Potting water lillies for first time

[MajorDan]

I have the Walmart oil pans, kitty litter, Osmocote slow release fertilizer and two water Lillie’s still in the coconut fiber and net they came in. Both of them have been on the bottom of my pond since I got them and have several leaves that are just about to reach the surface.
I am ready to pot them and just want to clear up a few things.

When I take the tuner out of the coconut fiber do I need to do anything with it?
I assume I can leave the new leafs alone.
How much Osmocote do I add to the kitty litter. Do I just sprinkle it on bottom before adding kitty litter.
How close to the top do I fill the pan with kitty litter and can I add gavel on top of kitty litter.

Looking forward to having pads on my pond.

 

[Lisak1]

If it's just one tuber, which it sounds like it is, you can leave it alone. Put it in the pan with the growing tip (where the pads are coming from) angeled up so it doesn't get buried. I put the fertilizer in the very bottom of the pan (a couple of tablespoons, roughly) add some litter, mix it up, and put the tuber in. Cover with more kitty litter and add a couple of rocks to hold the tuber down. You can indeed add gravel to the top if you wish. SLOWLY lower it into the pond allowing the water to fill the pan. I often add water to the pan and let it soak in before I try returning it to the pond, but that can make your pan heavier. You just want the litter to be a bit less powdery as you lower it.

 

[MajorDan]

Thanks mucho!

I guess I just needed some reassurance that I was doing it right before I cut the plants out of there nets and coconut bark.

 

[j.w]

Butt the root end of the tuber up against the side of the pot so the growing pad end has plenty of room to grow out from. 45 degree angle up is good from root end to pads like @Lisak1 said to do so not covering the growing tip. You might want to use something like small rocks instead of gravel over the dirt. Ones that the darn fish can't pick up and throw out of the pot, cuz oh yes mine had a real party w/the gravel,lol!

 

[MajorDan]

Potting chore is done with plants in their pans and on the bottom. I did put gravel and a rock on top. No koi planned for pond, just pretty shubunkins.
My pond bottom is already littered with gravel and pebbles that flowed out of the bog before I got the flow turned down and added larger pebbles at the lip. I am thinking I will gradually add more gravel to bottom over time. I like the look and it gives my fish something to do.

 

[j.w]

@MajorDan I don't think a thin layer of gravel or kitty litter will matter and you are right the fish do like to nibble so if you don't mind they won't either.

 

[addy1]

I have a shallow layer of pea gravel, kitty litter from years of stuff falling out of pots, etc. I just leave it the fish enjoy nibbling at it.

 

[MajorDan]

Oh my gosh, water test results were perfect tonight. No NH3 and my liner and rocks are growing some gorgeous algae...time to add 3 shubunkins! As soon as the water warms a bit I will be shopping for some new friends!

Thanks all for helping make it to this point. Still lots of work to really build the waterfall and make stones to cover liner. But that can all wait until fish are swimming.