This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Raising pot height in pond.
madpenguin
Posts: 2,543
My pond has shelves but even when I stand plants on them the water level above them is still fairly high.I have put bricks underneath the pots to raise them a bit but I would like to raise them a bit more but because the shelves are narrowish adding more bricks becomes a bit unstable.Any ideas on what I can use to raise pots on narrow shelves?
“Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
0
Posts
Breeze blocks?
Too big!
You can cut them fairly easily. Other than that, all I can think of is to re-pot your plants into taller pots and add shingle to the bottom of the pots to raise the plant height. Together with the bricks this should allow you to tailor them exactly to your liking.
Apart from the breeze blocks I have actually done that! Taller pots,shingle etc.It is just that last couple of inches that I need to get.
Just wondering if I could make some sort of mesh bag filled with gravel that fits the shape of the shelf.
Thanks anyway!
Another idea may be to use the textile plant baskets with gravel in and then standing the plant pots on that.
I'll probably lie awake tonight thinking this all through!!!!!!
I like the sound of that last one, madpenguin. Infinitely adjustable!
Last edited: 08 January 2017 17:09:42
Textile plant baskets can cause newts claws to get stuck.
I have my plants in baskets on one regular brick high in a bathtub and there is only about 5 inches of water above the baskets and everything grows very well. Actually less than 5 inches. If you buy the large kidney shaped pond baskets, they will fit well on that shelf and once filled with gravel (which I planted directly into without aquatic compost) or grit, the tops will be nearly at surface level.
They aren't very expensive...you can get them online for a few £.
I don't find pond plants are all that particular about level. I have purple loosestrife planted 10 inches down in a terracotta pot (small) on one brick and it flourishes.
Apparently this is what I purchased: https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Pond-Equipment/Large-kidney-shaped-plastic-aquatic-baskets-plants/B00CGKXIYM
I just don't see how the tops of the baskets on one brick high will be too far below the water on the shelves in that pond.
But I have definitely read the textile pond "socks" are a no-no for wildlife.
I have had those kidney baskets before and even on bricks they were too deep.They were also too heavy for me to lift when full!
The plants I have at the moment are not flourishing in my new pond in the way they did in my old one,the only difference seems to be the depth of water over the top of the pot.In the old pond the pot was usually just about level with the water surface,now they are a good 5" below even on bricks.
Have not heard about the textile plant pots as a no-no for wildlife but will check it out.
Thought I should also mention that this is a fish pond and not a wildlife pond.I have a pond just for wildlife which is easy for creatures to access,the fish pond is around 3ft off the ground.
I was going to suggest cementing bricks together to give the extra height but retain stability. Only problem might be the weight to lift in and out of the pond.