Sent: Friday, October 16, 20099:58 AM
To: aroid-l@gizmoworks.com
Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] Cyrtospermagrowing media suggestions...
John,
I have grow water lilies and Lotus fordecades using water lily
pots. There are many sizesavailable of these from suppliers
such as "Lilypons".
Also, while I'm not advising on a mediumfor aquatic aroids, I
can confidently report one of the bestmedia for Nymphaea or
Lotus is the heavy red clay soil of theUS Southeast. Also, the
muck in the pond is called muck and madeup of more than the
fish waste ... the roots of my plantslove it as well when it has
accumulated enough :-) .
We cover the top of the clay soil in thepots with gravel. The aroids
along the margins thrive in this.
Have you tried these water gardeningtechniques and have you
read any of the information fromLilypons?
I would love to hear.
Alison
In a message dated 10/15/2009 12:30:00A.M. Central Daylight Time, criswick@spiceisle.com writes:
I have had very varied success with Nymphaeas. The books saylarge containers with no holes and NO animal manure; only good topsoil. Then you have to keep giving fertilizer (the Nymphaea fertilizer is EXPENSIVE)or the plants start decreasing in size.
But I observed that a yellow nymphaea which had grown over the edgeof the pot, had sent roots spreading in all directions in the gunk on theconcrete floor of the pond (largely fish excrement). And the lily wentwild! Huge leaves and flowers.
So I started putting nymphaeas in fairly wide, but very shallowplastic containers, reasoning that the roots like the aeration on the surfaceof the soil medium. I use cat litter trays or shallow “washpans” (pre-washing machine). In the bottom I put 4 inches ofwell-rotted pig manure, topped by 4 inches of loam. I plant the nymphaeain the centre and cover the loam with sand. Then I gently submerge thecontainer in the 18 inch deep pond, but not keeping the crown 6 to 8inches below the water surface, as the books tell you to do.
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