Bentonite Clay
Pure clay, mined in the Wheatbelt.
Watheroo Bentonite is 100% natural calcium bentonite clay, over 80% pure, supplied as granules in 20kg bags. It has a cation exchange capacity of 65 to 95 meq/100g, which is the technical way of saying it holds a great deal of nutrient — and unlike compost, it holds it permanently.
Or call the yard on (08) 9434 2290
Real stock, not a swatch. Blended products vary a little batch to batch, so treat these as a guide rather than an exact colour match.
Bentonite Clay details
Bentonite Clay at a glance
- Product type
- Natural calcium bentonite clay
- Brand
- Watheroo Minerals, mined at Watheroo WA
- Purity
- Over 80%
- Pack
- 20kg
- Form
- Granules
- Rate
- 3 to 5kg/m² into the top 20cm
What Bentonite Clay suits
What can you use Bentonite Clay for?
Sandy garden beds
The core use. Worked into the top 20cm it gives sand something to hold water and nutrient with, permanently.
Lawns
Watheroo list lawns first among its uses. A lawn on pure sand is a lawn you water constantly.
Vegetable gardens and shrubs
Anywhere the bed is being asked to feed something hungry and cannot hold onto what you give it.
Potted plants
Blended into a mix, it does the same job at a smaller scale.
How much bentonite do you need?
Four to six square metres a bag
Watheroo's rate is 3 to 5 kilograms per square metre worked into the top 20 centimetres. On Perth sand the higher end is usually the honest number.
It is a one-off. Unlike compost, clay does not break down, so this is a job you do to a bed once rather than every season.
| Bed size | At 3kg/m² | At 5kg/m² |
|---|---|---|
| 5m² — one small bed | 15kg | One 20kg bag does it with some to spare. |
| 20m² — a decent border | 60kg, three bags | Five bags. |
| 100m² — a front garden | 300kg, fifteen bags | Twenty-five bags. Worth talking to us about. |
Work it into the top 20cm and water it in — spread on the surface and left alone it does very little. Combine it with compost, which is Watheroo's own advice: clay holds nutrient, compost supplies it.
Why Bentonite Clay
Why choose Bentonite Clay?
It holds nutrient better than almost anything
A cation exchange capacity of 65 to 95 meq/100g. That is the measure of how much nutrient a soil can hold onto, and it is why fertiliser stops washing straight through.
100% natural, over 80% pure
No additives and no fillers. It is clay, mined and screened, and the purity is stated.
A one-off, not a seasonal job
Clay does not break down. Do a bed properly once and it stays done, which is a completely different proposition from an annual compost.
Safe for animals and ponds
Watheroo's own statement, and worth knowing for a garden with a dog, a pond or chickens in it.
Getting Bentonite Clay home
How to get Bentonite Clay
Collect from the yard
Open seven days at 222 Barrington St, Bibra Lake. The loader puts it straight into your trailer or ute, and someone will tell you whether what you have brought will carry the load.
Borrow one of our trailers free for two hours to get your load home. No charge, no bond.
Have it delivered
Across Perth's southern suburbs, seven days. For a quote we need the address, how much you need, and anything awkward about access — tight driveways, low branches and side access all change which truck we send. Confirm the current cost when you order.
Formats
- Loose, by the cubic metre
- Bulka bag, roughly a cubic metre each
- Trailer load, including our free two hour trailer
Using Bentonite Clay
How to use Bentonite Clay
Spread the granules evenly
Granules spread far better than a powder. Work at the rate you have chosen — 3 to 5kg/m² is Watheroo's.
Work it into the top 20cm
Into the root zone rather than left on the surface. A layer of clay on sand is a layer; incorporated, it coats the grains.
Combine it with compost
Watheroo's own advice, and the same rule as any clay: clay holds nutrient, compost supplies it. Doing one without the other wastes half the effort.
Water it in
Moisture is what makes the granules disperse. Until they do, nothing has actually happened.
When to choose something else
When it is the wrong product
- It is not a fertiliser. It supplies calcium, magnesium and potassium, but its real job is holding nutrient rather than being it. Feed the bed as well.
- It is a one-off change and it is a lot of material to move. 3 to 5kg/m² across a whole garden adds up, and it is heavy.
- It works by dispersing into the sand, so it needs mixing in and watering. Spread on the surface and left alone, it does very little.
- The 1 tonne bulk bag some retailers list is not confirmed on the manufacturer's site, so we do not quote it as a stocked size. Ask what is in the yard.
Customer reviews
What people say
Bentonite Clay questions
Bentonite Clay FAQs
Goes with Bentonite Clay
Other products you may need
The other permanent clay
Same principle, with a mineral package.
A faster, shorter fix
A wetter works in days and lasts about six months.
Guides for bentonite clay
Planning your project
Bentonite Clay quote
Need Bentonite Clay for your project?
Send us the quantity you need, your suburb, and whether you would like to collect it or have it delivered. If you are not sure how much, put your measurements into the calculator above and we will check it for you.
Or ring the yard on (08) 9434 2290
222 Barrington St, Bibra Lake WA 6163 · Open 7 days
Use the calculator above and the amount lands in the message for you.