Richard Sexton wrote:

In article ,
Derek Broughton wrote:
otoh, I've had success with lilies in pea gravel (and bare root). I'd
agree on the veggie filter though - there's usually too much flow for
them to be happy.

How do you fertilize them bare root? That sounds like a good way to go
for my little barrels.

You don't. I probably wouldn't do that in a little barrel either.
Bare-root planting is for ponds with healthy fish populations. The fish
produce the fertilizer, and the plants get it more easily if they're not
in soil.

State of the art 1904 thinking. Innes would agree with you. But we've
come a long way since then and proper plant nutrition needs much much more
tha fish waste. They will *grow* to be sure, but they will grow much much
better with proper food.

Oh, crap (literally). I had a not very heavily populated 5000 gallon pond.
My deep lilies would, every year, develop sufficient foliage to lift the
tubers a foot or two off the bottom of the pond. We're talking about 18"
or longer tubers, with 100sq.ft. of pads, and dozens of blooms. If I could
have made them grow better with "food" I'd have to have been nuts to do it!

Do you actually have a pond Richard? I _know_ you're an aquarium expert,
but I seriously doubt your pond experience. Compost is NOT a good idea for
a planted _fish_ pond.
--
derek