Hallson Gardens

What kind of soil does everyone use for potting up waterlilies? We don't have any good local clay soil that I can dig up myself. I've tried the aquatic soil sold bagged in stores, but I'm not that happy with it. It floats everywhere and the fish constantly suck it up and spit it out all over the bottom of the pond. I'll have to try putting a 1/2" layer of gravel on top of it to keep the fishies from doing that.

Any suggestions? What does everyone else use?

Thanks,
Andi

Hi Andi,

I use unamended garden dirt, nothing with compost or fertilizer in it, the put the water lily at the top, lightly covered, then cover it all with about 1" or so of stones (I usually have 3/4" crush, but have also used float stone (drainfield stone) and pea gravel, although the pea gravel seemed too small to me. We've grown some pretty amazing water lilies with this method, and sell them quickly. Unfortunately we don't have a lily pond built here at the new place yet

So you just use regular garden soil covered with stone? From what I remember reading in pond books, they all say to use a very clay soil. I'll give your method a try on one of my smaller lilies before digging into the larger ones. I have to get in the pond (brrrrr!) and divide soon, they're all starting to put on new growth.

Thanks for the idea!
Andi

I think the clay soil might stay in the basket better, but we've always just used regular old garden dirt. We have a nice size bio filter and the water is crystal clear, so it hasn't caused any problems.

I'm sure Josh could give you more advice than I could, though.

Same here Chris, I use a bit of garden soil from the back of the shed, never been dug, fertalised or planted in, about a rough as you can get, but all my water plants seem to like it well enough.

I agree with what has already been said. Black top soil will do fine. If you don't want to dig it up somewhere, the bagged black top soil will work. Get the cheap, pure top soil...it is hard and chunky, I'd never use it in the garden, but it works well for water plants.

The main reason for using clay is that it binds the fertilizer and helps prevent it from leaching into the water. If you cover the fertilizer well, though, it usually isn't a problem.

I don't use any soil for my water lilies. I put them in a rectangular plastic mesh basket and cover the roots with rocks. Works well for me.

I use NON clumping kitty litter. Works great!

I don't have any unamended soil anymore, so I use cat lkitter, too. The cheap unscented stuff from Wal Mart. Cover w/ pea gravel to keep it in place. This is the 2nd year I've used it and it seems to do fine.
Ellen

I plant them directly in rocks in the bottom of the pond. They are HUGE and flower very early!

Clay is loaded with trace minerals which the artificial environment of a liner pond lacks, some waterlilies can be very picky about preferring a clay / loam potting mix, Rose Arey comes to mind as one that I've only ever seen flower when it has a lot of clay to root into

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