How to Plant Aquatic Plants
Plant your aquatic plant in a container before putting it in water., Grow tropical and subtropical water plants like Cannas (Canna spp) in a container., Do not use a container with drain holes., Use plastic pots without holes, or fabric pots...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Plant your aquatic plant in a container before putting it in water.
Planting it in a container controls its spreading, which many aquatic plants do very quickly.
Some aquatic plants can completely take over a smaller water feature within a few years and have to be controlled with chemicals or pulled out by hand. -
Step 2: Grow tropical and subtropical water plants like Cannas (Canna spp) in a container.
These plantsgrow well in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to
10.
But they will not survive temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C).If planted in a pond, these plants must be taken out in the fall and stored in a cool, dry area where they will not be exposed to frost during the winter. , Unlike terrestrial plants that should be planted in containers with drain holes, aquatic plants do not need a container with holes as the potting soil can wash out through the holes. , Fabric pots are ideal for aquatic plants.
The fabric allows water to soak into the potting soil but keeps the soil in and the flexible fabric on the bottom makes it easier to keep the plant level.Fabric pots are a bit more expensive than plastic pots, though, and harder to move when the plant is taken out of the water. , Smaller containers keep plants smaller while larger containers let them grow larger.
Certain species of aquatic plants also grow better in smaller or larger containers Hardy water lilies like the “Comanche” (Nymphaea “Comanche”),which grow well in Zones 4 to 10, and Cannas should be planted in containers that are 10 inches deep and 15 inches wide.Tropical water lilies like the “Director George T.
Moore” (Nymphaea “Director George T.
Moore”)which only grow well in Zones 10 and 11, should be planted in containers that are 10 inches deep and 20 inches wide.
Smaller plants like the “Katie Ruellia” (Ruellia brittonia “Katie”), which grows to 5 to 10 inches tall and grows well in Zones 9 to 11, can be planted in a 5-inch deep, 8-inch wide pot to keep it them smaller or a 5-inch deep, 12-inch wide pot to let it grow a little larger., They will be able to tell you which size pot will work best for each plant. , If the soil in your yard is naturally loamy clay, it can be used for the aquatic plants., You can use a brand like PondCare Aquatic Planting Media.This mix contains kiln-fired clay pieces, provides plant nutrients and anchors the aquatic plant securely in its container.
While sandy soil may keep the plant anchored, it will not hold enough nutrients to keep aquatic plants healthy. , It is too light and will leach into the water. , Then, put two to four aquatic plant fertilizer tablets on the soil spaced evenly around the container 2 to 3 inches in from the edge.
The number of tablets required varies, depending on the size of the tablets and the size of the container.
There should be 1 to 2 ounces of fertilizer for each gallon of soil.Fertilizer tablets with a 12-8-8, 10-6-4, 20-10-5 or 5-10-5 ratio are fine., Do this until the container is ⅔ full. , These rhizomes are actually thickened stems that resemble sweet potatoes.
The growing end of the rhizome with growth buds or “eyes” should be placed at the center of the container with the “eyes” facing up and buried deeper than the other end so that the whole thing is sitting at a 45 degree angle.
The growth buds or “eyes” look very similar to the “eyes” on a potato.
This placement gives the hardy water lily room to grow in the pot. , The higher end should be just above soil level and the lower end should be covered. , Their “eyes” should be facing up and the top of the rhizome should be above soil level.Lotuses grow well in Zones 4 to
10. , Then, cover them with 2 to 3 inches of soil., Then, hold the plant in the center of the container and add more damp soil until the roots are covered. , This will help to keep the soil in the container and keep fish from displacing the soil. , The soil should be wet. , Aquatic plants that get only four hours of sunlight or less will grow very slowly or may not grow at all. , Aquatic plants such as hardy water lilies and lotus do well in these conditions. , Cannas and tropical water lilies will do well in these conditions., This will then allow sunlight to easily reach them.
Bricks or overturned clay pots can be placed beneath the aquatic plant container to raise it up if the water is too deep.
Deeper water will not let the sunlight reach the plant rhizomes or roots to trigger new stem growth.
Hardy water lilies grow best with 1 to 1 ½ feet of water covering the container.
Tropical water lilies do fine with 6 to 12 inches of water over the container but lotus grow in 4 to 6 inches of water.Cannas grow well up above the water.They should be placed so that the top of the container is 6 to 8 inches deep. , Adjust this to 6 to 8 inches if the pond gets more than six hours of sunlight.
Lotus should be submerged to a depth of only 2 inches until they begin to grow.
After the aquatic plants reach 4 to 6 inches tall, they can be moved into deeper water. , They will break.
Instead, lift the container by grasping it at the top with one hand on either side to hold it level or grasp it at the top on one side, tilt it just enough to get a hand underneath and move it with one hand on the bottom and one hand at the top of the container. , This will keep the gravel from spilling over the side of the container. -
Step 3: Do not use a container with drain holes.
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Step 4: Use plastic pots without holes
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Step 5: or fabric pots.
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Step 6: Select a container based on how large you want the aquatic pot to grow.
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Step 7: Ask a sales associate at an aquatic plant nursery if you are not sure what size container you should use.
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Step 8: Use loamy clay for aquatic plants.
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Step 9: Buy commercially manufactured aquatic plant potting mix if the native soil is sandy or very heavy clay.
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Step 10: Do not use potting soil that is formulated for regular
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Step 11: terrestrial potted plants.
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Step 12: If you are planting a rhizome
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Step 13: pour moistened soil into the container until it is ⅓ full.
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Step 14: Add more damp soil.
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Step 15: If you’re growing a hardy water lily rhizome
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Step 16: place it at an angle and to one side of the container.
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Step 17: Place additional damp soil into the container over the rhizome.
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Step 18: If you’re growing tropical water lily and lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) rhizomes
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Step 19: center them in the pot.
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Step 20: If you’re growing Cannas
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Step 21: plant them in the center of the container.
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Step 22: For other types of aquatic plants with roots instead of rhizomes
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Step 23: fill the container with ⅔ to ¾ damp soil.
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Step 24: Add ½ to ¾ inch of pea gravel over the top of the soil for all aquatic plants.
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Step 25: Water the aquatic plant right after planting.
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Step 26: Plant the aquatic plants in the spring or early summer in a water feature that gets at least six hours of sunlight each day.
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Step 27: Plant aquatic plants hardy enough to survive cooler temperatures in water that is 50 °F (10 °C).
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Step 28: Plant tropical and subtropical aquatics in water that is over 70 °F (21 °C).
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Step 29: Place them in a spot where there is no more than 6 to 8 inches of water above the pot.
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Step 30: If the pond gets only six hours of sunlight each day
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Step 31: place them at a depth of 6 inches.
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Step 32: Do not lift the plant by its stems.
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Step 33: Keep the container as level as possible when moving it.
Detailed Guide
Planting it in a container controls its spreading, which many aquatic plants do very quickly.
Some aquatic plants can completely take over a smaller water feature within a few years and have to be controlled with chemicals or pulled out by hand.
These plantsgrow well in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to
10.
But they will not survive temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C).If planted in a pond, these plants must be taken out in the fall and stored in a cool, dry area where they will not be exposed to frost during the winter. , Unlike terrestrial plants that should be planted in containers with drain holes, aquatic plants do not need a container with holes as the potting soil can wash out through the holes. , Fabric pots are ideal for aquatic plants.
The fabric allows water to soak into the potting soil but keeps the soil in and the flexible fabric on the bottom makes it easier to keep the plant level.Fabric pots are a bit more expensive than plastic pots, though, and harder to move when the plant is taken out of the water. , Smaller containers keep plants smaller while larger containers let them grow larger.
Certain species of aquatic plants also grow better in smaller or larger containers Hardy water lilies like the “Comanche” (Nymphaea “Comanche”),which grow well in Zones 4 to 10, and Cannas should be planted in containers that are 10 inches deep and 15 inches wide.Tropical water lilies like the “Director George T.
Moore” (Nymphaea “Director George T.
Moore”)which only grow well in Zones 10 and 11, should be planted in containers that are 10 inches deep and 20 inches wide.
Smaller plants like the “Katie Ruellia” (Ruellia brittonia “Katie”), which grows to 5 to 10 inches tall and grows well in Zones 9 to 11, can be planted in a 5-inch deep, 8-inch wide pot to keep it them smaller or a 5-inch deep, 12-inch wide pot to let it grow a little larger., They will be able to tell you which size pot will work best for each plant. , If the soil in your yard is naturally loamy clay, it can be used for the aquatic plants., You can use a brand like PondCare Aquatic Planting Media.This mix contains kiln-fired clay pieces, provides plant nutrients and anchors the aquatic plant securely in its container.
While sandy soil may keep the plant anchored, it will not hold enough nutrients to keep aquatic plants healthy. , It is too light and will leach into the water. , Then, put two to four aquatic plant fertilizer tablets on the soil spaced evenly around the container 2 to 3 inches in from the edge.
The number of tablets required varies, depending on the size of the tablets and the size of the container.
There should be 1 to 2 ounces of fertilizer for each gallon of soil.Fertilizer tablets with a 12-8-8, 10-6-4, 20-10-5 or 5-10-5 ratio are fine., Do this until the container is ⅔ full. , These rhizomes are actually thickened stems that resemble sweet potatoes.
The growing end of the rhizome with growth buds or “eyes” should be placed at the center of the container with the “eyes” facing up and buried deeper than the other end so that the whole thing is sitting at a 45 degree angle.
The growth buds or “eyes” look very similar to the “eyes” on a potato.
This placement gives the hardy water lily room to grow in the pot. , The higher end should be just above soil level and the lower end should be covered. , Their “eyes” should be facing up and the top of the rhizome should be above soil level.Lotuses grow well in Zones 4 to
10. , Then, cover them with 2 to 3 inches of soil., Then, hold the plant in the center of the container and add more damp soil until the roots are covered. , This will help to keep the soil in the container and keep fish from displacing the soil. , The soil should be wet. , Aquatic plants that get only four hours of sunlight or less will grow very slowly or may not grow at all. , Aquatic plants such as hardy water lilies and lotus do well in these conditions. , Cannas and tropical water lilies will do well in these conditions., This will then allow sunlight to easily reach them.
Bricks or overturned clay pots can be placed beneath the aquatic plant container to raise it up if the water is too deep.
Deeper water will not let the sunlight reach the plant rhizomes or roots to trigger new stem growth.
Hardy water lilies grow best with 1 to 1 ½ feet of water covering the container.
Tropical water lilies do fine with 6 to 12 inches of water over the container but lotus grow in 4 to 6 inches of water.Cannas grow well up above the water.They should be placed so that the top of the container is 6 to 8 inches deep. , Adjust this to 6 to 8 inches if the pond gets more than six hours of sunlight.
Lotus should be submerged to a depth of only 2 inches until they begin to grow.
After the aquatic plants reach 4 to 6 inches tall, they can be moved into deeper water. , They will break.
Instead, lift the container by grasping it at the top with one hand on either side to hold it level or grasp it at the top on one side, tilt it just enough to get a hand underneath and move it with one hand on the bottom and one hand at the top of the container. , This will keep the gravel from spilling over the side of the container.
About the Author
Douglas Scott
A seasoned expert in education and learning, Douglas Scott combines 12 years of experience with a passion for teaching. Douglas's guides are known for their clarity and practical value.
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