I know this has been covered before but it seems like it has been a long time ago. As I have just dug a new pond, I am considering something other than clay soil (for water lilies, pickerel rush, cattails, rush, etc). I have heard of using kitty littler and other stuff. I have a lot of my plants like colocasias in gravel and they are doing well. What do you prefer?
What potting medium to do you like?
Nobody wants to talk *dirt* today? LOL
Well BS.
I use a combination of mushroom composte and sand. My stuff grows like mad- (more sand than composte)
But then again- I have yet to get a lily to bloom! Maybe I need to fertilize more?
This is a good thread- I'll ad it to my watch list.
We stole clay/sand mixture from a badger lair. It's prob. about 50/50 ...the lilies loved it and so did I when it came time to remove them from the pots. :) I've also used the kiln dried clay pellets (soil ammendment) but they are sooo expensive!
tsavo I feed my water lilies every 2-3 weeks when it gets hot here. (Which most years is about 6 weeks). This year I'll be ecstatic if we see warm!!
Oh ah! I am starving them still! Gosh- these little guys are gonna eat me out of house and home!
Thanks alot! :-)
Thank you! Some conversation!! :) Darn! I don't know where to find a badger lair. LOL Okay Lily, you get major points for creativity and being adventurous! Does your special blend much up the water much?
Crimson, mine are just in plain old backyard clay and have never been fed and well, ummm, (whispers) they are blooming. Gulp. I am thinking down there though, you don't have plain old back yard clay? LOL The clay does work. I am kind of trying to find something cleaner. The water does settle but I hate the way it makes it murky if I have to repot or whatever.
Not too bad Badseed...it settles within a few minutes. I also presoak it before I put it in and lower it gently.
When we dug the clay/sand we kept a very, very close eye on the entrance....we were ready to run at a moments notice!!! Them boys can be really, really nasty.
I had blooms without feeding here as well...but not as many and usually none when we hit the 90's and 100's (F).
This message was edited Jul 5, 2004 12:12 PM
Arghhhhhhh LOL- Imma go steal some clay off the road haha.
I detest that granular stuff with a passion. My fish will dig through the larger rocks to get to that stuff and it goes all over the bottom of my pond. No more.... I use top soil that you purchase in bags at the local home improvement store. And lots of fertilizer tablets.
I use dirt from the ground out here, our sandy loam that has a bit of clay in it, just enough to make it a bit sticky when it's wet.
I also use fruit tree spikes to fertilize ~ they have high phosphorous and potassium numbers. I break them up with a hammer and put a 1" chunk in each gallon pot, two chunks in larger pots. Works great for me! I'm getting TONS of blooms ~ atleast four a day, usually six or seven.
I've heard of using kitty litter and may try it one day. So far, I don't have many problems with my soil clouding up the water. It does at first, but soon settles.