A waterlily planted well becomes one of the best plants a koi pond can have: its leaves shade the surface and shelter fish, and its flowers carry the season. The steps below cover potted and bare-root waterlilies, and the mistakes that hold them back. If you haven't chosen a variety yet, How to Choose Pond Plants for Your Water Garden covers selection, and Why Are Plants Important in a Fish Pond? covers why plants matter in the first place.
First: Choose the Right Container
A common mistake is leaving a newly purchased waterlily in its undersized nursery pot, which can restrict growth. For established potted waterlilies, a planting container of at least 14 inches in diameter is commonly recommended. Flexible fabric pots are a widely used choice: the Aquascape Heavy Duty Aquatic Plant Pots are described in their listing as designed for larger aquatic plants and great for planting and repotting waterlilies. Waterlilies can also grow in watertight decorative containers — roughly 12-15 inches deep and 24-36 inches across is a common starting range — but the mature size of your variety and its label requirements control the choice.
Planting a Potted Waterlily
Place aquatic planting media in the container, position the plant, and fill around it. Aquascape Pond Plant Potting Media is a non-toxic, alluvial planting media with no peat moss or compost, according to its listing. Apply fertilizer only according to the fertilizer's own label; options include the Aquascape Once-A-Year Plant Fertilizer Capsule, listed as a time-released fertilizer for waterlilies and other pond plants, and Pond Tabbs Aquatic Plant Food, water-soluble tablets that go into the soil near the plant crown and are listed as ideal for water lilies and other aquatic plants. Then cover the surface with washed gravel or larger river rock to reduce soil loss and discourage koi from digging. Loose soil that escapes a planted container is one of the fine-particle sources behind cloudy water — see Why Is My Pond Water Cloudy (and How to Fix It) for the broader causes.
Planting a Bare-Root Waterlily
Use an aquatic planter around 14 by 7 inches — the Aquascape Aquatic Lily Planter (14" x 7", 2 pack) is a porous fabric planter listed for waterlilies and other larger aquatic plants. Position the rhizome at roughly a 45-degree angle, with the cut end lower and near the pot edge and the growing tip slightly above the soil surface. Cover with a top layer of about
half an inch of washed gravel or small pebbles — approximate guidance, not a fixedspecification — and lower the planter slowly at an angle so trapped air can escape
without disturbing the planting.
Setting the Depth
Lower the planted container carefully and place it at the depth recommended on the waterlily's own tag. Planting depth varies by waterlily, so the tag — not a general rule — controls.
How Much Sun a Waterlily Needs
Most waterlilies need at least six hours of sun and perform best with more, while some shade-tolerant varieties can manage less. Treat that as general guidance and check your variety's label.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Leaving a new waterlily in its undersized nursery pot, which can restrict growth.
- Guessing at planting depth instead of following the plant's own tag.
- Applying fertilizer beyond what its own label directs.
- Skipping the gravel cover that keeps soil in the pot and discourages koi.
- Dropping the planter in quickly instead of lowering it slowly at an angle.
Planted well, a waterlily shades the surface, shelters fish, and flowers through the season. Browse the PondScape Learning Center for more pond care guides.