Come along with me as I perform my first agricultural growth test!!
I am testing forest product compost (Beyond Peat Raised Bed Mix), paired with LECA, an expanded clay product used in hydroponics, as potting medium.
I am using two net pots and two rooted chicks of S. 'Black', both with stolons forming new chicks.
I started with two cups LECA, 1/2 cup compost, for each pot, before taking one batch of the LECA and breaking it with a hammer.
I reserved enough of the LECA from each batch to also use as top dressing.
First observation is a little counter to what I expected: The crushed LECA takes up more room. I thought smaller pieces would be more compact. They're not. I could not fit the entire two cups of crushed LECA into the pot; about 3 tablespoons were left over.
They will get watered with Quick Start solution tonight after it has cooled down outside.
Here are the potted chicks, side by side:
Initial conclusion: It looks to be more economical to crush my LECA before using it.
I'll let you know how things go!