FPF,
Permatil sounds interesting, I've never seen it for sale here. LECA is readily available at many grow shops however, I'd be interested to hear what you're results are with it. I doubt it's as vitreous as porcelain, but most ceramics fired at or below 2000 degrees Fahrenheit have a high porosity, even under-fired porcelain will behave that way. This is why potters do a double fire process, the first lower fire removes physically and chemically bound water, leaving the clay open to absorb the water and minerals from the glaze, then the second higher fire seals the clay and melts the frits and minerals of the glaze.
As for the granular size of LECA, I've only seen it sold in 1/4" + (not that I've looked very hard), in bonsai they really stress the importance of having room for air to pass through the medium, I've often wondered if the same principles would benefit sempervivum, if so, whole grains of LECA might not be a bad idea to try.

Good info Christie,
So essentially not only does it need to be washed but it also needs to be soiled or inoculated in some way. I use some rose fertilizer, worm castings and micro nutrient minerals in my soil too, perhaps they offset the leaching from the charcoal and ash which is why I've still had some success? Semps having less need for nutrient rich soil than other plants is probably showing me some grace here as well. I set some soil mix aside with charcoal, bark and spent wheat grains a couple years ago to compost for later use, I bet that soil checks all the boxes now.
-Sol

GeologicalForms said: Good info Christie,
So essentially not only does it need to be washed but it also needs to be soiled or inoculated in some way. I use some rose fertilizer, worm castings and micro nutrient minerals in my soil too, perhaps they offset the leaching from the charcoal and ash which is why I've still had some success? Semps having less need for nutrient rich soil than other plants is probably showing me some grace here as well. I set some soil mix aside with charcoal, bark and spent wheat grains a couple years ago to compost for later use, I bet that soil checks all the boxes now.
-Sol

Sounds like you are on the right track Sol.

I have used LECA in various sizes as sometimes could be seen in some of the few photos I have taken.
I bought quite a lot of it I's say in big bags.
Some brands offer perfectly visually smooth balls some offer with the balls slightly hit here and here thus the internal structure can be seen randomly on the surface of the ball.
Depends what source of organic matter you will use and how much LECA you will use and weather you add some sand or not.
If you plan to use small containers they don't seem that great in terms of how fast roots are established.
With Air-Pots aren't that great either compared to perlite in Air-Pots, the aeration is better for tree roots to grow faster with perlite+potting soil than LECA+potting soil in my experience.
Yet with Airpots and LECA and Hylotelephium for example there may be issue with getting the water to get into the middle of the root and that always remains dry and I see my Hylotelephium doing better in normal clay soil in in these pots with that substrate combination.
Perlite looks to me really bad on the surface of any container and also the fact that it floats and spills all over, while LECA when it spills (as it floats) I find it ok looking like soil, although on concrete may make you slip by rolling under your shoe, yet more often that not they break.

I find that potting soil with 50-60% LECA can stay quite damp for quite a long time in containers (5 to 7 inches wide, same height), if they are in a partial sun position. That may or not be what you are looking for.
In the same partial sun position I find that LECA + sand + potting soil can stay quite moist for long causing moss to grow on the surface of that said mixture which then seal the dampness in the container especially if it is a bigger one like 13 or 15 inches wide, 7 inches tall. Then the problem is the new chicks tend to have issues with sending their roots in the substrate of the container as there is hick layer of moss, obviously depends what type of moss it is, some even take full sun like it's nothing.
A big downside to LECA is does not look good when it pops through a top dressing of chicken grit which I may have chosen it for it's uniform texture, not that I prefer perlite showing on top either. Also Perlite that has the perlite dust in it is pretty bad for root development in my experience in smaller containers.

Really good to know! Thanks!

valleylynn said: And an update on the Miracle Grow, they have changed the make-up of it. It is now mostly peat moss. I won't use it now.
I now use Happy Frog Ocean Forest. Or you can go to your local landscaping provider and get there compost mixed with coarse sand.

I think I bought the wrong Happy Frog yesterday. They had Ocean Forest too. I bought 2 bags of Happy Frog, but I have 3 azaleas to put in really big pots, and seeds to start. Is Ocean Forest as is, or does it need amendments?

I have used Ocean Forest as is for many container plants.

What about for Semps?

Yes, I have used it as is for semps. But in your area I would be adding lots of grit/small sharp gravel, coarse sand for faster draining.

that black sand seems to be ok with aquariums, has a bit more texture than play sand. But maybe not coarse enough.

Do you have a local source of horticultural sand?

I don't know but I can find out

I am mixing semp dirt - after a quick dip for some semps in water with a little quick start.

Ocean forest potting mix - I got it before they ran out of it.
I think a little eggshells this time
sand
Chick grit -the granite kind
Pumice.
I have some Coco coir I could cut up and add in. Will check in before the final mix.

skipping the aquatic grit I used the last time as no minerals, just empty filler

Why egg shells?
The Ocean Forest mix has lots of fertilizer, adding a little more coarse sand wouldn't hurt, but not too much.

egg shells have calcium and magnesium and add texture. Instead of the aquatic gravel I used last year. Now I am mixing 10 gallons of semp (and some succulent) dirt.

10 gallons of Ocean Forest
about 1 cup of sand
A bag of chick grit - I think it was 4 lbs, and it is granite
About half a cup of fine pumice and about 3/4 of a cup of coarse, the ocean forest didn't seem gritty enough to me.
3 small handfuls (maybe 7 tablespoons) dolomite.
About a cup of eggshells. I consider eggshells dolomite because they do contain calcium, magnesium and some trace elements. Dolomite sold for gardening is a fine powder. I use eggshells in a very small amount in a stocking in pond filters to provide enough calcium and magnesium to keep plants alive in water that is deficient.

What my semps are doing well in may be a lot grittier than what you are using?

I removed my pancake kalanchoe and my echeveria elegans from the semp pot they got stuck in this summer because it was empty and it had dirt, (I had gone down to only one semp in it and I moved it to another window box) I had so much gravely stuff in that dirt compared to the Ocean Forest, and those plants had huge root systems and the kalanchoe is sending off pups and doing great.

I compared that texture, doubled the planned soil amount to distribute the amendments more widely and to save me from mixing later. My weather does bad things to dirt. It's either mush or concrete, the roughage helps it not do that

You would know best what works in your Texas conditions. My conditions are so different from yours.

That they are. But I am gradually finding out what works best, and with all the stresses temperature and weather wise, the dirt being "perfect" might not hurt