"BB" wrote in message
...
(What is it with me and floating plants??? )

This has happened twice now to the same plant. I expect it'll
happen soon to the other lily I have....

Walked out to the pond the other morning and one of my lilys had
floated completely out of its terracotta pot and the root ball was
floating on the surface. Squeezed the air (CO2? Oxygen?) out of
the root ball and shoved it back in the pot. Two or three days
later, it decided it wanted to go on a field trip again and floated
to the surface again. I now have it weighted down with a brick on
one side of the pot to keep it from escaping.

Now, my previously-clear water is all gunked up with floating and
suspended bits that I can't really get out until the anchor worm
treatment is done in 3 weeks (and I suppose I can live with that.)

What can I do to keep the lily in its place? (Besides a stern
scolding.) I've considered making a wire mesh or screen "pot" with
a brick in the bottom to keep it submerged with the idea that the
roots will grow through the mesh and therefore keep it anchored.

(And I have aphids on the lily leaves; guess the fish get a
treat... )

~~Bryan

My - I have never had this happen - what kind of soil are you using? Some
people use kitty litter (the kind that is 100% clay with no additives) - I
have. You never want to use potting soil (that has peatmoss or the like in
it). Generally you can top off with pebbles if koi are a problem. Even
when my koi (MTRIP) were large they did not root out my lilies but I had
butterfly koi. You generally want poor soil (nothing enriched with
fertilizer) and then you either stick in newpaper wrapped slow release
fertilizer or plant feeder pills in the center of the pot so that it is the
plant that gets the feed and not the water). I also use plastic planters -
not even the kind with open grid - just what you typically get when you buy
a plant. This is also what they used at Schere's to plant up my lotus -
they are a first rate place.

http://www.waterlilyfarm.com/