| Repotting Waterlilies |
Before we begin, there are a couple of things you should know about waterlilies. First, waterlilies grow from a tuber, so when
you pot or report a waterlily, there will be a dead end and a growing tip. The part you need is the growing tip, or usually about
2-3 inches of the growth end of the tuber. The rest you can discard. Secondly, waterlilies grow across the top of the potting
medium, not down into the potting medium. They will therefore do better in a shallow, wide pot (shaped more like an oil pan)
than a tall, narrow pot (shaped like a top hat). If you do pot your waterlilies in a tall, narrow pot, be prepared to repot them in
the very near future, as they will send their tubers over the edge, and you will have a pot that only anchors the dead end of the
waterlily growing outside of the pot in every direction. Thirdly, waterlilies (not unlike lotus) do best in a soil based planting
medium. I prefer clay soil, as it is abundant, low in organic materials, and FREE (my favorite four-letter-word). Potting your
waterlilies in pea gravel or river rock is not the best course of action for these plants, and you will regret it when you try to
shove a plant tab into the pot later.
you pot or report a waterlily, there will be a dead end and a growing tip. The part you need is the growing tip, or usually about
2-3 inches of the growth end of the tuber. The rest you can discard. Secondly, waterlilies grow across the top of the potting
medium, not down into the potting medium. They will therefore do better in a shallow, wide pot (shaped more like an oil pan)
than a tall, narrow pot (shaped like a top hat). If you do pot your waterlilies in a tall, narrow pot, be prepared to repot them in
the very near future, as they will send their tubers over the edge, and you will have a pot that only anchors the dead end of the
waterlily growing outside of the pot in every direction. Thirdly, waterlilies (not unlike lotus) do best in a soil based planting
medium. I prefer clay soil, as it is abundant, low in organic materials, and FREE (my favorite four-letter-word). Potting your
waterlilies in pea gravel or river rock is not the best course of action for these plants, and you will regret it when you try to
shove a plant tab into the pot later.
Yes, this is all one GIANT waterlily tuber. We were called
in to clear out some of the plants that had taken over a
shallow, rock-bottom pond and this is part of what we
found.
That's Paula hoisting the heavy-weight up for the picture
(everybody say "Hi, Paula!"), and yes, she's really smiling.
be smiling? But that's not why I show you this picture. In
the picture, you can clearly see the growth tip of the
tuber in her right hand (above her hand), and everything
below her hand is the dead part of the tuber. In her left
hand, she holds the roots of the other growing tip and
everything below that and all the way into the water is
dead tuber. Dead tubers will rot in your pond and foul
the water. Of course, if you never repot your
waterlilies, you may never know how bad a rotting tuber
can smell, but trust me, it's not something you want in
your pond.
in to clear out some of the plants that had taken over a
shallow, rock-bottom pond and this is part of what we
found.
That's Paula hoisting the heavy-weight up for the picture
(everybody say "Hi, Paula!"), and yes, she's really smiling.
be smiling? But that's not why I show you this picture. In
the picture, you can clearly see the growth tip of the
tuber in her right hand (above her hand), and everything
below her hand is the dead part of the tuber. In her left
hand, she holds the roots of the other growing tip and
everything below that and all the way into the water is
dead tuber. Dead tubers will rot in your pond and foul
the water. Of course, if you never repot your
waterlilies, you may never know how bad a rotting tuber
can smell, but trust me, it's not something you want in
your pond.
Ready to get dirty? Then you're ready to repot a waterlily. NOW we're talkin' FUN!!
| Audio sounds provided by www.Freesound.org 38391- volivieri water flows over rock.wav 72722 - Manuel Calurano - Conversation between a nightingale and a frog.mp3 |
| Write me at: pondgal@gridcom.net |
When your fish get sick and succumb to bacterial infections, parasites or fungus, nine times out of ten it's because the water
quality has been compromised. (The other one time in ten that your fish succumb to illness is due to the introduction of sick or
infected fish into your system.) Decomposing organic materials also feed algae blooms, so it's important to remove dead plant
material from your pond regularly.
quality has been compromised. (The other one time in ten that your fish succumb to illness is due to the introduction of sick or
infected fish into your system.) Decomposing organic materials also feed algae blooms, so it's important to remove dead plant
material from your pond regularly.