Sweet basil growing in a single Floating Gardentm for Ponds modular unit

Our Floating Garden for Ponds System is designed in modular units that can be inter-connected to form a floating plant island. The system is designed for ponds containing fish that enjoy (to the detriment of the plants) nibbling on the roots and eating the floating vegetation. Therefore, each floating plant bed in our modular units is contained in a porous mesh basket that keeps the fish away from the roots and the plants. As the name 'floating garden' implies, the plant bed in each unit floats on the surface of your pond. The individual units are perfect for growing herbs, lettuce, mesclun mixes, chili peppers, and ornamental pond plants - all without soil or pots that can muddy your pond. By following our directions, you simply "plant" bedding plants or pond plants (available at nurseries) into our modular units and you are ready to go.

The ammonia in the fish wastes in your pond is converted by bacteria in the pond and filtration system first to nitrites and then to nitrates. Ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are toxic to your fish if the concentrations are high enough. When things are in balance, the ammonia and nitrite levels generally drop to safe levels. This is not the case with nitrates without intervention.

There are only four ways of reducing the nitrate level in the pond. The first is to periodically add water to the pond lost by evaporation - however simply adding more water might not be sufficient to reduce the nitrates to acceptable levels. The second method is to periodically siphon or pump a portion of the pond water into the sewer or onto you lawn. The third is to build an anaerobic nitrate filtration system (like sewage plants employ) to deal with the problem. In the first two case nitrates make their way into the ground water (not good); the third way is very costly. The fourth way is to utilize the nitrates in the pond water to feed plants and herbs that you can eat and use in cooking, or to feed ornamental pond plants. That's where we come in.

The Floating Garden For Ponds System consists of modular floating plant units that can be added to as desired. The more you have in relationship to the size of your pond and the size and number of your fish - the better utilization of the nitrates by the plants and the less you need to dump pond water to keep your fish healthy. A further advantage to your fish especially when multiple units are connected to make a floating "island", is the shade and security from predators the floating island provides your fish.

Each modular unit comes with either one 3" net pot or four 2" net pots. Order modular units with four 2" net pots for herbs and lettuces that aren't large growers. Order modular units with one 3" net pot for larger plants such as chards, bok choy, or ornamental pond plants.

You may purchase either one or more individual modular units separately or you can purchase a four-unit floating plant island with either one 3" net pot per modular unit or four 2" net pots per modular unit at a savings in cost. The four unit floating plant islands are perfect for ponds up to 500 gallons (approximately 10' diameter x 18" deep).

You can get an idea of some other Floating Garden configurations you can make by clicking here. Many other arrangements are possible. You can plan the shape of your Floating Garden to blend in with the shape of your pond.

See All of Our Hydroponic Garden Kits