water plants planting tip

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We,ve got a couple of ponds, left over from the rotten granite quarry . I stocked it with a few bass and bluegills a few years ago and have been adding water plants when I can get them. So far its been mostly water lilys. I've been planting them by filling a burlap bag with compost and manure. I cut a slit into the top of the bag, then put the plant roots into the compost, then sink the bag, which it does on its own, once waterlogged. Once on the bottom of the pond, I place a 5 or 6 pound rock on the root to insure it stays put. I did that with the first lily about 5 yrs ago. Now, the lily by the end of the season, is 20' in diameter with about 12 blossoms. It seems to work real well.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), July 18, 2000

Answers

John do you have to do something for them in the winter--I'm in Ks. & it sometimes gets a little cool here in the winter--we want to put in a water garden next year--as we ran out of time this year--we were wondering do they winter kill? Do you have to put them inside where it doesn't freeze in the winter? How hard are they to care for? Etc.?? Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), July 18, 2000.

Sonda: Don't know how big you ponds gonna be or how deep, but ours are planted in water thats 2' to 4 1/2'. It gets real cold here, sometimes -40f and so far, so good. Every now and then I'll give them another bag of compost but thats about all.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), July 19, 2000.

John:

I have thought about putting water lilys in my pond, but I am afraid they will take it over. Here in Tenn. in the coldest winters the pond may get a light coating of ice skim on it. Besides, they are rather expensive to buy. Pond is only lightly used for fishing or by my ducks.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 19, 2000.


We got most of our by transplanting from wild. We've got an unusual situation here in that we have no dirt on the pond bottom, only rotten granite, so I'd think it would be harder to for them to spread, however it might be worth trying one in a place easily monitored and see how it goes. The tub from a washing machine might be a good planter also and would contain the spread. Just a thought.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), July 19, 2000.

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