After a long, cold winter, you’re probably ready to put your green thumb to work in your pond – and digging into your aquatic plants is a great place to start. Your potted bog plants and water lilies will need to be divided, but how you do so will depend on the type of plants you’re dealing with. In general, your bog plants will need to be divided every one to two years, and your water lilies will need to be divided every two to three years.
Below, we’ve included some simplified step-by-step instructions for how to do it. So pull out your waders, pruning tools, extra plant baskets, aquatic soil and garden hose – and let’s get to work!
Dividing Bog Plants
Bog plants include species like corkscrew rush, cattails and irises. Some have clumping roots, some have runners and some have rhizomes. Regardless of the type of root mass, here’s what to do with them:
Step 1: First, lift the pot or container out of the pond and gently remove the root mass.
Step 2: Using your garden hose, wash the soil off of the mass and trim away any dead leaves and foliage.
Step 3: Divide the root mass depending on the type of root system. For plants with clumping roots like corkscrew rush, separate the roots into sections, leaving some roots intact with each section. For plants that divide by runners like dwarf cattails, cut the runner root and leave the root base with each section of the plant. And for plants that are rhizomes like irises, simply divide them into sections.
Step 4: Replant each section of plant in its own container and dispose of any plant overgrowth.
Dividing Water Lilies
Water lilies – both tropical and the hardy variety – are also relatively easy to divide. You’ll know it’s time to separate them when you notice fewer pads, reduced blooms or splitting pots.
Step 1: First, lift the pot or container out of the pond, locate the tuber and gently remove it.
Step 2: Rinse off the soil, and trim away root growth and old foliage.
Step 3: Identify the crowns, or the little buds where a new lily pad group will sprout, and cut between them with a sharp knife. Keep the pieces 3 to 4 inches in length. Each one of these will become a new water lily plant.
Step 4: Using aquatic planting media, plant each section separately at a 45-degree angle so that the growing tip is still exposed above the soil.
Step 5: Place your repotted lilies in a shallow area of your pond where only a few inches of water cover the plants.
Step 6: Once new growth appears, move the lilies to the deeper areas of your pond.
Fertilize and Tend
Once you’ve divided and replanted your aquatic plants, don’t forget to give them year long Aquatic fertilizer spikes to ensure they’re getting the nutrients they need to thrive and produce vigorous blooms. And keep your colorful beauties looking good by keeping them trimmed and regularly removing dead foliage throughout the growing season
