Garden Machinery
Garden Leisure
- Greenhouse Heaters
- Loungers
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- Charcoal Barbecues
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- Furniture Sets
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- Bird Feed
Water feature – waterproofing clay and bentonite
Natural ponds form in natural clay, so if you have a clay garden, you have an opportunity to utilise this natural resource to waterproof your pond.
When digging a pond in clay, you have to remember that the soil under and around the clay must be clay too. It’s not enough to make a clay liner because it isn’t 100% watertight, essentially what happens in a clay pond is that the whole area is relatively impervious to water and so it takes up the small amount of water it will hold, and no more, but if the soil beneath the clay is more porous or better draining, your pond water will seep away. Also, if the clay dries out, it will crack and water will be lost into the crevices unless you smooth them over again.
Bentonite is a form of clay discovered in Benton, Montana. It is made from volcanic ash and has an even higher watertightness than ordinary clay. Bentonite can swell to 15 or 20 times its original volume in water, so the way it is used is simple. Dig your pond, but make it a foot deeper and around a foot wider across than you eventually want it to be. Sprinkle powdered bentonite evenly over the area, making sure it is well compacted and then cover it with 6 to 12 inches of topsoil. Now fill the pond. The bentonite will swell as the water reaches it, and form an impermeable liner under the soil.
