Aficionados utilize Pon in three primary ways:
Alternatively, they can perform a complete repot in 100% Pon and remove all organic matter like soil and potting mix from around the roots. This helps prevent pests (mainly fungus gnats; more information about those fungus spores coming up) from taking residence in your garden.
Pumice
Aside from improving drainage in any kind of soil, using gravel can also help you save water for your plants. As a fine-grained product, it retains excess moisture and holds it within its porous structure until the plant requires it, before slowly releasing that water back into the soil.
Pumice as a mulch is an effective way to prevent overwatering and keep your garden healthy. It absorbs oil, grease and other hazardous liquids before they cause harm to plants.
Pumice can be mixed with various soil types to create the ideal balance of drainage and moisture storage, making it useful for any type of garden. Succulents especially appreciate a soil that drains well but retains sufficient moisture and nutrients long enough for their needs.
In addition to controlling water and moisture levels, pumice can also serve as a fertilizer for your plants. Even adding just 10% pumice to the soil can improve aeration and promote soil health while increasing its fertility levels.
When mixing pumice with soil, be sure to adjust the particle size profile according to your growing medium’s moisture needs and watering frequency. A sandy mix may benefit from a lower percentage of pumice while clay soils require a greater proportion.
Before transplanting any new plants into Lechuza Pon, be sure to clear away any organic matter around their roots. This includes soil, potting mix and even moss! If this buildup persists on the roots it could lead to an adverse effect known as transplant shock.
Avoid transplant shock by only planting plants into Pon that are either rooted cuttings or still very young in nature. Doing this will minimize the potential for transplant shock.
Another option is to transition your plants into 100% Pon, which requires taking away all organic material from their roots and planting them fully in a pot with mix. This method has become popular for avoiding pests like fungus gnats.
Volcanic Rock
Volcanic rock can be an excellent addition to your garden soil, helping prevent erosion, improving drainage and providing essential minerals that promote plant growth. You may even use it as a mulch to prevent weed growth and keep your lawn green.
Volcanic rock is an excellent source of phosphorus and potassium, as well as trace elements essential for healthy plants. When mixed with other types of soil amendments, volcanic rock can improve your soil’s nutritional quality. Plus, it contains magnesium, iron and calcium.
Volcanic rocks are formed when lava erupted from volcanoes and classified by their chemical composition. This composition can tell scientists if the magma that produced it came from deep within or interacted with the crust before reaching the surface.
Some igneous rocks exhibit a porphyritic texture, or an intermixture of coarse-grained minerals and finer-grained matrix. This suggests the molten rock cooled slowly underground before rising to the surface where it cooled more rapidly, giving minerals time to form within the rock.
Extrusive igneous rocks, formed when lava ejected from a volcano cools and hardens, typically feature an aphanitic texture. These fine-grained rocks can be distinguished by small crystals visible under a petrographic microscope.
Conversely, when lava cools rapidly, it can form glassy rocks without individual crystals – these are commonly referred to as obsidian.
Basalt is another type of igneous rock formed by magma that cooled and hardened beneath Earth’s surface millions or even billions of years ago. It’s a common mineral-rich rock found in many soils; it even contains beneficial minerals which can be absorbed by plants.
Volcanic rock can help replenish soil nutrients and be mixed with other soil amendments like sand, clay and compost to boost its nutritional value. It contains calcium and magnesium which are essential for healthy plant growth as well as potassium and sodium which support strong roots while relieving stress on plants.
Zeolite
Zeolite is a mineral that can filter water and soften hard water. Additionally, zeolite helps keep plants healthy by reducing the risk of disease and pests. As a pH buffer, zeolite prevents excess nutrients from leaching out while improving air circulation.
Zeolites are composed of an aluminosilicate framework composed of minerals with aluminum, silicon and oxygen plus countercations (Si/Al) [3]. As a result, these rocks possess remarkable strength, stability and chemical resistance to attack.
Zeolites possess an aluminosilicate framework, making them ideal for use in ion exchange beds for purification, softening and other processes. Furthermore, its structure prevents cations from dissolving into pores or channels within the material – making zeolite an efficient filter system.
Zeolites can be found in various rocks, both volcanic and plutonic, depending on the physio-chemical conditions of Earth such as temperature and pressure. Furthermore, different rock species may vary in pore size and porosity.
When mixing zeolite and pumice, it is essential to ensure the ratios are correct. Doing so prevents an excess buildup of salts and sodium in the soil which could lead to fungus issues.
When creating your Lechuza Pon mixture, one important factor to consider is the type of plant used. It’s recommended to select either a young or rooted cutting as this helps minimize transplant shock that may occur when moving larger plants into this setup.
Zeolite in the mix helps maintain an ideal pH balance in Lechuza Pon growing medium and acts as an organic fertilizer. Furthermore, it helps ensure a high water-to-air ratio for healthy roots.
Due to its aluminosilicate framework, it is resistant to many chemicals – especially acids and bases. This makes it an ideal solution for soilless substrates in indoor growing applications as well.
LECHUZA-PON grows medium is finely sieved and coated with organic fertilizer, providing your plant with the ideal balance of macro- and micronutrients that are always accessible. Furthermore, this highly capillary medium draws water up to the roots, keeping them hydrated and providing constant supply of essential nutrients – helping your plants flourish!
Fertilizer
Lechuza Pon is a granulated hydroponic soil composed of zeolite, lava rock, pumice and slow-release fertilizer created by German company Lechuza for indoor or outdoor gardening.
Potting soil alternatives such as this one offer many advantages over regular potting soil, including no need to remove the existing material. Furthermore, mineral-based substrates like peat help prevent root rot by keeping fungi at bay from attacking roots.
You can use it to grow plants in a planter or tray with drainage holes. Mixing it with your potting soil makes the substrate airier and provides extra nutrients for your plants.
The LECHUZA-PON’s zeolite helps maintain an ideal PH balance and promotes healthy plant growth. Additionally, it ensures that macro and micronutrients remain accessible to your plants permanently; this promotes root dispersion for a robust plant that will last you a long time.
Due to its pure mineral-based composition, this substrate does not attract pests like gnats that lurk in soil. However, you should still rinse it thoroughly and eliminate all organic material before planting in your planter.
Additionally, it acts as a natural odour absorber, making it ideal for eliminating dead roots and unpleasant odors that can build up in soil. As such, it makes an excellent alternative to conventional potting soil since it does not contain hazardous chemical pollutants or heavy metals.
Another use for it is to add it to a potting mixture for plants that require minimal watering, like orchids. In this instance, you can mix 25% pon with 50% potting mix for best results.
Finally, perlite is a lightweight granular substance that increases air porosity in soil. It’s often added to potting mixes or other containers without drainage holes for added air circulation and drainage. Finally, perlite can also be an excellent additive to terrariums and other containers with limited drainage options.
