A Division Of Springtime NurseryPlawski.comText Box:  If you're planning on planting your water plants directly into a natural earth bottom pond, you will need to be aware if the water level  in the pond will remain stable.  You will need to know what kind of fish or other water creatures are living in the pond.  You will need to know how to make sure your plants will be able to establish their root system so they can survive.  Some plants are very invasive, so be cautious what you plant, as some plants are not easy to control once they take hold.  You should know what type of fish there are in your natural pond.  There are some fish that are vegetarians, and they may think you have provided a very tasty salad bar for them by putting plants in the pond.  If they are the type of fish that only eat bugs, then it shouldn’t be a problem.  Turtles love water lilies, and raccoons like to eat lily rhizomes and lotus tubers, so you should be on the lookout for these types of animals that may frequent your pond.   Depending on where you live, you will need to know if the plants you are going to put in your natural pond will survive winter cold.  If  you're in an area where the winters aren’t cold, this shouldn’t be a concern.  As with a man-made pond, the temperature of the water in your natural pond is very important.  Be sure you know what water temperature the plants you are introducing will require.   The different water plants prefer different water levels.  Lilies like for their rhizome’s  to be 18-24 inches below the water surface.  Lotus prefer the shallow depth of 8-12 inches below the surface.  Marginal and bog plants vary from wet soil to 10-12 inches deep.  If the water in the pond gets to deep or too shallow, the plants may not survive.  If the water recedes or gets deeper, for instance by 6 inches, this shouldn’t bother the lilies, or lotus, once they are established.  This may or may not bother the marginal and bog plants depending on whether the soil stays wet for them; they might be okay for a time, but they will need the water level back to where they grow best as soon as possible.   You can plant directly into the pond if you wish!  But there are a few things you must be aware of.  If you are planting lilies, and you have purchased them bare root, they will be buoyant.  They will not sink to the bottom of the pond on their own; when you plant them, you will need to anchor them down with a rock or soil. You can dig a hole deep enough for the rhizome but be careful not to cover the crown of the lily in the process.  You will have to  check periodically to make sure the rhizome is not floating.  There are a couple of things that would cause this.  A little breeze may  affect the leaves, as a sail, and pull the plants out because the soil has been disturbed around the rhizome when you planted; since the roots are not established they can easily be pulled out.  Even a fish, like a koi, trying to spawn by rubbing against the stem of the leaves can pull the plant out.  It can be a little tedious to get the lilies to stay, but once they take hold you won’t have to be on “patrol” anymore.    You could place a U shape wire on the rhizome to hold it in place so it doesn’t float to the top.  If you use this method be careful when placing the wire on the rhizome.  After the lily is rooted, you can pull the wire out or eventually the plant will grow away from the wire.  Use copper or galvanized wire so it doesn't rust.  Again, be sure the rhizome crown is not covered or damaged.   In my opinion, one of the best ways to get your lilies or lotus started in a natural pond is to plant the lily in a container, as you would, if placing in a man-made pond, and put it at the depth it needs to be at in the earth pond.  The lily will eventually grow out of the pot into the pond.  This is where those basket type containers with holes in them that some people use to plant their lilies in would come in handy. (See How to Plant Hardy Water Lilies or How to Plant Hardy Lotus)    If you're going to plant lotus in an earth pond, you can use the same methods as you would the lilies.  Just place the tuber at the correct depth; don’t plant it too deep.  This is one plant that is extremely invasive, so be sure before you put lotus in an earth pond you are aware that they will take over the pond.  Sometimes the lotus may even travel out of the pond. Again I repeat lotus are very invasive once they are established. Marginal and bog plants should be planted on the edges of the pond as mentioned before. Some like just very moist soil and some prefer up to 12 inches of water over their roots.  If you need help with finding out the depth of the marginal plants you want in your natural pond, we will be happy to help you figure it out.