How to Pot Water Lily

The Pond Plant Girl Store

Water Lily Planting Instructions
Water Lily is easier to grow than most may think. An important rule to remember before planting any aquatic plants is that large fish (such as koi) and turtles will destroy your plants and eat them down to a nub. Therefore, water lily and other pond plants must be protected from destructive pond life. Water depth may be 18 inches to 5 feet deep. The prime depth for water lily is 2 feet deep. For best flowers, full sunshine is a must.
Natural Earthen Ponds: If planting in a natural earthen pond straight into the ground under the water, pot your lily in a biodegradable container, such as a cow pot. See www.cowpots.com . The water level should never go below 18” deep. So, if planting in a natural earthen pond, be certain to plant at a level where the water will still be deep in the summertime. Pot your lily and simply drop it into the water. Even if the water is 5 feet deep, the lily will continue to grow until it reaches the water surface.

Container Ponds and Water Gardens
Pot your water lily in a 1 or 2 gallon no-holes container. Place aquatic fertilizer at the bottom of the container and fill container with loam. The crown of the lily may be slightly exposed. Tropical Water Lily must be planted at the edge of the pot with the growing tip pointing toward the center of the pot. A slight 45° is recommended (slight angle) but is not an exact science. So, do not worry about exact measurements. Hardy lily may be planted at the center of the pot. If you are not sure if you have tropical or hardy, a good rule is to plant your lily tuber at the edge of the pot like a tropical water lily.

Over Wintering Tropical Water LilyIf you are in a cold region where your pond freezes solid, it is best to over winter your tropical water lily indoors. Here is a link from my water garden expert and friend that will help you succeed: http://www.oregonaquatics.com/Overwintering%20tropical%20lilies.pdf

Potting LoamA perfect recipe for potting loam is 1 part decomposed granite (DG) and 1 part bagged steer manure. Keep in mind that water lily are big feeders. However, too much fertilizer or too much steer manure and the lily plant will expel the unneeded nutrients in the water; which may cause added algae growth. DG can be purchased at any sand and gravel yard. I do not recommend purchasing bagged aquatic plant medium. It is far too expensive and is also too light weight and will make a mess. If you do not have access to DG, I am happy to ship it to you at cost in a flat rate mailer.

Growing Large Lilies
To produce large lily plants and large flowers you must have a pond that is at least 3 feet deep. Use a dark colored 20 gallon Rubbermaid tub (such as black or dark blue). Place a generous amount of fertilizer at the bottom of the container. Fill with potting loam and carefully sink down inside the pond. The pot will be very heavy. So, you will need 2 or 3 people to help sink a large potted lily.

GARDEN BLESSINGS,

GAiL

Pond Plant Girl Story and Fundraiser

GREEN HOUSE / NURSERY FUND RAISER
Please recommend me on KIVA.org at:  https://zip.kiva.org/loans/716

Beginnings
I first became interested in growing plants when I was a young girl helping my great grandmother out in the garden in Goleta, California, where she grew cherry tomatoes and strawberries.

Artichokes first caught my curiosity when a neighbor friend's brought home the alien looking vegetable from the store. Her entire family became very excited. Many years later (when I was married and living in Lompoc, California), we had a vegetable garden and grew artichokes all summer long. The entire family loved them.

When Pond Plants Found Me 
We moved to Northern California and lived on a piece of property that had a large 1/4 acre pond. In the summer of 1999 I decided I wanted to create a swimming hole, and I rowed our little boat out on the pond to pull out the aquatic weeds. The weeds grew back faster than I could pull them out, so I went online to find out what I had. It turned out to be anacharis, an aquatic fresh water grass that was valuable to koi ponds and water gardens. That summer I decided to sell the anacharis online and trade it for other pond plants. That was when I became hooked on water gardening and selling pond plants.

The Pond Plant Girl and Sweetheart Artichokes 
Since the summer of 1999 I started a small lucrative pond plant business online through eBay and through my personal website too. In 2007 we moved to Central California. I then decided to start growing artichoke plants again. Before long, I discovered that there were about a dozen different types of artichoke plants, and I wanted to grow them all. By trial and error, I learned how to grow and ship the artichoke plants.

The Pond Plant Girl Today 
Today, my online water garden and artichoke stores, videos, articles, and websites are very popular. On Youtube alone I have over 600,000 views. Last summer I was featured on Fox News National as "The Pond Plant Girl." This year I decided to quit my substitute teaching job with the county and focus primarily on my education and developing our home business. This was a bold move considering the down economic times. Despite thousands of businesses closing and the rising unemployment rate, my pond plant and artichoke plant businesses continue to grow each year. Economic analysts state this is due to families entertaining at home and growing their own organic foods in backyard gardens.

My plans for the future not only include growing our businesses and earning my doctoral degree, but also include giving back to the community.

• I am involved with a community garden across town that will start up again Spring 2013.
• I often donate plants to local schools and enjoy giving free lectures about gardening.
• I also plan to create an outdoor classroom on my property where I will have free gardening and 4-H classes.
• On a grander scale, I recently began supporting a community garden located in Kenhardt, South Africa.
• And there may even be a PBS program in our future!

Funding a Dream 
Funds raised through KIVA.org are placed in an account in which are paid back within 2 years.  With additional funding of $5,000 I will be able to operate and upgrade a professional nursery with a much needed professional size green house, and large shade cloth too. By growing the plants myself (instead of buying them) I will be able to increase my inventory and revenues by three fold. Most of my plants are purchased from a wholesale company. I grow most of the artichokes from seed but the greenhouse will allow me to speed production especially during the cold winter months. The shade cloth will also help keep all the plants safe from the burning sun in the summertime. In addition to the much needed supplies, I will also be able to add staffing of one full time and one part time employee; which will also increase production, inventory, and revenue.

THANK YOU!!! 
I want to thank you for the opportunity to reach my dreams and goals. Our business and the community will be blessed by your guidance and support.

Garden Blessings,

Gail the Pond Plant Girl

Water Canna

Water Canna is very easy to grow in all climates. The flowers and leaves come in a large variety of colors and patterns.  It will grow in a shallow pond or in the garden. Like most plants, it can take over the garden if it is not maintained. In most climates, canna will go dormant in winter and produce new shoots from the roots in the springtime. Like garden bulbs, it can be dug up in the fall, kept in storage, and then planted again in spring. In mild to hot climates, water canna can be left in-ground year round. If it is potted, I recommend using a five gallon container and dividing at least once per year. Water canna can grow in full sun to full shade. In extreme hot climates, partial sun is best to prevent burning. Water canna is not picky about soil media and fertilizer is not needed.