10mm - 20mm LECA Pot Drainage Balls

A simple, lightweight and versatile way to improve drainage and aeration in your garden pots without adding the considerable weight of traditional gravel or stone. Please note - this can only be dispatched with terracotta pot orders worth £200.

These 10–20mm LECA balls (Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate) are made from fired clay, creating a tough but remarkably lightweight pellet with a porous, honeycombed internal structure. This allows water to move freely through and around the pellets while helping prevent compost from becoming overly compacted and waterlogged.

Supplied in a generous 50 litre bag, they can be used in three particularly useful ways:

At the bottom of pots
Add a layer beneath your compost to create a lightweight drainage layer around the drainage holes. Unlike gravel, crocks or stone chippings, LECA adds relatively little additional weight to the planter.

Mixed through compost
Mix the clay balls through your compost to create additional air spaces and a more open growing medium. Particularly useful in larger containers where compost can otherwise settle and compact over time.

As a pot topper
Spread a layer over the surface of the compost for a clean, attractive finish. The natural clay colouring works particularly well with terracotta pots while covering exposed compost and completing the appearance of a planted container.

Particularly Good for Large & Moveable Pots

One of the biggest advantages of LECA is its low weight compared with traditional stone aggregates.

This makes it particularly useful for balconies, roof terraces, patios and pots which are regularly moved, where filling the bottom of a large container with gravel or stone can add a surprising amount of unnecessary weight.

Why Use LECA?

• 10–20mm expanded clay balls
• 50 litre bag
• Helps improve drainage in pots and planters
• Encourages a more open, aerated growing medium
• Much lighter than gravel and traditional stone aggregates
• Ideal for large garden pots
• Particularly useful for balconies and terraces
• Suitable for pots which need to be moved
• Can be used beneath compost, mixed through it or as a decorative topper
• Natural appearance complements terracotta beautifully

How Much Should I Use?

For mixing through compost, we suggest approximately 20% LECA by volume, depending on the plant and how free-draining you would like the compost to be.

When using it at the base of a planter, a relatively shallow layer is normally sufficient—you don't need to fill a large proportion of the pot.

For topping, simply spread enough LECA to comfortably cover the visible compost surface.

Coverage: One bag will cover approximately 1 Sqm at 50mm depth. Weight per pack approximately 15kg.

Please note: LECA can help create a more open, free-draining container environment, but pots should still have adequate drainage holes to allow excess water to escape.