Wow, seven years eh? One of these days I might actually get a lily to grow past one season. So far I've had no luck over wintering them. Maybe you can come be MY neighbor and teach me how!

LOL, I know what you mean, but I kind of like repotting them. Unless they have gravel in them. I hate getting gravel out of the roots.

I agree, it is a job. I was exhausted afterwards. They are soooo pretty though.

How about a picture to inspire?
{{gwi:194710}}

Very pretty hoovb. Who is that?

Hoovb
That is beautiful... Maybe I'll try to do something with mine this weekend.. I'll have to do something if i want one like that. Very beautiful...

I had a lily that grew for about 30 years without being repotted. When I drained the pond, the lily had grown out of the pot and was serpentined all over the pond. The pond was 15' by 45' so I had over a hundred feet of tuber from one lily. I had to remove all that and find good pieces to repot. Since it was fall and we were redoing the pond, I had to store the pieces for the winter. I put them in moist sphagnum moss for the winter in a cool place in the basement. I planted the 12 best sections. Ten of these thrived. That was 3 years ago, so I am hoping I can divide 2 of them this year so I can replace the other two that didn't get started. Originally, 35 years ago, I had planted 4 different colors. The one that took over was the hardiest, the white one. So that is my favorite since I know it will do well with no attention. Since I found Once-A-Year fertilizer spikes this year, I will be fertilizing with those. I never did fertilize more than once per year since it involved getting out the waders and only did that once.

Where did you find once a year fertilizer spikes? I only fertilized once last after I kept seeing a snake in the lily pond. I fertilized when I moved the lilies from the bottom of the koi pond to the lily pond and repotted them, but I used a granule fertilizer.

I cheat...I do not try to rinse the roots. I take a small shovel and cut off sections of the tuber dirt and all and set in a new pot. Fertilize and refill with dirt. I then fertilize the pot where I removed tubers and refill. I've done this for several years and they just keep on multiplying and blooming. I try to do them all in one day so I donj't have to smell but once.

I do that on the ones I'm keeping mammasue. But I usually trade the extras and rinsing everything off makes them easier & cheaper to mail.

Mine below. I repotted last weekend, and they had just started "sprouting" for the year. ANXIOUSLY waiting for them to get going, hate this cold snap.

{{gwi:194711}}


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Tom

Wow Tom! Really beautiful! The cold snap should be letting up come Monday, hope you enjoy it as much as I plan to.

It is 'Colorado'. I got it because the company claimed it would keep some of its leaves over the winter if it was not too cold. It did keep a lot of leaves, and even bloomed a couple times in January.

Hi marti8a,

The Once-A-Year fertilizer tabs are by AgSafe. Someone in this group used them last year and like them. I couldn't find them in local pond shops so I ordered them from:

http://www.pondsplantsandmore.com
ponds@pondsplantsandmore.com
724-239-6673

They list them as:
AgriTab: Aquatic-Spikes Plant Food (8/pk Bag) $5.95

They recommend 2 spikes per lily. Once-A-Year Aquatic-Spikes from AgSafe (a div. of AgriTab Corp., Clearfield UT). They contain: Ureaform, Amoniam Phosphate, Potassium Nitrate, Potassium Sulfate, Calcium Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Sucrate, Magnesium Sucrate, Magnesium Sulfate, Manganese Sucrate, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sucrate, and Zinc Sulfate in a time release format. The are safe for fish and other aquatic life. The nitrogen in their formulation is 70% ammonium based and 30% nitrate based.

Here is a link that might be useful: Once-A-Year Aquatic Plant Spikes