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2017 Catalogue
Phone: 519-782-4052
Positioning Your Lilies
Position your lilies in the middle of the pond about 5-6 feet apart. Initially, it is best to have the lilies at the
shallower depth (6" of water) and then gradually move them deeper as the lily grows. You may need to use
blocks to raise the lilies to the proper depth. Water lilies will grow in 6" up to 3' of water, depending on the
variety. Do not place water lilies close to waterfalls or fountains where they will be splashed.
Planting Lotus
Bareroot lotus may be planted from late April to early June. Lotus should be planted into a 27 litre (¾ bushel)
container or larger. The container must be solid with rounded corners, i.e. no holes, or the lotus will escape
from the tub. Fill the container ¾ full of moistened, firmed soil. Set the lotus rhizome on top of the soil. Dig a
trench in the soil beneath the rhizome 2" deep. Set the rhizome into the trench. Cover the rhizome with soil,
just enough to fill the trench, being careful not to damage or cover the growing tips which are very fragile.
Push 6-8 fertilizer tablets per 27 litre tub into the soil around the rhizome and cover any holes with soil. Gently
tamp down soil. Add thin layer of pea gravel, making sure there is no gravel on the growing tips, as they
will have a hard time growing up through the gravel. The gravel will keep the soil from being stirred up and
discolouring the water. Soak the soil with pond water before placing the containers in the pond to prevent
muddying the pond water. In the spring, lotus tubs should be placed so 1-2" of water is above the top of the
tub. Blocks may be needed to raise the tubs up in deeper areas. This allows for more sunlight and heat to
stimulate growth. As growth becomes established with aerial leaves, water depth may be increased to 6" or 8"
of water above the top of the tub. Similar to lilies, lotus should not be placed close to waterfalls or fountains
where they will be splashed. Lotus are heavy feeders and should be fertilized every 2 weeks with 2-3 fertilizer
tablets from April to August, for maximum growth and bloom.
Planting Oxygenating Plants
Oxygenating plants should be planted in moist soil in their own pots. An 8" pot is large enough to
accommodate 1 bag of oxygenating plants. Remove oxygenating cuttings from the mesh bag and tuck half the
plant stem into the moistened soil. Bury the root system of the individual plants in the soil. Leave the soil level
about 1" below the top of the pot and fill the remaining space with gravel. Soak the soil with pond water to
prevent muddying up the water when the plants are placed in the pond. Place pots directly on the bottom of
the pond between the lily tubs.
Note: Hornwort does not need to be planted. It floats in the pond
.
Positioning Your Oxygenating Plants
Position your oxygenating plants in between the water lilies in the middle of the pond, 12-24" deep. Put one
pot for every 5-6 square feet of open surface area.
Hornwort is a floating oxygenating plant
.
Planting Bareroot Hardy and Tropical Shallow Water Plants
Bareroot hardy plants can be planted from late April to late June. Tropical plants can be planted from late May
(when there is no risk of frost) to August. Marginal plants should be potted into an
8" pot or larger. Keep in mind that wide based pots are more stable for tall plants.
Fill the 8" pot half full of moistened, tamped soil. Don’t cover the holes at the
bottom, as they allow for the roots to grow out into the water. Place the plant into
the centre of the pot. Then add more soil so that the roots are well covered. Leave
the crown of the plant, from which the leaves grow, protruding from the soil. Push
2-3 fertilizer tablets into the soil around the crown. Tamp soil down gently. Cover
the soil with a layer of gravel and soak with pond water before placing the pot into
the pond to prevent muddying up your pond water. Fertilize monthly to encourage
growth and bloom.
INFORMATION PAGES
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