DivideWaterLilies

Here is what I do when I divide and re-pot my HARDY water lilies.

When you take the lilies out of the pond, you MUST keep them wet all the time. I put
mine in a pick-up bed lined with a plastic tarp and filled with water. A clean garbage
can or a plastic tote will work. I take one lily at a time out of the water and, using a
garden hose, wash the dirt away from the rhizome and the roots. Be careful of the
growing tips. They break easy. A growing tip is where the leaves are starting to grow
or are growing out of the rhizome.

Using a sharp knife, cut the rhizome between the growing tips. Do not cut the roots.
Separate the pieces of rhizome along with their roots carefully. I leave 2 or 3 growing
tips on each division, but that is just my way. Some people leave only 1.
Cut away any part of the roots that are BLACK (dead roots) and any part of the
rhizome that is "mushy" or rotten looking.

You will need a pot with no holes in the bottom or one that you can block the holes
with a small piece of a plastic bag. A pot the size that Lowes or Home Depot sells for
use as a hanging basket is about the right size. The "cheap" about $3.99 plastic
type is what I use. A cheap plastic dishpan like they sell at the Dollar Stores or Wal-
Mart will work well. The pot needs to be at least 12” dia. and at least 10” deep.
Bigger if you plan on keeping them in the same pot for a longer than one year
period. I can not lift a bigger / heavier pot so I use these.

Put plain old dirt into the lower 1/3 of the pot. I use the dirt I dig up here in my "back
40". Into this dirt mix 2 handfuls of a pelletized, slow release fertilizer. I use "Miracle
Grow" "shake and feed'. The numbers on this fertilizer needs to be the "10 - 10 - 10"
type. Or another equal numbered (like a 14-14-14 for example) slow-release
fertilizer. Mix-up the fertilizer and dirt well and then wet the dirt to be just about wet
enough to make "mud balls". Level the dirt.

Over that dirt, add more dirt to fill another 1/3 of the pots volume. Do NOT mix these
layers of dirt. Wet this second layer of dirt so it is as wet as the first. you will plant
the Lily rhizome into this dirt.

Dig a hole in the top dirt section ONLY (don't stir up the pelletized fertilizer) so you
can bury the roots and the lower half of the rhizome. You MUST leave the
"GROWING TIPS" exposed to the water in the pond.

Next comes more fertilizer. I use "Plant-tabs". These are a fertilizer tablet about 3/4"
dia. and 1/2" thick. You can use "Jobs" tree spikes. Cut the tree spikes into pieces
about the same size as the Plant-tabs. A metal cutting hack saw works well for
cutting the tree spikes You want 5 plant-tabs placed around the tuber. Just poke
your finger down into the dirt, drop in a plant-tab and cover up with dirt. DO NOT
LET the plant-tabs touch the roots, or they will burn them.
And you want them covered with dirt so they do not touch the water or they will
create an algae growth.

When you have the rhizome planted, cover all of the dirt over with "gravel" . DO NOT
COVER THE GROWING TIPS. I use rocks that are from 1/2" to 1" in diameter. You
want the gravel to come up to within 1/2" of the pots top edge. The gravel keeps the
dirt in and the fish out of the dirt.

Place the planted pot into a container like a garbage can (CLEAN) or a plastic tote
that you have filled with water. Or back into the pick-up bed. Let the lily soak over
night. This lets the dirt "solidify" and settle down.

The next day, take the potted lily out of the soaking water and slowly lower the pot
into your pond. The top of the pot should be about 18” to 24" deep when in place in
your pond.

In June, 2002 I bought 1 "Attraction" water lily.
In April, 2003 I divided that 1 into 4.
In April, 2004, I divided those 4 into 16.
Now I have given away 15 and am back to 1.
All my divisions have at least 2 growing tips. This system works well for me.

Happy pondering.

Claude