If you read the lily pond literature they suggest the proper way to plant a lily rhizome is to bury the root at an 45 degree angle in the dirt so the cut end is deepest and the growing tip just peeks above the sediment. I always do this first in some sort of large pot or small tub so I can see exactly what I am doing so I get it planted correctly. Then just submerge the pot in 12" of water until new leaves emerge. With several new leaves I keep nudging the pot into deeper water of 2-3ft.
When the plant is growing well I transplant the entire root system where ever I want it in the pond. Most all bare root rhizomes arrive with at a bare minimum a tiny shoot or sprout at the growing tip. Without that amount of visible growth, I would take a picture of the sickly rhizome and send it to the lily seller for a free replacement. Roots with 1 to a few leaves are often how they are commonly shipped. I've had the shipped leaves die and new shoots sprout toward the surface in 5-10 days. It might be a good idea to call the supplier and see what they say and also ask about their replacement policy.
When I used to sell hardy hybrid lilies the poorest success was always with customers that planted bare root rhizomes directly into the pond bottom. Most often poor success is because one cannot see what you are doing underwater and careless planting technique.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 05/12/15 08:02 PM.
