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Happy, Healthy Plants Guaranteed
Expertly Grown in the UK
Carefully Hand Delivered
Happy, Healthy Plants Guaranteed
Expertly Grown in the UK
Carefully Hand Delivered

Trapdoor Snails (Viviparus viviparus)

Spiral patterned snails that clean algae from your pond

Grown by Caroline

Enfield

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Trapdoor Snails (Viviparus viviparus) Pond Plants
Trapdoor Snails (Viviparus viviparus) Pond Plants

£18

Out of stock

Perfectly happy plants, or your money back

Specialist overnight plant delivery

The highlights

  • Attractive snails with green and yellow patterned shells
  • Easy to care for
  • Eats algae from the bottom of the pond
  • Part of a healthy pond ecosystem

Description

  • Attractively patterned spiral shells in shades of green and yellow
  • These helpful little snails will eat the algae from the bottom of your pond to help keep it clean. They also feed on dead foliage, plankton and other microdebris as well as excess fish food, preventing fish overfeeding
  • The name 'Trapdoor' is due to their ability to produce an operculum, a tough plate that protects them from predators and prevents dehydration. They can seal themselves for several months if necessary
  • As they have gills and not lungs, they can survive even under frozen water
  • How many snails do you need? We recommend 5 per square metre
  • Hardy and easy to care for, they can adapt to changes in water conditions and form part of your pond's healthy ecosystem

What To Expect

Supplied as:

5 Trapdoor Snails
Our pond plants are supplied in Aquatic Pots which have a mesh-like structure allowing you to plant them straight into your pond. The pot maintains the root structure as it enters the water, but allows the plants to root out into the underlying soil.

Height on arrival:

Eventual height:

5-7cm

Time to first crop:

Habit:

Freshwater
Can be found in deep water with a high calcium content
Freshwater
Can be found in deep water with a high calcium content

Hardiness:

Fully hardy
Hardy snails which can survive under even frozen water
Fully hardy
Hardy snails which can survive under even frozen water

Rootstock:

Spacing:

5 per m2
We recommend introducing 5 snails per square metre of pond

How To Grow

Good pest and disease resistance

Common health problems usually involve a snail’s shell. They need plenty of calcium in their diet to grow a strong one. If the Ramshorn Snails don’t eat enough, their shell growth could become stunted. The opposite can happen if they eat too much, the shell grows faster and discolors. Watch out for white spots on a snail’s shell, this could be a sign of parasites. These snails are not afflicted by other pathogens very often. Copper is toxic to most invertebrates. Never add anything to your pond if copper is listed as an ingredient. MORE

No extra feeding needed

There's no need to feed your snails - they'll find all they need in your pond.

Planting Calendar

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  • Best time to plant
  • Harvest
  • Flower

Enfield

Meet Caroline

A deep dive into sustainable gardening

Nestled amongst wildlife meadows and resident ducks, Caroline’s award winning pond plant nursery in Enfield has been making a splash since 1965, when they invented the (recycled, obvs) aquatic basket. Sixty years and multiple RHS gold medals later, they’re still surprising us with new varieties every year!

What customers say about us

We do our best to provide you the best experience ever

Growing with Roots

Good to know

Our plants are grown 
in the UK

Specialist UK growers we know and trust grow your plants the traditional way, with organic fertiliser and biological pest control. They pick only the healthiest plants for you, professionally pruning them so that they’ll grow strong and well shaped.

Our plants are delivered overnight

Your plants are sent to you fresh from the field in our plastic free box that’s specially designed to hold them tight, then securely delivered by specialist plant couriers - straight from the grower to your garden within 
24 hours.

We're here to help at every step

We want your plants to have a long and healthy life. Expect easy-to-follow grow guides and videos devised by our team 
of experts.

Perfect plants, guaranteed

We’re confident that you’ll be delighted 
with your new plants. Need help? Alice and her team are here to guarantee you’re 
perfectly happy.

Digging deep to answer your questions

How do I know I'm getting quality plants?

All of our plants are grown in specialist nurseries with the highest standards of plant care and sustainability. We guarantee you'll love them as much as we do! Don't just take our word for it - we've got thousands of great reviews on Trustpilot.

When will I get my plants?

The delivery timescale for each plant is on the web page (near the 'add to basket's button). You'll receive a dispatch email with an exact delivery date once your plants are on their way, so you can get the garden ready.

How will my plants be packed and delivered?

We send all of our orders through a courier network designed to handle plants. Specialist equipment ensures that no plants will be damaged during the packing process and every order is carefully finished and checked by plant-loving humans. Your plants will arrive in the most sustainable packaging possible with minimal to no plastic used.

Where do you deliver?

We deliver to anywhere in Mainland UK for our standard delivery cost. We are able to deliver most plants to Highlands and non UK mainland however this will be at an additional cost. This will be calculated at the checkout. Please note, deliveries to these locations will take longer. Unfortunately, we are not able to deliver to Northern Ireland at present.

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