Still looking for a better planting medium.
 

I have been looking for something to pot plants in (esp water lilies)
that will not (with koi help) dump dirt into the water.

A year or two ago we talked about it on this group and it seemed that
using gravel without dirt was the way to go. The problem
with that it get ugly when it comes time to divide plants. The rocks are
hell on any knife, and even heavier then dirt. With many plants the
rocks and the boot ball become one mass and one has to hack through the
rock/root ball to divide the plant. That takes a lot longer then doing
the same with a soil potted plant.

In an earlier post Benign Vanilla talked about using Iris in laundry
baskets filled with river rock mixed with pea gravel. Do you have
problems with plant division? Also why add the pea gravel ?

We have tried using various types of rock on top of the dirt but sooner
or latter a pot gets dumped over or something else wrong and the pond is
a mess.

HTH


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Still looking for a better planting medium.
 

With some marginals I use BIG rocks so they don't get intertwined with
roots, but mainly hold the plant in place till the roots fill the basket.
Otherwise with lilies and bulb plants I find using my sandy soil with weed
cloth on top in strips and a good layer of large river rock on top, keeps
the koi out of the dirt, and the rocks on top. Without fabric the rocks
just settle into the sand. ~ jan

On Sat, 22 May 2004 13:16:41 -0600, HTH wrote:

I have been looking for something to pot plants in (esp water lilies)
that will not (with koi help) dump dirt into the water.

A year or two ago we talked about it on this group and it seemed that
using gravel without dirt was the way to go. The problem
with that it get ugly when it comes time to divide plants. The rocks are
hell on any knife, and even heavier then dirt. With many plants the
rocks and the boot ball become one mass and one has to hack through the
rock/root ball to divide the plant. That takes a lot longer then doing
the same with a soil potted plant.

In an earlier post Benign Vanilla talked about using Iris in laundry
baskets filled with river rock mixed with pea gravel. Do you have
problems with plant division? Also why add the pea gravel ?

We have tried using various types of rock on top of the dirt but sooner
or latter a pot gets dumped over or something else wrong and the pond is
a mess.

HTH


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-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

(Do you know where your water quality is?)

Still looking for a better planting medium.
 

Jan,
How wide do you make the strips and how much overlap.

~ jan JJsPond.us wrote:
With some marginals I use BIG rocks so they don't get intertwined with
roots, but mainly hold the plant in place till the roots fill the basket.
Otherwise with lilies and bulb plants I find using my sandy soil with weed
cloth on top in strips and a good layer of large river rock on top, keeps
the koi out of the dirt, and the rocks on top. Without fabric the rocks
just settle into the sand. ~ jan


On Sat, 22 May 2004 13:16:41 -0600, HTH wrote:


I have been looking for something to pot plants in (esp water lilies)
that will not (with koi help) dump dirt into the water.

A year or two ago we talked about it on this group and it seemed that
using gravel without dirt was the way to go. The problem
with that it get ugly when it comes time to divide plants. The rocks are
hell on any knife, and even heavier then dirt. With many plants the
rocks and the boot ball become one mass and one has to hack through the
rock/root ball to divide the plant. That takes a lot longer then doing
the same with a soil potted plant.

In an earlier post Benign Vanilla talked about using Iris in laundry
baskets filled with river rock mixed with pea gravel. Do you have
problems with plant division? Also why add the pea gravel ?

We have tried using various types of rock on top of the dirt but sooner
or latter a pot gets dumped over or something else wrong and the pond is
a mess.

HTH


-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----


(Do you know where your water quality is?)


-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
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-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

Still looking for a better planting medium.
 

HTH wrote:

I have been looking for something to pot plants in (esp water lilies)
that will not (with koi help) dump dirt into the water.

Clay is the best and the best source of clay is Walmart's cheapest kitty
litter at a couple dollars for a huge bag. It is pure clay with no scent
or anything else. First I put a layer of 3/4 inch river rock on the
bottom, then the lily tuber covered with the kitty litter, and then I
cover the kitty litter and lily tuber with 3/4 inch river rock. You can
add pressed sphaghnum moss "paper" as a filter to help keep the clay in
pond baskets. I personally don't bother and haven't had any problems.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman

Still looking for a better planting medium.
 

Length 3-5". Width about 1 to 1.5 inches, over lap less than .25 inches,
sometimes just touching. I use strips so the plants can grow up thru it and
I can get a fertilizer tab into the dirt when needed. Works really well.
~ jan

On Sun, 23 May 2004 10:26:12 -0600, HTH wrote:

Jan,
How wide do you make the strips and how much overlap.

~ jan JJsPond.us wrote:
With some marginals I use BIG rocks so they don't get intertwined with
roots, but mainly hold the plant in place till the roots fill the basket.
Otherwise with lilies and bulb plants I find using my sandy soil with weed
cloth on top in strips and a good layer of large river rock on top, keeps
the koi out of the dirt, and the rocks on top. Without fabric the rocks
just settle into the sand. ~ jan


On Sat, 22 May 2004 13:16:41 -0600, HTH wrote:


I have been looking for something to pot plants in (esp water lilies)
that will not (with koi help) dump dirt into the water.

A year or two ago we talked about it on this group and it seemed that
using gravel without dirt was the way to go. The problem
with that it get ugly when it comes time to divide plants. The rocks are
hell on any knife, and even heavier then dirt. With many plants the
rocks and the boot ball become one mass and one has to hack through the
rock/root ball to divide the plant. That takes a lot longer then doing
the same with a soil potted plant.

In an earlier post Benign Vanilla talked about using Iris in laundry
baskets filled with river rock mixed with pea gravel. Do you have
problems with plant division? Also why add the pea gravel ?

We have tried using various types of rock on top of the dirt but sooner
or latter a pot gets dumped over or something else wrong and the pond is
a mess.

HTH


-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----


(Do you know where your water quality is?)


-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
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-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

(Do you know where your water quality is?)

Still looking for a better planting medium.
 

I have always used good old local clay from my back yard. I dig past the
topsoil then use the clay. MIKE
"Stephen M. Henning" wrote in message
...
HTH wrote:

I have been looking for something to pot plants in (esp water lilies)
that will not (with koi help) dump dirt into the water.

Clay is the best and the best source of clay is Walmart's cheapest kitty
litter at a couple dollars for a huge bag. It is pure clay with no scent
or anything else. First I put a layer of 3/4 inch river rock on the
bottom, then the lily tuber covered with the kitty litter, and then I
cover the kitty litter and lily tuber with 3/4 inch river rock. You can
add pressed sphaghnum moss "paper" as a filter to help keep the clay in
pond baskets. I personally don't bother and haven't had any problems.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman

Still looking for a better planting medium.
 

Personally, I don't think it matters wheither it is clay or sandy, the
major component is "free". Plants like "free" soil. ;o) ~ jan

On Mon, 24 May 2004 08:24:18 -0500, wrote:

I have always used good old local clay from my back yard. I dig past the
topsoil then use the clay. MIKE
"Stephen M. Henning" wrote in message
...
HTH wrote:

I have been looking for something to pot plants in (esp water lilies)
that will not (with koi help) dump dirt into the water.

Clay is the best and the best source of clay is Walmart's cheapest kitty
litter at a couple dollars for a huge bag. It is pure clay with no scent
or anything else. First I put a layer of 3/4 inch river rock on the
bottom, then the lily tuber covered with the kitty litter, and then I
cover the kitty litter and lily tuber with 3/4 inch river rock. You can
add pressed sphaghnum moss "paper" as a filter to help keep the clay in
pond baskets. I personally don't bother and haven't had any problems.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman


(Do you know where your water quality is?)

Still looking for a better planting medium.
 

Thanks Jan,

You suggestion of using weed cloth is what I am going to try. For
economic reasons I will be sticking with my local dirt which should work
well with the cloth and rocks. It is works well till the rocks sink and
the fish start tossing the dirt around.


howard


~ jan JJsPond.us wrote:

Length 3-5". Width about 1 to 1.5 inches, over lap less than .25 inches,
sometimes just touching. I use strips so the plants can grow up thru it and
I can get a fertilizer tab into the dirt when needed. Works really well.
~ jan


On Sun, 23 May 2004 10:26:12 -0600, HTH wrote:


Jan,
How wide do you make the strips and how much overlap.

~ jan JJsPond.us wrote:

With some marginals I use BIG rocks so they don't get intertwined with
roots, but mainly hold the plant in place till the roots fill the basket.
Otherwise with lilies and bulb plants I find using my sandy soil with weed
cloth on top in strips and a good layer of large river rock on top, keeps
the koi out of the dirt, and the rocks on top. Without fabric the rocks
just settle into the sand. ~ jan



On Sat, 22 May 2004 13:16:41 -0600, HTH wrote:


I have been looking for something to pot plants in (esp water lilies)
that will not (with koi help) dump dirt into the water.

A year or two ago we talked about it on this group and it seemed that
using gravel without dirt was the way to go. The problem
with that it get ugly when it comes time to divide plants. The rocks are
hell on any knife, and even heavier then dirt. With many plants the
rocks and the boot ball become one mass and one has to hack through the
rock/root ball to divide the plant. That takes a lot longer then doing
the same with a soil potted plant.

In an earlier post Benign Vanilla talked about using Iris in laundry
baskets filled with river rock mixed with pea gravel. Do you have
problems with plant division? Also why add the pea gravel ?

We have tried using various types of rock on top of the dirt but sooner
or latter a pot gets dumped over or something else wrong and the pond is
a mess.

HTH


-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----


(Do you know where your water quality is?)


-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----


(Do you know where your water quality is?)


-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

Still looking for a better planting medium.
 

"HTH" wrote in message
...
I have been looking for something to pot plants in (esp water lilies)
that will not (with koi help) dump dirt into the water.

A year or two ago we talked about it on this group and it seemed that
using gravel without dirt was the way to go. The problem
with that it get ugly when it comes time to divide plants. The rocks are
hell on any knife, and even heavier then dirt. With many plants the
rocks and the boot ball become one mass and one has to hack through the
rock/root ball to divide the plant. That takes a lot longer then doing
the same with a soil potted plant.

In an earlier post Benign Vanilla talked about using Iris in laundry
baskets filled with river rock mixed with pea gravel. Do you have
problems with plant division? Also why add the pea gravel ?
snip

I usually pour some pea gravel on he bottom of the basket, and sit the root
ball tubor there. I then pour a bit more pea gravel and then the river rock.
The gravel helps to keep the root ball steady, and I figure the smaller rock
around the roots will help the roots to be treated more delicately and give
them time to establish themselves, but providing lots of nooks and crannies.

As for division. I have had no problems at all.

BV.

Still looking for a better planting medium.
 

"~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote in message
s.com...
With some marginals I use BIG rocks so they don't get intertwined with
roots, but mainly hold the plant in place till the roots fill the basket.
Otherwise with lilies and bulb plants I find using my sandy soil with weed
cloth on top in strips and a good layer of large river rock on top, keeps
the koi out of the dirt, and the rocks on top. Without fabric the rocks
just settle into the sand. ~ jan
snip

Your post reminded me, I have not had 100% success with rocks a planting
medium...

Iris - 100% success
Cattails - 100% success
Star Palm (not sure real name) - marginal success, plant is alive but not
thriving
Lotus - 0%, haven't tried stone for lotus, always use mud
Lily - 50%, marginal success lily is growing but not thriving
Pickeral rush - 100%, but this stuff will grow anywhere

BV.