Most pond owners pot their pond plants in aquatic baskets. These baskets are made of a plastic mesh which allows pond water in while containing the plant’s substrate, which would otherwise spread over the pond floor, look untidy and put extra strain on the pond’s filtration system.There is a large range of shapes and sizes to fit most plant species and pond shelves.

Baskets help to manage the uncontrolled spread of plants as it is much easier to remove potted plants from the pond when propagating. Some aquatic plants send out piercing roots which, if not contained, could puncture a pond liner.

It is often recommended that the inside of the baskets are lined with hessian sheets before the substrate and plant are potted, this will further prevent soil from clouding the water. Once the plant is potted the compost top should be covered with a 3cm layer of gravel which also stops the substrate entering the water as well as deterring any fish which may try to dig up the soft soil and uproot the plant. Putting newly potted plants into a bucket of water before adding to the pond is a good way of leaching out any loose soil.When potting pond plants it is important only to use an aquatic soil or compost. These specific mixes generally contain more clay than regular garden composts, making them heavier and less likely to cloud the water. They also contain no nitrates, which would encourage the growth of algae.There are fertilizer tablets available which can be buried into the compost at the plants roots when potting, delivering nutrients directly to the plant. Alternatively, liquid aquatic plant food can be added directly into the pond water throughout the season.