Gardening Tips & Tricks
Potting Up Aquatic Plants
Just like your pot plants, water plants need to be pruned, re-potted, divided and fertilised as well. This ensures that your water plants will always be healthy and lush, creating a stunning pond, pot or water feature. The best time to re-pot your water plants is during summer when the water starts to warm up to about 20oC. Different water plants have different re-potting needs. Water lilies should be re-potted every two to three years. Most clump forming water plant varieties, such as sedges and papyrus can be divided every year if the plant begins to outgrow the pot.
It is important not to fertilise your water plants with any organic fertilisers, such as manures. Although these fertilisers produce magnificent results, plant growth will come at the expense of water quality. The water will become dirty with accelerated algae and slime bloom. Instead, fertilise with Aquatic Plant Tablets that will not contaminate the water or harm fish.
To re-pot your water plants you will need the following:
- Sharp Secateurs
- New pot to plant into
- Newspaper
- Coarse River Sand
- Searles Premium Potting Mix
- Aquatic Plant Fertiliser Tablets
- Searles Robust Plus Slow Release Fertiliser
- A plastic bucket
HOW TO RE-POT YOUR WATER PLANTS
1. Prepare plant for re-potting. That is: prune any roots that are coming out of the base of the pot; trim back any straggly/dead foliage; separate clumps and place in a bucket in a shady spot near to your work station.
2. Line the drainage holes of the new pots with three layers of newspaper.
3. On top of the newspaper place about 2 inches of coarse river sand. Then add a layer of premium potting mix. Tip: Make sure the coarse river sand and potting mix are damp as this stops any floating of the mix.
4. Depending on the size of the pot/plant, sprinkle the required amount of Searles Robust Plus Slow Release fertiliser on top of the potting mix.
5. Place the plant on top of the potting mix layer and carefully place the potting mix around the root ball and around the sides of the pot. Leave about an inch space from the level of the potting mix to the top of the pot.
6. Push an Aquatic Plant Tablet down the side into the potting mix.
7. Place a layer of damp coarse river sand on top of the potting mix. This ensures that when the plant is placed in the pond, the mix will not float out of the pot.
8. Fill up a bucket with water and submerge the plant. Leave the pot in the bucket for an hour or so to ensure that the mix is thoroughly soaked and all air bubbles have escaped.
9. Remove the plant from the bucket and place in to the pond or pot.
10. Sit back and enjoy your beautiful water feature.
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