Looking for Clay Soil

[Eltee]

I need to replant a couple of my pond plants. It is my understanding that soil for aquatic plants should be clay based to help prevent dissolving and muddying the water.

Is there a brand / type of soil that I should look for online, at the nursery, or a hardware store garden center? My searching Amazon revealed only clay pellets, not soil. I couldn't find any soil that listed itself as clay based on the Lowe's website.

Any help appreciated.

 

[addy1]

I use only pure clay kitty litter, from walmart. Special kitty.

 

[Eltee]

I use only pure clay kitty litter, from walmart. Special kitty.

So you use clay kitty litter in lieu of actual soil? I'm new to all this, so forgive my lack of knowledge. Does that dissolve into a clay pack or does it remain in chunks? Safe for fish? Any particular type or brand?

THANK YOU.

 

[poconojoe]

A lot of us use the economical pure clay kitty litter. Non scented pure, no additives.

We use the cheapo Kitty Diggins in the blue and green bag, ingredients: Fullers Earth.

When using it, it may temporarily cloud the water. No worries, it will be clear by the next day.

The clay is actually good for the fish.

 

[addy1]

So you use clay kitty litter in lieu of actual soil?

Yes that is all I use. Bought at walmart called special kitty.

Robot or human?

 

[poconojoe]

So you use clay kitty litter in lieu of actual soil? I'm new to all this, so forgive my lack of knowledge. Does that dissolve into a clay pack or does it remain in chunks? Safe for fish? Any particular type or brand?

THANK YOU.

Yes, two brands I know of: Special Kitty or Kitty Diggins.
You can use it exclusively. I have done it that way or sometimes I'll mix it with our clay Pennsylvania soil.

I'll top it off with rocks to help keep it all in place.

It's best to not confine you plant's roots to a standard pot. You want the roots full access to the nutrient filled water. I use those mesh planting bags. I fill it with kitty litter, stick the plant in and top with rocks and pull the drawstring tight and it's good.
Some people make the mesh bags with nylon window screening.

Sometimes you can stick plants directly between rocks with their roots in the water and they will establish themselves in a more natural way.

 

[addy1]

I'll top it off with rocks to help keep it all in place.

I never top it with rocks and it stays where it should, my goldfish never bother it.

 

[Eltee]

Yes, two brands I know of: Special Kitty or Kitty Diggins.
You can use it exclusively. I have done it that way or sometimes I'll mix it with our clay Pennsylvania soil.

I'll top it off with rocks to help keep it all in place.

It's best to not confine you plant's roots to a standard pot. You want the roots full access to the nutrient filled water. I use those mesh planting bags. I fill it with kitty litter, stick the plant in and top with rocks and pull the drawstring tight and it's good.
Some people make the mesh bags with nylon window screening.

Sometimes you can stick plants directly between rocks with their roots in the water and they will establish themselves in a more natural way.

Someone gave me some plastic pond planters that are like a giant strainer or a plastic basket. Would the kitty litter be OK in such a container?

 

[addy1]

You might need wet the litter or put in some screening to hold it in the pot until it is wet. If the holes are big enough for it to escape.

 

[Lisak1]

Would the kitty litter be OK in such a container?

You would need to line the pot with something to keep the kitty litter in. You could use underlayment or weed fabric. Two more ideas: I have planted pond plants in nothing but pea gravel in their pots. OR you could just naturalize the plants directly into the pond and skip the pot all together!

 

[WaterGardener]

I use sand or just river rock with no soil at all for my pond plants and I use the plastic mesh planters whenever possible.

The kitty litter in my pond gets very sour over time. If I replanted things more often than I do, that might not happen, but I don't always get around to that particular chore.

I'm trying to eliminate all the cat litter in my pond. As careful as I am to try to keep the fish out, some litter always manages to end up on the pond bottom and in the filter. So I have switched to rocks for the most part. The only plants in sand are the water lilies.

 

[Lisak1]

The kitty litter in my pond gets very sour over time.

If by "sour" you mean really really stinky, I agree. But the same was happened with any kind of dirt or planting media I have used in the past. Just the nature of a pond, really. We have natural ponds in our neighborhood that my kids used to dig around and hunt for frogs and turtles and what not, and the mud was always very "pond-y" smelling. There was never any doubt about where they got dirty. I think we associate the funk with something bad or harmful - it's just pond.

Someone else already mentioned it but I'll reiterate - the clay is actually supposed to be good for fish. We used to buy koi clay for a pretty penny to add to the pond as both a flocculant and an additive that is supposed to improve coloration and add essential minerals to the water for the fish. Having some escape into the pond won't hurt and is likely beneficial.

 

[WaterGardener]

Yes, that is what I mean. The sand doesn't seem to do that, or maybe it takes longer to get to that point and I haven't reached that yet, and the rocks definitely don't get smelly. So I'm sticking with those for planting. The plants do very well that way too so I don't see a downside.

Each and every person does what works for them. This works well for me.