We do not recommend planting plants directly on the bottom of the pool, planting them in containers aids in maintenance by making the plant retrievable. This makes plant care much easier. Water lilies and most blooming aquatic plants need at least 4-6 hours of sunlight for maximum growth. We recommend potting containers with no holes. This helps keep the soil inside the pot and not in your pool. We have aquatic no-hole pots available for purchase if you cannot find them locally.  Use deeper pots for plants with vertical growing roots, and shallow wider pots for plants with horizontal growing roots. For your growing medium, use commercial aquatic planting medium, or heavy, ordinary garden soil (top soil). Do not use potting soils containing peat moss, perlite or vermiculite.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS - In a potting container, set two aquatic fertilizer tabs per gallon of soil evenly on the bottom and cover with 2-6 inches of dirt. Firmly tamp the first couple of inches of soil. For plants with vertical growing roots, hold the plant in the center of the pot while adding soil around the roots. Fill the potting container with soil covering the roots up to the foliage of the plants, firmly tamping the soil as you go. For plants with horizontal growing roots, place the cut edge of the plant against the side of the potting container with the foliage pointed toward the opposite side. Fill with soil covering the roots and thinly cover the rhizome to the foliage growing point. A thin layer of gravel or sand on top will help hold the plant and soil in place. Add water to the container before placing in the pond, allowing all air bubbles to escape. Then slowly lower the potted plant into the pond. For water lilies, and Lotus, be sure to not cover the crown (growing tip) with soil or gravel.

ANNUAL (TROPICAL) WATER LILIES – Day and night blooming tropical water lilies need pots at least 12 inches in diameter. A 3-5 gallon pot for each lily will be fine. Prepare container per above instructions. Set the rhizome upright in the center of the pot with roots spread and bury them gently in the soil. Make sure the tip of the rhizome is not buried. Continue per above instructions. Remember, do not cover the crown (growing tip) of the lily. Begin with the plant 2-6 inches below the water surface, and then lower to a depth of 12-18 inches as the plant grows. Tropical lilies should not be planted until the water is at least 70 degrees. Planting too early can cause dormancy and restrict the potential growth. Depending on the weather, annuals bloom from late spring through late fall.

HARDY WATER LILIES – Hardies grow horizontally across the container so a wide pot is recommended. Place the rhizome at one side of the pot with it planted at a 45 degree angle with the crown pointed upward and toward the other side of the pot.  After planting the rhizome, lower the plant to a depth of about 6 inches. As the lily grown it can then be lowered to a depth of up to 24 inches. Hardies bloom from spring through about September and become dormant during cold months. New growth will begin again in the spring.

 MARGINAL/BOG PLANTS – Marginal plants should be planted in containers of approximately 1-3 gallons for each plant. Use above instructions. Depending on the plant, once potted it can be lowered to a depth of 1-6 inches over the top of the pot. Most grow upright and out of the water and are usually found at the water’s edge.  Most marginal plants can also be placed bare root with their roots in the water between the rocks at the edges of the pond. This softens the pond’s edge and helps to prevent algae growth. Marginal/Bog plants like their feet (roots) wet, but their ankles dry.

 SUBMERGED PLANTS – All ponds should have submerged plants like Anacharis, Hornwort etc. to help maintain clean water. Plant these plants per above instructions in a 1 gallon pot and completely submerge to a depth of at least 12 inches.

 Fertilize potted plants with aquatic fertilizer tabs at least once a month during the growing season. Lilies and Lotus are heavy feeders and should be fertilized every two weeks once they begin to bloom. It is important to protect the roots from freezing. Plants hardy to your zone can winter over in the pond if the pond depth is below the freeze line for your area. Late in the fall, the yellowed foliage should be cut off and the plant lowered to the deepest part of the pond. Non-hardy plants can be wintered over in a sunny window as a houseplant.