Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment Detective Erika

I've added a new hardy tropical cross waterlily to my 3 Kirk Strawn hardy lily strains. The flower on this one is purple with a golden center, and is supposed to survive our winters.

I bought 2 from Pond Megastore, and both were in great shape on arrival.


I do a 1/3 mix of garden soil, not potting soil, with our sandy loam, then cover the tuber with 3-4" of sandy loam. I use garden soil for 2 reasons. One, it's less likely float because of the low amount of organics, and two, I don't want organics that may rot over time. Having active stems and leafs makes it easy to set the plant correctly.


Once planted, I slowly fill the bucket with water so that the air wont explode the soil if pushed under water. I get a stick and poke holes in the soil, and continue to add water until the bubbles stop. When the bubbles stop, it's safe to place the bucket under water.


I set the buckets, and will slowly move them deeper, as flowers pop up. The bucket on the left already has 2 new leafs. Once flowers show up, I'll replant them into square 24X36 drywall mixing tubs. I've found that moving the square tubs underwater is much easier than moving round ones.


If these lilies make it through winter, I'll split and add them to my existing shoreline lilies. These pics were taken on a cloudy day, so the flowers aren't showing off.

Thanks Al.

That is a great tutorial!

Your lilies survived up here for years until the water dropped low and the dang geese rooted them out when I wasn't home. Those new ones should do great!!

Bingo, time to replant. First lily with blue in it.

I see that Al's plan regarding all of the creatures that like to destroy lilies, is as follows:

"Bring it on!"

Stinkin' turtles and grass carp like munching on lilies. When I do plant these, I'll plant them behind the existing lilies.

So when is the time to take the lilies out of the square drywall mixing pans and into the pond bottom itself? or are all those lilies in your pictures all in separate tubs sitting on top of the pondbottom yet?

I'll probably plant them in August. I think Bill Cody had mentioned getting lilies rooted before winter, and I agree with that. I'm not sure keeping the lilies in tubs would get them through tough winters.

Many years ago I had a vision or having lily beds very similar to yours. I bought about $600.00 worth of plants and gleefully put them in pots and into the pond. The next morning they were all gone. I relive the experience when I occasionally find a floating pot or see pics of thriving plants from one end of a pond to the other. Looks like those lily beds go on and on for at least a mile. I'm sick with envy.

AL, the lilies I got from you survived, with the low water levels they are putting up leaves now. I will mark them and pull them shallower if the water level rises.