Wow! Your pond person did it up royal for you!

Our lillies are just put into a bed of 1-2" rocks. They seem to grab
nutrients from the water just fine! No dirt, no mess.

Jim

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Check out Jog-A-Thon fundraiser (clears $140+ per jogger) at:
www.jogathon.net
See our pond at: http://www.home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-jameshurley
"Sue Walsh" wrote in message
om...
I must admit when it arrived I didn't know how to plant it either, so
I took it over to the local pond place and they potted it up for me.
She used a regular black plastic gardening type 5 gallon pot, which
she said really only holds 3 1/2 - 4 gallons. First she put 4 layers
of newspaper over the bottom holes so the dirt would not leak out (she
said by the time the newspaper breaks down the roots would have matted
enough to keep the soil in place. Then she filled the pot 1/3 full
with a half topsoil and half sand mixture. She added 3 giant pond
tabs (21 grams each of 20-10-5 fertilizer) to this bottom layer of the
potting mix at the very edges of the pot. Then she put more mix in to
bring it up to 2/3 full. She then gently and lightly moistened the
mixture in the pot and allowed it to drain while she prepared the
plant. She cut the roots to a size(about 5"-6" long) to fit easily
into this pot. Once she washed all the remaining roots very well and
removed any damaged top leaves and buds (3 small buds were left on as
well as some newly forming leaves which had not opened yet, also old
cut stems which she said would help to feed the plant until new leaves
are formed, then they could be trimmed off), she dug a depression and
planted it on a 45* angle leaving the top of the root exposed. Then
she added 1" of white sand to the top surface to keep the soil in the
pot, still keeping the very top of the root exposed. Finally she very
lightly misted the top. Covered the plant with damp newspaper for me
to carry home. When I got it home I added two pieces criscross of #14
solid copper plastic insulated wire through 4 holes I poked into the
four sides of the top of the container (criscrossed at right
angles)for a balanced handle and lowered it into my pond. Now I just
wait to see what comes. The one large flower bud which she removed
was opened on my kitchen table the next day so I got to see that it is
a beautiful pink flower. Thanks Muffin....Sue W

"*muffin*" wrote in message
...
some roots were 3 feet long....
I couldn't figure out how to re-plant those in a pot less than 1/2
that deep!