Pond Soil and pH

[timvz]

I recently bought some pond soil for Lillies on line. A friend later told me that he never puts actual soil in his pots because it affects the pH, but he has a pretty small pond. My pH is already on the high side, 8.2. Should I be concerned about using actual soil in my pots as oppose to finding something that is pH neutral?

The neutral soil I've seen (e.g. API Aquatic Plant Media) seems to have no neutritional value, and looks like kitty litter. Thanks in advance.

 

[Dave's pond Indiana]

It will be just fine. Place the tuber to one side of the pot so it can grow toward the opposite side. Put some gravel in the bottom of the pot first then the soil then some more gravel. The gravel will help keep the soil from washing out of the pot. Add fertilizer to the soil and some rocks on top of the gravel this will protect the plant and hold the pot down.

 

[sissy]

most use kitty litter on here .I happen to use a mix of kitty litter and crushed oyster shells

 

[shakaho]

In nature, fish live in bodies of water with soil on the bottom. The pH of the water has more effect on the pH of the soil than vice versa. A pH of 8.2 is fine, by the way.

 

[crsublette]

I recently bought some pond soil for Lillies on line. A friend later told me that he never puts actual soil in his pots because it affects the pH, but he has a pretty small pond. My pH is already on the high side, 8.2. Should I be concerned about using actual soil in my pots as oppose to finding something that is pH neutral?

The neutral soil I've seen (e.g. API Aquatic Plant Media) seems to have no neutritional value, and looks like kitty litter. Thanks in advance.

You will be fine.

There are alkaline soils and acidic soils that can have an impact on the pH around the plant's roots, but you would have to use alot of the soil for it to have an impact on the pH of your entire pond water volume. Yeah, most aquatic plant mediums are pH neutral to an extent, but there are often residues on these mediums that can impact the pH around the plant's root zone. Again, these will never even come close to impacting the pH of your entire pond water volume.