Our Aquatic Soil offers excellent support for pond and bog garden plants, gently releasing nutrients as they grow. It's designed for use with plants in submerged pots.
Designed for use in aquatic environments such as ponds or bog gardens
Helps maintain the pH balance of the water
Reduces the build-up of harmful bacteria and algae
Aquatic soil is specially formulated for watery environments like garden ponds and bog gardens. It's harmless to pond life, ensuring biodiversity in water gardens.
With a mix of sand, silt, and clay, aquatic soil is heavier and denser than regular soil. This prevents it from floating away when submerged, helping anchor plants securely.
Aquatic soil encourages strong growth in plants growing in submerged pots. Its lower nutrient level helps ponds stay clear of algae and blanket weed. It can also help reduce poor water clarity.
How to use Aquatic Soil
Choose the right container
Aquatic baskets are the most common choice. They are open-mesh baskets (usually made of plastic or fabric) that allow water to circulate while holding the soil in place. This lets the plant roots grow through the mesh into the pond water, absorbing nutrients.
It can be useful to add a lining especially for baskets with larger mesh. Hessian or a fine fabric liner can prevent the soil from washing out. Over time, the plant roots will establish and hold the soil together even if the liner degrades.
Prepare the basket
Place your chosen aquatic basket in a tray or on a surface that can catch any spilled soil.
Fill the basket about two-thirds full with aquatic soil.
Create a hole in the centre large enough to accommodate the plant's root ball.
Place the plant's root ball into the hole in the aquatic soil. Ensure the crown (where the stems meet the roots) is at the soil surface, or just above for plants like water lilies.
Fill the rest of the basket with aquatic soil, gently firming it down around the plant's roots. Leave about 2-4 cm of space from the top of the basket.
Cover the top of the aquatic soil with a layer of washed gravel, grit, or small pebbles to keep the soil contained, especially when lowering the basket into the pond. It also prevents fish from digging up the soil and clouding the water.
Water before submerging
Before placing the basket in the pond, gently water the plant and soil thoroughly using a watering can or hose.
This helps to saturate the soil and prevent it from floating or breaking apart when it enters the pond water.
Position in the pond
Carefully lower the planted basket into its designated spot in the pond.
Different plants have different depth requirements (pop marginals on shallow shelves, water lilies in deeper sections). Use bricks or risers if needed to achieve the correct depth.
48 hour delivery included as standard; next day delivery available from £15.00
Our couriers deliver between 8am and 6pm. If you would prefer a telephone call one hour before your delivery please let us know.
For any queries please contact our friendly Sales Team on 01243 781730.
Delivery information, including where we can deliver to, is available on our delivery page.
Bulk Bag Calculator
Instructions
Measure the area. If you are filling a raised bed or container, make sure to measure the depth as well. For turf dressing, mulching, and the laying of new topsoil, please refer to our product guides for information on how deep to lay for these purposes.
Make sure you have selected the correct measurement units for each dimension
This depends on your property and whether rear access is available. Please contact us for more advice, and to chat about possible options.
Why should I buy from Earth Cycle?
All of our soil conditioners, composts, mulches and topsoil are peat free. Many of them are made from locally sourced recycled plant materials, which are composted under carefully controlled conditions to produce high quality products.
Many of our products have been approved by the Soil Association and are defined by the British Standard for Composted Materials – BSI PAS 100.
How much will one bulk bag cover?
At 5cm depth a 1m3 bulk bag (1000 litres) will cover 20 sq/m and a 0.75m3 (750 litres) bulk bag will cover 15 sq/m. Our bulk bag calculator can provide you with the right number of bulk bags to order based on the quantity of compost, topsoil, bark or mulch that you need.
