For practical reasons, the water lily is usually placed in a plant basket and thus embedded in the pond. However, if living conditions are good, it can grow so luxuriantly that it becomes cramped in the basket after just a few years. Then repotting is due.
How do I repot water lilies correctly?
To repot water lilies, choose May/June, get a suitable plant basket, prepare fresh, low-lime substrate and, if necessary, divide the rootstock or rhizome. Insert the water lily, add fertilizer balls and weigh down the plant with larger stones.
Best time for repotting
Not every time of the year is suitable for repotting water lilies. If you find that your specimen needs a new pot, then wait until May or June. This gives the plants enough time to root in the new plant basket until winter. Autumn, on the other hand, is less suitable, especially if repotting also involves pruning.
Get a new plant basket
Get a suitable plant basket that may be larger than the old one. But considering the size of the pond, it shouldn't be too big. Overgrown water lilies are difficult to remove. It is better to cut back or divide the water lily as a preventive measure.
- choose a non-rotting material
- tuberous roots require a deep and narrow pot
- Rhizomes, on the other hand, need a wide and flat pot
- 2-10 liter volume is appropriate for small ponds
- 5-10 liters for medium-sized ponds
- 15-30 liters for large ponds
Provide fresh substrate
You should not plant water lilies in fine soil as this will be washed out and affect the water quality. Instead, buy special substrate for water lilies. You can also mix the water lily substrate yourself at home. Gravel and gravel made from all low-limestone types of stone are suitable. The grain size should be between 2 and 4 mm.
Get the water lily out of the pond and repot it
- Get the plant basket out of the pond, as repotting can only be done outside of it.
- Take the water lily out of the basket.
- Clean the rootstock or rhizome with pond water.
- Depending on the variety, you can divide the tuberous rootstock or rhizome and plant the pieces separately.
- Remove damaged or black roots and shorten the light, he althy roots.
- Fill the new plant basket 2/3 full with substrate.
- Place the water lily on top - rhizome flat, root tuber vertical. Fill the gaps with substrate.
- Fertilize the water lily by adding fertilizer balls.
- Finally, you can weigh down the plant with larger stones.
Tip
Use a sharp, clean knife for all cutting measures and disinfect the cuts with activated carbon.
