What do the majority of grow mediums you find at your local gardening shop have in
common? They are formulated to retain water lost to a radiant heat source. Over the
years we have developed mixtures that have amazing properties of water retention that
have become staples in many indoor gardens. Then in walks LED Grow Master with
led grow lights that do not heat up your space.
The parameters have changed for the LED gardener. What now becomes a priority
when choosing your grow medium is porosity and the ability to hold oxygen for your
root zone. This concept goes hand in hand with over watering. Plants take in air
through their roots, if the soil is constantly wet, they cannot do this.
Anything that a plant can grow in is a grow medium. The fact is that most plants will
grow in whatever you plant them in. If you are among the large number of gardeners
that find a system and stick with it… Feel free to continue with the medium you are
using. For optimal growth under LEDs- try out a more porous medium. If you have
access to freshwater Diatomaceous Earth, it is an ideal medium for LEDs.
Aeroponics also offers an excellent option for keeping your root zone oxygenated.
Simply mixing in some gravel or perlite may be enough to show improvements.
Mediums to avoid include sphagnum moss, peat pellets, and rockwool. Be creative.
My personal best crop yet has come from planting seeds in “Turface”. You can gather
it at your local baseball field. The key is to avoid mediums that advertise water
retention as a feature. Give your plants some room to breathe.–AL