Lechuza-PON is a semi-hydro system that allows plants to grow in a planter liner or directly in the planter. After the growing-in phase, the plant receives all the water it needs from the reservoir. To use Lechuza-PON, cover the separator with the supplied LECHUZA-PON substrate and set the plant and LECHUZA-PON in the planter and fill the planter with soil.
Growing plants in Lechuza Pon is easier than using a soil substrate. Water and nutrients stored in LECHUZA-PON reach the roots via the wick by capillary action, ensuring a balanced supply of plants. The All-in-One-Sets are made with the included plant substrate LECHUZA-PON.
Despite lacking scientific methods, Lechuza Pon is a great alternative to traditional potting mixes. If you are an inconsistent waterer, the shower method is the best option for Pon. When watering, pour water slowly, distributing it evenly around the plant and between the stems.
Watering should be done under the shower or tap for 3-4 months, allowing the plant to drink. Allow the lechuza pon to dry out and give it a good soak when it needs water. Repeat this method for a few months, as your plant might need more water during this time.
In summary, Lechuza-PON is a convenient and effective method for growing plants in a planter liner or directly in the planter. It allows plants to grow into the reservoir and water them as they would normally. The shower method is the best option for Pon, as it allows plants to drink and dry out.
📹 How to use Lechuza Pon? | Watering | Transition | Types of Plants | Plant Tour | Pros & Cons
I wanted to create a video on my experience with Lechuza Pon since a looooooong time ago. However, there are so many content …
What are the methods of watering plants?
To ensure optimal plant health, use watering wands, drip irrigation, or soaker hoses to direct water to the root zone. Watering early or late in the day minimizes moisture loss from soil surface evaporation. Shield plants from wind to reduce moisture loss. Plants require oxygen as much as water, so it’s best to let the soil surface dry between waterings, especially with container plants. Water deeply and less frequently. Allowing soil to get too dry can damage fine root hairs, reducing energy for flower and fruit production.
Can you mix pon with soil for plants?
To water plants, add LECHUZA-PON planting substrate as a drainage layer on the separator in the planter, allowing water to be transported from the reservoir to the plant. Add plant soil or additional substrate on top, place the plant in the planter, and fill the planter with PON or soil. The PON scoop allows easy filling, making it quick and clean. The LECHUZA wick watering system is a simple and effective way to water plants.
What is best time to water plants?
Watering plants in the morning or evening is the best time to do so as it prepares the plant for the day ahead and helps retain water. Watering in the afternoon, especially during summer, evaporates water instead of absorbing it into the soil and roots. Morning watering is preferable as it allows the plant to dry before the sun goes down, while evening watering encourages rot, fungal growth, and insects.
Heat and dry soil indicate that a plant needs more water, while dry soil indicates dehydration and requires more frequent watering for healthy growth. Ideally, the soil should be moist and well-drained.
A plant’s age also helps determine when to water. Young and newly planted plants need more water to establish a healthy root system, while shallow and fragile roots require additional water for root strength and expansion. Mature plants don’t need as much water as younger plants, but need a larger amount at one time to ensure their roots thrive deep in the ground.
How to water plants in LECHUZA?
The LECHUZA-PON substrate is used to cover a separator and place the plant and LECHUZA-PON in a planter. The plant is then placed in the planter and filled with soil. After 12 weeks of watering, the plant begins to care for itself. The water reservoir is filled until the water level indicator reads “max”, which is the start of the “dry phase” which can last 2-10 days. After each dry phase, the reservoir is filled to “max”. The water level indicator allows you to know if the plant needs watering and allows you to wait until the indicator is at “min”.
If the plant prefers a drier climate, you can wait a few days before refilling the reservoir. The supply shaft makes it easy to fill the reservoir with water or fertilizer. The drain plug is practical for outdoor use, ensuring enough water remains in the reservoir and preventing waterlogging even during rain.
Should roots touch water in pon?
Water reservoirs can be used without self-watering pots, but it’s important to ensure roots are not completely submerged in water. A small net can be placed on the bottom of the inner pot to prevent pebbles from falling through the holes. Watering plants as you would with soil involves watering when the pot appears dry, and for plants that need less water, leave it longer. Watering plants under a shower or tap allows them to flush the pot again, allowing them to drink. If you’re lazy and want to save time, you can water plants with a watering can, leaving excess water in for an hour before removing it.
How often should I water LECHUZA-PON?
Pon is a popular choice for self-watering and wick-watering plants due to its low-maintenance nature. It requires only a monthly water reservoir, depending on the plant’s size and time of year. Pon distributes water better and more evenly than Leca, so it’s important to leave the reservoir dry for a few days before watering. This “dry phase” can take 2 to 10 days depending on the plant. On average, watering with Pon is less than with Leca and less often than with soil or potting mix. To transfer a plant to Pon, follow these steps:
- Pre-rinse Pon with a good source like Lechuza, which saves time. Pre-rinsing is optional, but it’s not necessary. The first water after planting is usually enough to flush out dust or fines, but Pon is very low in fines compared to Leca. It’s often recommended to plant in dry Pon.
Should I leave water in plant tray?
Indoor plants require proper watering to ensure their roots are well-drained and healthy. To avoid overwatering, it is essential to thoroughly soak the soil and continue adding water until it runs out of the container’s drainage hole at the base. Catching runoff water in a saucer can help absorb more soil, but it is crucial to dump it out after 10 minutes to prevent root rot.
Another option is to place plant containers in a shallow basin with an inch or two of water, allowing the plants to soak up water from their base. If the plant sits on a saucer, fill the saucer with water, allowing the liquid to quickly soak through the drainage holes into the soil. Allow the containers to soak for 15 to 30 minutes or until the top layer of soil feels moist.
Overwatering indoor plants can be detected by observing the drainage holes in pots, as too much water can deprive roots of oxygen, causing them to drown. Consistently wet soil can also make it difficult for air to reach the roots. To avoid overwatering, it is essential to follow proper watering methods and avoid overwatering your plants.
How to tell if a plant needs water?
Plant cells are like water balloons, forming stiff structures when filled with water. When they are dry, they deflate, indicating a need for more water. Plants produce cellulose, which helps maintain their shape, but water pressure is more effective than cellulose alone. When watering, transpiration occurs, where the sun evaporates water from leaves through stomatal pores, allowing it to go where it’s needed most.
Ideally, water is drawn from roots, but if roots are dry, water is taken from the leaves. To determine the appropriate watering frequency, consider your houseplants’ natural environments, such as hot and dry or rainy and tropical.
How do I water my plants?
To ensure optimal plant health, use watering wands, drip irrigation, or soaker hoses to direct water to the root zone. Watering early or late in the day minimizes moisture loss from soil surface evaporation. Shield plants from wind to reduce moisture loss. Plants require oxygen as much as water, so it’s best to let the soil surface dry between waterings, especially with container plants. Water deeply and less frequently. Allowing soil to get too dry can damage fine root hairs, reducing energy for flower and fruit production.
Do you need to rinse LECHUZA-PON?
Prior to utilizing a Lechuza Pon, it is imperative to thoroughly rinse the planter to remove any residual dust or sediment. It is recommended that a suitable planter be selected, which might include a self-watering Lechuza planter or a net pot placed within a cache pot. Alternatively, a DIY planter can be constructed using plastic cups. Subsequently, the houseplant should be planted into the selected planter, ensuring that it is free from any contaminants and prepared for cultivation. This will assist in preventing the suffocation of plant roots.
Should roots touch water in leca?
To pot plants in LECA, rinse them thoroughly and remove them from soil. Use two separate pots: one net pot for holding the plant and LECA balls, and an outer cache pot with no drainage holes. Fill the cache pot about 1/4 full to prevent root rot.
After planting, use a hydroponics fertilizer geared towards root growth to help with the transition process and avoid transfer shock. Keep the plant in the same growing condition as before and avoid drastic changes in temperature or lighting.
During this period, the plant may appear rough due to the growth of water roots and the shed of soil roots. Water roots are smooth and absorb oxygen from water, while soil roots have hair-like structures. Regularly check the roots and remove any mushy bits. If root rot occurs, cut off rotting parts and rinse the roots in a solution of water and hydrogen peroxide.
📹 Transferring Two Rare Plants From Soil to Lechuza-Pon in Self Watering Planters
In this rollercoaster of a repotting video, I’m faced with some unexpected challenges! I’m not just switching pots—I’m transferring …
This is so thorough. The best explanation in each topic. Bravo! We appreciate it a lot!!! I haven’t watch this article before because I wasn’t considering lechuza pon before. But now I do and I’ve watched many articles since last night and just finished perusal your article this morning and I’m telling you this is the BOMB!
Hi there,i am glad i found your website today !! 😮 After having a really bad fungus gnats infestation this year, i covered all my soil with leca . And converted some younger plants to leca completely. I will continue to to so . Your articles are really really helpful, and you are a gorgeous person !!!
I am making the switch from soil to pon for the first time. Your article was so detailed and concise, I found it very helpful. The main reason for the switch, my Hoya’s growth has stunted. I feel pretty positive that the pon will change this.Thank you for all this wonderful information. New subscriber! 💚
How have I not come across you? Shame. I am ah struck by the amount of information you gave in this article. I appreciate that you get to the point and just dive in. Absolutely one of the most informative articles I’ve ever seen on plants. I subscribed and can’t wait to binge watch your articles. Thanks you for not assuming we’re idiots and explaining the facts clearly, properly, and organized. Super impressive. I hope someone is paying you a lot because you’ve divulged amount of info that others would take six months to explain. Way to go girl!
Btw, that’s a good point about Pon as a soil substitute vs. for semi-hydro (with a reservoir); so many people you’ll see, online, will ask “how do you grow succulents in semi-hydro?” …and I’m not including Hoyas in that, as they’re more of a tropical ‘succulent’ plant, some less than others, but none are quite close enough to surviving with benign neglect, in my experience. They need water and adequate conditions. I have learned that there is one thing with succulents in semi-hydro… …you CANNOT have a reservoir for succulents! And definitely no reservoir for a cactus!! I know some people claim to have success with it, but I’d imagine it only works with certain species, preferably under STRONG lights (or outdoors). More water means more sunlight will be needed, just as a plant baking in full sun will need irrigating more often. To successfully grow succulents in semi-hydro, you have to re-think whatever you currently know about semi-hydro, LECA, etc. This is where Pon comes in for me. It is more beneficial than LECA for succulent plants. The irony is that succulents and cacti will form roots at any chance they can, even if a cutting is laying out on a table! Most people who have them know this. If you lay a cactus cutting on the ground, it will immediately start feeling the ground and eventually, you won’t be able to lift it as it’s rooted. They’re some of the easiest plants to get to root. They’ll even root in plain LECA, but over time, it’s not substantial enough. And a reservoir would be certain death to the plant eventually, as they can’t have constant, steady wet feet.
This is the most informative article about lechuza pon I’ve found so far! Thank you sooo much! At least now I am not as scared to use it with my Philodendrons and Monsteras! I also noticed that you have a glass shelf with a golden frame that I am considering buying (at least it looks exactly the same). I also noticed that you attached grow lights to it. Could you please share which type of grow lights you use with this shelf and which shop you got your shelf at? I am still deciding on this one and was thrilled to see that it works well with plants:)
Great article Fonnie. I use a lot of Lechuza Pon in the Lechuza self-watering planters. All I would say is you can grow in an aroid type well draining soil substrate with pon at the bottom of the self watering planter so you don’t have to remove most of the soil. As long as the root’s aren’t root bound when you repot you are fine leaving soil substrate on the plant. I also found plants took better to Pon when they had a good root system. Small cuttings with fine roots can struggle. A very informative article and keep up the good work 👍
Just found you now :-). I make my own because a big bag of it is $180 AUD. (They do have a reservoir, but I do find one part of the pot/pon to water through. So I don’t get any potential mould). Same for Leca. I don’t add slow release to my DIY mix but every now, and then when I fill up the reservoir, I add Growth technology foliage focus
Thanks for the tips and lesson. I just started with my DIY PON. I live in Maryland, U.S. and I repotted 2 hoyas knowing it was not Spring and one started to decline rapidly. The other not so much. Anyhow, I think you provided a lot of valuable information that I will direct people to your article. Thanks again!
hey! your article is super well explained, and I’m French and I understood everything, you speak super clearly, it’s pleasant! one question i have is: in my water tanks, when the water no longer touches the bottom of my pon pot, should i wait before refilling, or should there always be contact between my pon and the water?
Thank you for this wonderful, helpful article! Also your plants and rooms are just beautiful. I’m starting to transition my plants to pon and the first one I’ve moved from soil—coco coir to be exact—has lost a leaf, with another leaf looking likely to go as well. It’s a P. joepii. I spent sooo long removing the coir. It’s made me nervous of repotting my large monsteras and snake plants. My question is, have you lost leaves from your own plants during the transition to water roots? Is it a case of expecting this leaf loss, and knowing they’ll come back stronger, or do you think there’s another cause?
Thank you so much, Fonnie, for your deep dive article on Lechuza pon. I will be transitioning my Hoya soon and and this article was very helpful. Could you recommend what fertilizer you use to water your plants after the six-month period slow release fertilizer in the Lechuza pon ends and/or after boiling the pon to reuse? Thank you so much!😊
Oh lord why I didnt find your article earlier. So much good Informations and you can teach them so good. Thanks for sharing your first Hand knowledge. 🙂 💚.I heard the soil must be rejected completeley because of root rot dont know if it’s the reason. Wow this paraiso water roots are incredible but can be a Problem when you pot it in another pot 🙈. My only Problems are now in the darker months my lechuza pon Start to mould on top 🤔heard in a group I should only Mix it under or I should use distilled water you have a answer for this? And my philodendron billietiae throw his air roots out of the pon and they mould too should I bury them again in or is it normal?
I rarely comment article, but this one is a must see! I have a handful of plant in pon already and probably have watched half of the YouTube content about PON but your article is easily top 3 must see. Clear explanation and experiences! I watched it on 1.5x because I have adhd and you talk a little too slow for me, but I think that way everyone can enjoy your articles at their own paces! I subscribed for more 👍🏻
When you transition to pon and you top water do you empty the bottom water run off that has the wick systems so it is getting a top water and it can draw more water up from the resovoit, I know you have to give it months to grow water roots all I need to know is from top watering do you need to get rid of any excess water run off? Thx great article
Very good article, thank you!! You cover everything a newbie like me needs to know! Question for you: do you have Hoya Kerrii and Obovota in pon? I need to re-root my Kerrii and Obovota because of root rot and I’m wondering if it will be better to do that in pon instead of Hoya soil. I’m a bit worry because of the big stem oh these 2 Hoyas. Thank you!!
The reason you have to remove all soil is not because the roots dont get water. Its because lechuza is airy and even if its evenly wet the roots get oxygen. Soil is too dense and if its wet all the time roots just rot in it. So in short if you keep your lechuza wet, the leftover soil will be soaking and rot the roots
Are your caudex plants in pon? I have my stephania in MAB, which is similar but more easily found in Australia. It has grown a short stem, but no roots. It seems happy enough, but I’m concerned about its rootlessness. Do you have tips for caudex plants? Thanks for this article, it’s interesting and helpful.
Thanks for sharing your experience.. I used pon before and didn’t have much success.. now after perusal your article I’m planning to try it again.. it’s impressive how your plants are growing so big.. now maybe you can share your fertilizer or nutrient solution you use with your pon.. 🙂 Thanks again.. new fan/subscriber here..
Thank you so much for such a thorough article!! Helps us who want to start transferring our babies to pon! I would love to know how you made the planters that you showed us when you were sitting and doing the majority of your talking. You showed the variegated hoya (I missed the name), and the pot with the plant and pon was clear, like an orchid pot, then you had the clear part with the water, and then it looked like you had a white pot that you cut the bottom off of to cover it, but could still see the water reservoir at the bottom. I’d love for you to explain that, or even do a article about that?? Thank you so much for your great article!
Fonnie, that was a very thorough, clear and detailed presentation on Pon. Thank you!! I feel so lucky to have stumbled upon it. Your article gave me the confidence I need to transition most of my plants to Pon from LECA. I have all three of the main ingredients now, I only have to figure out what sort of fertilizer to add to my homemade mixture. Could you suggest a dry fertilizer to add to my mix for the first transition/planting?
Hi Fonnie!! Thanks so much for your article! Loved it ❤ Can you tell me if you try it with baby plants? I received 12 baby plants (philodendrons, Alocasias & Syngonium) but Im afraid there are too young for the Lachuza pon (the roots are Pretty thin and small & the plants size is between 6 and 10 cm) what do you think? Love from France Amélie 🌱💚
Great article, thank you! One detail I was trying to understand, with regard to transitioning plants. I understand that I cannot depend on the water reservoir until I have some water roots. So I should water from the top. However, after I water from the top, the water still goes in the reservoir. Do I dump out the water? It sounds like I cannot rely on the pon wicking up the water enough to hydrate my plants, especially the ones that love moisture (like my Alocasia’s). But I have a Strelitzia that I just put in a Classico LS 35, and it’s so heavy. I would be watering from the top, lifting out the insert, dumping out the water, and reinserting the insert. Doing this for 3 to 4 months seems like a lot of effort. How should I think about the excess water sitting in there? Should I be relying on the pon wicking it up and water again when the gauge is at the MIN line? I’m just afraid that my plants will not get enough water if I do this. Thanks again!
Tusen takk for enda en flott article 😃 Jeg bruker stort sett bare Lechuza pon til mine planter, og har gjort det i mange måneder. Likevel lærte jeg noe av deg nå 👍 Jeg er så glad jeg har funnet din website her inne – du inspirerer masse ❤️ Mine favorittplanter er Hoya, og nå har jeg begynt å jakte på en del av de du har vist her inne 😅
Hi! Have you used this with herbs, does that work? Like chili, coriander, green onion and such? Also have you used this for what we call it «money plant»/«elephant ear»? Did it work? Would you use it in combine with soil(like in the instruction manual for the plant pots) or would you try to maninly the pon by Washington off exisiting soil as u mentioned in the article? Really appreciate your article and hope you can take time to answer. Thanks a lot😊
Hi Fonnie, love your article so informative. I would like to put my hoyas in Pon (just purchased from their site instead of Amazon in Canada as Amazon is almost double the price). I don’t have self watering pots with water reservoir. I’m using just clear pots with holes at bottom and a cover pot. When I water the Pon on top and if water drips down to the cover pot bottom, i.e. the clear pot is sitting with a bit of water in the cover pot, is that ok? Should I water again only when the water left in bottom is wicked up to the Pon, correct?
Thanks for all information, it was very helpful. Another thing I her you call gnats (ganets) is that how it’s pronounced where you live? Here in the states we pronounce it nats the g is silent. I’m not trying to be a snub, I’m far from being a speech therapist. I have been corrected many time by my peers and such. I don’t get offended and I hope you won’t as well. Thanks😅
I’m hoping you can help with an issue I’m having. I recently bought a Jessenia Pothos which is in Pon. The pot that it’s in looks like a normal pot, but it has a tray in the bottom where the roots are. Basically like a self watering pot. It has a wick in there also. Once I got it to my home, later that night I noticed the leaves were dripping water. Everyone keeps saying it’s been over watered but the gentleman I bought it from told me to only put water in the bottom tray. I did add water when I got it home because the water that was in it had leaked out inside my car. 🤦🏼♀️ I do have a Manjula Pothos that I got from the same person which is doing great. It is young and hasn’t got roots in the bottom of the pot yet. Can you think of anything which might be causing the leaves to drip constantly? I’m worried that the tips of the leaves may turn brown from being consistently wet. I’ve noticed that if I have my air conditioner on, the leaves stop dripping. But as soon as I turn the air off, it starts again. I look forward to hearing any advice you might have to offer. I’m new to this and my first Pothos in Pon has been so easy and growing like crazy. I don’t want my new one to be unhealthy or unhappy. Thank you. Your article is stuffed full of great information!!!
Sorry for so many questions, but I also wanted to ask about your Strelitzia. Do you worry that the root ball will ruin your very nice Lechuza pot? The reason I ask is that repotting my Strelitzia after even just 1 to 2 years, usually means I have to use scissors to cut away the pot, since it is bulging so hard it is deforming the pot. This doesn’t bother me with the cheap plastic nursery pots. I know these Lechuza pots have very durable plastic, but look at what happened to what Juliet from MyCityPlants had to do to her Strelitzia in her Lechuza pot here: youtu.be/o9Yx2QQ6Px8 At the 6 minute mark of that article, she DESTROYS the pot! It hurts thinking about ruining such a nice (and expensive!) pot… so I may need to repot my Strelitzia more frequently just to make sure it isn’t bulging so hard that I have to destroy the pot. Curious if you are worried about it?
That’s not how you’re supposed to use Lechuza pots. If the roots grow out from the bottom -> pot it up in a bigger pot. You wont get that huge chunk of roots out of the lechuza pot safely that’s why you do it before it gets to that stage. The Lechuza pots are supposed to draw water from the reservoir into the mineral substrate (via the rope/string you get with the pot) where normal roots (not water roots) can then take the water (and nutrients) for the plant. So no, there’s no transition period where you have to water from the top, it will always get water.
Thank you so much for this article!! I am new to using Lechuza Pon, and need to re-pot my Alocasia Polly plants. I am so nervous, because historically my plants have not done well after repotting. So I bought the Lechuza pon, and with help from your article, I hope that I can be successful this time around!
Hello, I like perusal you and thanks for all your tips and care for all indoor plants. I have questions. I had been using Leczhua pon since June. I had bought an A. Jacklyn from online of Homedepot. I left in the soil it came with which is in self watering planter. After a week o acclimation in my home.. I checked on it and saw a spider mites. So I took it outside to host it the leaves,stem and the rinse the Pon. After it dry the leaves I sprayed with Bonide spray Neem oil. I put a new water with diluted with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Today, the leaves are wilted. I love to save this plant. I wipe down the leaves with just water and rinse the pond again and add water. Any SUGGESTIONS please.. Help!
Very informative! Thank you. So far so good for me. All clear. What is not clear is the watering part. Did you add water to these two pots’ reservoirs immediately? If not, how soon after? Do you ever water from the top or only always by adding water to the reservoir? I’ve killed several plants in self watering pots and it’s still not entirely clear where I went wrong. Thank you!
I hate how so many growers and manufacturers sell massive amounts of plants in straight up peat moss… holds so much water. No perlite or anything… not even a pinch! At least around here in SoCal. I used to believe that you shouldn’t repot a newly purchased plant too soon, to let it adapt, but lately I threw that mentality out!! It’ll adapt so much faster if you bite the bullet and repot, preferably as you’ve done, into semi hydro, pon, or at least a more aerated mix! And people wonder why they can’t grow anything.. it’s the pest! Also I just bought a few plants recently, like Peperomia argyreus, P. polybotrya, Croton, some Calatheas, Aphelandra, etc., and I discovered they still had this nursery “netting” around the roots! Totally constricted, and preventing them from growing. These are obviously not the biodegradable “jiffy cups” or seed starting cups that decompose, it’s like window screening! Some plants don’t have it but it seems the growers start thousands of baby cuttings in netting pots, and then when it’s bigger, they just put soil around it like it’ll disintegrate… nope!
I’m a big fan of your website and when I saw your prior article unwrapping these plants from Canopy, I hoped you’d record a article transferring them to pon. I’m sooooo grateful to you for this article. I like Canopy plants choices and their prices somewhat affordable with discount codes. But I must say what others maybe thinking too, if these were free plants I understand your good relationship with them and you taking the blame for root rot. However, as a customer when I pay for the plant I expect healthy plants, all plant shops should inspect their plants prior to shipping. I also received 2 plants with root rot from them. If you think about, without customers there wouldn’t be so many plant shops. I believe Canopy should replace your plants that have rot at their cost, if you paid for them. Your raw emotions for the 2nd plant with rot showed your disappointment as well.
I’m very lucky I’m the kind who repot everything when I get it no matter what’s the plant is 😅 I’m absolutely not patient at all, and I’m so affraid of the green house potting soil I prefer reporting everything up front 😅 So far I didn’t had any problems but I know it’s not everyone who is that lucky. 😢 The only exception is orchids in bloom, bur if I rescue an orchid in the sale section, I repot upfront for sure, specially irchide, the medium is usually a dence ball of moss who is old and many roots are dead!!!