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| Planting the Pool |
After the pool is completed, many a water gardener's first action is to
cover the floor with a 5- to 6-inch layer of earth. Having thus "simulated
a natural environment," as he thinks he should, he then proceeds to
plant-and to wonder thereafter why his water-lilies don't do as well as
the ones next door.
Planting On the Pool Floor
I can't imagine why so many gardeners persist in planting directly
on the floor of a deep pool, or even in permanent built-in boxes, for
there isn't a dealer I know who recommends it. It makes for muddy,
awkward maintenance work, and furthermore does not get the lilies off
to a good start.
In either case, it is necessary to plant the pool while it is empty and
then to add the water. This is risky business, since water-lilies are
shipped after growth has started and plants can easily be rendered inactive again by a severe shock. Water fed into a pool from a household
tap is cold enough to give many species just such a stunting shock.
Plants will recover, but perhaps not until well along in the season.
The alternative is to add enough water to cover the crowns of the
plants for only an inch or so. In the course of a day the sun will warm
the shallow water, and the probability of shock be greatly reduced. In
a few days, a few more inches of water can be added, and so on until
the pool is full. This procedure is usually safe enough but awfully slow
and tedious.
Of course, if the pool is shallow, say only 12 to 15 inches deep, there
is no choice but to plant directly in soil spread on the bottom. Pools this
shallow can be filled with water immediately and then allowed to warm
up for several days before they are planted.
Planting in Movable Receptacles
Planting in one of the many kinds of movable receptacles has advantages which are obvious. Most important, it enables a gardener to
clean out his pool as early as he likes in spring, fill it with fresh water,
and let the water be warming under the sun until planting time.
Movable boxes also make the work far easier. With a box, wooden
pail, or small tub, you can work where you choose, and in a comfortable
position, setting the receptacles into place in the pool when you are finished. Then you can rearrange them in the pool as often as you like
without damage to the plants. You will also find it a simple matter to
take up a particular lily, should you want to fertilize it or cut a rootstock from it for a friend.
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