Soil on top, Leca on the bottom?
Hi! I have a question about a setup I saw mentioned here before (unfortunately I forgot the username of the person who shared it).
They said they transplant their calatheas by keeping the existing soil rootball intact, then placing LECA underneath it instead of fully washing off the soil.
So basically:
* LECA at the bottom
* Existing soil/rootball on top
* Minimal disturbance to the roots
This surprised me because most guides, YouTube videos, and posts I’ve seen recommend removing *all* soil before transferring to semi-hydro to avoid root rot.
Wouldn’t having organic soil sitting above LECA increase the risk of rot? Or does this actually work because the plant experiences much less transplant shock since the rootball isn’t disturbed?
Has anyone here tried this method long-term?