Question on putting plants into baskets.

[Merlin]

I recently picked up a few plants for my little 50gal pond and the plants are getting a little big for the pots that they came in, but I am at a loss on some techniques on putting them into baskets.

I have heard of a few people planting plants without soil and I think that doing that would do a great deal towards reducing my brown water.

How do y'all go around transplanting plants into baskets. Do you use soil or do you plant them in gravel. Is there any techniques on doing such and what materials do you use.

I would love to see what you guys do. I have been searching for a while but have come up with no useful information.

 

[Gobucks]

Merlin,
I have found that you can plant your pond plants in pantyhose. I will find cheap pairs, cut them to the size I need and use "pond soil" (it's a lot like gravel) to plant the plant. So far it's working!

 

[Merlin]

Cool, you have a good source for your pond soil?
anyone else wanna post up their favourite way to plant their pond plants?

 

[stroppy]

i plant mine in aquatic soil and line the planter with sacking first .and finish off with gravel.... if there something like water cress i just use gravel in a planter ... seems to work fine :banghead3:

 

[oldmarine]

Use the recommended aquatic soil for potting all aquatic plants. If you use regular potting soil, your pond water will end up with a tinted color simular to tea, and your pond water won't stay clear like it should using the corrct filtration system for your pond size.

 

[koiguy1969]

i use pea gravel no soil roots can draw nutrients right from water.. even lillies.

 

[DrDave]

i use pea gravel no soil roots can draw nutrients right from water.. even lillies.

I do as well. No dirt in my pond anymore.

 

[oldmarine]

I only have one potted plant left that I used regular potting soil in, and it still leaches some of that tea color into my pond. Next spring I will repot it with either pea gravel or the other aqautc potting mix. I have two bags that I bought on sale at petsmart on sale for a forth of the original cost.

 

[koiguy1969]

and a $4.00 bag of pea gravel goes along way.

 

[oldmarine]

I like the way you think, thanks.

 

[leeannecastro]

I use pea gravel for my lillies and also for the marginals in my bog.

 

[Billkeyups]

DrDave, have you used the basket/gravel method with lotus? Lotus needs to be nearer the surface, so would you put it on an inverted pot in the deep part, or on a plant shelf?

 

[DrDave]

I do not have lotus, wish I did.

 

[oldmarine]

Bill, according to the pond guy here in Tacoma, lotus should be planted in two to three feet of water. If the roots freeze, they will not servive the winter.

 

[DrDave]

Is that only due to the possibility of a freeze? or do they have to be that deep even in warmer climates?