Pot for Gloire du temple hard Lily?

[perplexed ponder]

May have spelled that wrong. I have one coming in the mail, description says it needs a large pot. anyone know HOW large I should  get? I'm assuming the oil pans are too small.

[Bonnie]

The oil pans would be okay but the bigger the better.

This is one lily that I believe will bloom better with lots of room for the rhizome to grow into a colony.

[Marilyn C]

Yes, it is an odorata...it needs lots of space to do well.   As big as you can find.

[perplexed ponder]

It came yesterday in dreadful shape. It was mailed in a bag full of water, not wrapped. So the one large pad was broken off. At least I was here when it arrived so I got it out right away and planted it (in the pouring rain!) .  I hope I planted it right side up!!  There weren't roots to tell me which side was down. I put it in a dishpan, do you think that will work?

Bonnie, when you say form a colony.... should I leave it kind of crowded as it grows?

BTW- this came from ebay NOT this board. I dont' think anyone here would ship a plant like this.

[joeyb5980]

Sorry that you received a lily in poor condition    Hopefully it will pull through and re-establish itself.  I just ordered a Gloire du Temple too- it should come today.  I didn't get mine from e-bay though.  Good luck with your Gloire Kathy 

[Marilyn C]

The tubs I put mine in are about 20" across and 14" deep.    The best it ever did for me tho was when it was growing in a mud bottomed pond, without a pot.

You would think anyone familar with mailing lilies wouldn't have mailed it in water.     It should be okay tho.

[perplexed ponder]

I emailed the seller and told her about the water and the broken pad. I suggested that she wrap them in wet paper towels or newspaper and put them in a bag, then bubble wrap or wrap them in newspaper in teh box.
I was afraid she might think I was being witchy, but she wrote and said she just started to sell them and thanked me for filling her in. She usually only sells through a garden club.

Marilyn-
That is a big tub! Is that like a lotus tub or a half whiskey barrel? I can pick one up. Can it be left on the bottom? I'd never be able to lift it! it's 2' deep there. Deosnt' freeze in winter in that spot.

Joey-
Let me know how yours is when you get it. We'll have to compare thier progress!

[joeyb5980]

Hey again Kathy... I got mine in the mail today.  Mine was in great shape    I ordered a few lilies from Texas Waterlilies (my first order from them) and I am really pleased.  Shipping was fast and all lilies looked clean, healthy, established, and were packed well.  It had I think about 4 or 5 mature sized pads on it.  I just ran home at lunch and got it from the mail, so I haven't had time to pot it up yet.   From what I have read, these take a while to bloom, and don't bloom often, so we will have to have a little challenge to see whose blooms first    Good luck with yours!  Hopefully we will both get a bloom by the end of the season 

[Kat]

Good luck getting your lilies to bloom.  I've had one for over 8 years without single bloom.  I've divided it a few times but don't have it in a big enough container.  This year I'll probably try to find a big mesh basket, line the basket with weed cloth, & fertilize heavy.  Maybe with the soil able to breathe like it is in a mud pond it might actually do better.

[perplexed ponder]

 
Oh No Kat....Seriously? 8 years? YIKES!
I guess I better get a much bigger pot than this dishpan.
She is starting to put up a shoot, so I guess she survived.
maybe I should try rootblast on this one along with the Osmocote.
Did you plant her in coposted manure too?

[Kat]

I just may try to do compost this time around along with the big mesh basket, etc.  I know my regular sized dishpan just isn't big enough.  Glad to hear yours is sending out a new pad.  If it was me with your lily in that condition, I wouldn't disturb it again until I knew it was strong enough to survive a replanting.  Good luck.

[perplexed ponder]

Yeah, I think you are right. I will leave it alone for this season. It probably needs to recover. I'll baby her and hope for flowers NEXT year. Then if I happen to get one you KNOW how thrilled I will be!!

[joeyb5980]

Oh my gosh- 8 years without a bloom???     I am not that patient!!  LOL  I guess if I get a bud anytime soon, I should be worried that I didn't get the right lily?  LOL

[perplexed ponder]

Well, that tiny pad that was starting to form seems to have died off. We'll have to wait and see what happens with this one. Hopefully it will recover.