficult. This isn't always the case so feel free to play it by ear. As long as the drainage from the inner pot is decent, you should be fine. You can always either drill or use a soldering iron to add some additional holes if necessary. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further Qs!

[@fraumustermann9416]

@@theproppist thank you so much for that detailed response! That helped a lot 👍❤️

[@theproppist]

Glad I could help! 🤘🏽

[@JonielVillanueva-j8g]

Hi where can i buy those Leca and Pun ? thanks

[@theproppist]

In Canada and the US, you can buy LECA (and Lechuza Pon, I think, but I've never bought it there) on Amazon. I think I had a link to the Liaflor LECA I use in the description of this video. You can also try local hydroponics stores, they often sell LECA for cheaper than buying it on Amazon. I got my big 50L bag from a local hydroponics store here in my area. You can also buy "official" Lechuza Pon directly from the Lechuza web site (lechuza.com/). If you want to make the DIY Pon, I documented it in another video, but it's basically a combination of pumice, zeolite, and lava rock in about even proportions, with some Osmocote if you want the time-release fertlizer. You can leave that out if you plan on using semi-hydro nutrients like I do. Here in Canada you can buy lava rock and zeolite from hardware stores like Home Hardware: 🛍️ BUYING LINKS - PUMICE: amzn.to/43TVJCB - ZEOLITE: Branded as "Ecotraction" @ Home Hardware: www.homehardware.ca/en/brands/ecotraction/13348 - LAVA ROCK: "LavaGrip Anti-Slip Traction Aid": www.homehardware.ca/en/brands/lavagrip/13346 - OSMOCOTE: amzn.to/3MgSwHj

[@JonielVillanueva-j8g]

@@theproppist thank you so much

[@janetmurphy8726]

Probably too late to comment but I never heard of PON I’m soo confused and just got a baby Anthurium was looking at Leca now I’m not sure ?

[@theproppist]

Hey @janetmurphy8726 - Pon is another type of semihydro substrate made by a company called Lechuza in Germany. You can find it online (pretty pricey) or in some boutique plant shops, or you can make it yourself. I think there's a recipe listed in this video but you can also dig it up online pretty easily. I'll post it on my website at some point soon just for reference! You can do LECA (clay balls) or Pon (more of a granular substrate made of smaller particles, mostly even parts lava rock, zeolite, and pumice) for Anthuriums. I'd say stuff with smaller, thinner roots will do better in Pon generally speaking. LECA works better for stuff with thicker more established root systems. You can also start stuff off (just to acclimate to semi-hydro) in plain perlite or pumice if you want to start a little simpler. LECA is generally pretty cheap (probably about 1/2 to 1/3 the price of Pon) unless you make the Pon yourself, in which case they're about even if you buy your materials in bulk. Thanks for the question and feel free to ask more, I'm going to use some of these for an update video later this fall. Cheers!

[@janetmurphy8726]

Thank you soo much for answering my question it seems happy at moment I’m thinking just perlite ?

[@captainlovebug]

ELECTRIC TAPE. Sir, you just saved me so much heart ache 😂

[@theproppist]

Haha... glad you caught that bit. Thought it might come in handy for someone. It's not a perfect solution but it's cheap and works for long enough that it does the job. 😉

[@mrfcp1235]

I buy my pots in TEMU. it's a lot cheaper but the waiting time is around a week to get delivered here in Canada. Just don't buy anything electronics from TEMU.

[@mycharmedunicorn8715]

Temu has self watering pots that are cheaper.

[@theproppist]

You’re right, I’ve ordered a few from there and from Aliexpress. tbh I didn’t know about Temu when I recorded this! May not have been available in Canada yet at the time. Good tip tho!

[@craigmcculloch1872]

3 min in.... No info yet, just sign up for this and sign up for that.

[@theproppist]

Thanks for the feedback (and this was my first video after a 3 year hiatus, so keep that in mind.) However, this is why our KZbin overlords created *chapters*. Feel free to use them to jump ahead to what interests you. 😉 And FWIW, it’s *visibly* an hour+ long video (should show up before you click on the thumbnail) and I started getting into details within the first 2 minutes, right after the shoutout to @minimalistcali, so I think your timing might be a little off. 🤷🏽‍♂️