Baskets, Tubs or Fabric pots. What is best?

[Mr.Wizard]

Some books say to use baskets for water lilies but I've noticed most people use solid plastic tubs. Some websites suggest fabric containers. So... What is the best type of pot for aquatic plants? What plants work best with each type of pot? What is your person preference and why?

 

[addy1]

I use oil pans for lilies. Black plastic plant containers for other stuff. The ones you get when you buy plants.
My lotus solid container. Ow the plant goes everywhere.

 

[cas]

I use hanging baskets for my water lilies. Makes it easier to pull out the pots to fertilize them and to move them around. I have a long stick with a hook on it to grab the hangers. I do not want to climb into the pond.

 

[bagsmom]

I use hanging baskets for my water lilies. Makes it easier to pull out the pots to fertilize them and to move them around. I have a long stick with a hook on it to grab the hangers. I do not want to climb into the pond.

View attachment 99535

What a great idea!

 

[MoonShadows]

I use hanging baskets for my water lilies. Makes it easier to pull out the pots to fertilize them and to move them around. I have a long stick with a hook on it to grab the hangers. I do not want to climb into the pond.

Ditto!

 

[mgmine]

Black oil pans and kitty litter. For the marginal plants I simply stick them in kitty litter that I dump on the ledge. In both instances I put a slow release fertilizer stick in. In the fall I pull them up and drop the huge root clump in the shallow end.

 

[Tula]

I use oil pans too. They are heavy for me to lift from the pond, so I drilled some holes in them, so they drain a bit. I found some black dish pans at the dollar store and plan on using them next year, as they have handles

@cas , what a great idea, what type of hook do you use to left them from the pond?

 

[Mmathis]

Agree that oil pans are best for lilies -- or any pan that is shallow. Reason being that their roots grow OUT and not DOWN. All of my other plants I have as marginals are just stuck in the rocks along the edge. I don't use pots, and I've never tried fabric pots, so I'm not going to say if they work or not. I like the idea of my "soil" being contained, so I don't know what would happen. Seems like the soil would leech [or is it leach?] out into the water through the fabric, but really have no idea. I think that @sissy uses some type of DIY plant containers that she has success with.

@cas I love your idea for the hanging plant baskets! One reason my lilies don't do as well as they could is that I don't pull them often enough for feeding.

 

[tbendl]

That is so great @cas!

 

[cas]

what type of hook do you use to left them from the pond?

i am too lazy to go out an take a good picture, so I just cropped a picture I had of the pole when I was using it to hold the minnow basket when I was catching babies last year. The pole is just a piece of scrap wood with a hook screwed on the end. I added duct tape to the wood because I was getting splinters from it - I'm sure someone could make a better one.

 

[Tula]

i am too lazy to go out an take a good picture, so I just cropped a picture I had of the pole when I was using it to hold the minnow basket when I was catching babies last year. The pole is just a piece of scrap wood with a hook screwed on the end. I added duct tape to the wood because I was getting splinters from it - I'm sure someone could make a better one.

View attachment 99555

Thanks for the picture. I'm really hoping for no babies this year.....say that every year !! ha ha!