What should I do?

[PondmaninAL]

This has been bothering me for some time. The tropicals seem to be doing pretty good in this soil here but not the hardies. If I transport them bare root in containers, I will have to buy the topsoil and composted manure from Lowes or HD. I am just taking the lotus tubers out of the soil and probably storing them till Spring. Any comments on either would be appreciated.

[SueSTx]

I had been thinking about this before I saw your post.

I think I'd take them out of their pots and move them bare rooted.  Maybe pack them like you would for mailing...except move them yourself.  You think this would work?  It would be about the same as dividing them this fall. 

[Rad Michelle]

well if ur in fl sand and loads of osmo should b just fine for the hardies

[PondmaninAL]

Michelle, you missed the post where I announced that my wife and I had decided to move back to Alabama, from Zone 9b to Zone 7b. We'll be close to my family up there. I'd say that I'd miss the climate down here but this past few days, the night time temps are getting down into the 50's. BRRRRRR

I am going to leave N. minuta and "Helvola" in their pots. I may also leave the trops in theirs as well.

I had been thinking about this before I saw your post.

I think I'd take them out of their pots and move them bare rooted.  Maybe pack them like you would for mailing...except move them yourself.  You think this would work?  It would be about the same as dividing them this fall. 

Thanks Sue. I don't know about packing them as if I was going to mail them but I might pack them in a plastic tote.

[Rad Michelle]

Ooo haha. Well I'm goin thru a similar thing... I kept most of mine potted- tho I have like 80 pots so it wasn't exciting.if u keep them potted u won't have to worry about plant shock repotting getting soil all that messsss. But if just ur hardies u could take them out and divide them.. And ya they won't b hurt none sitting in a rubbermaid container, just seems like more work to pull em outa pots tho right? What are u gunna do w ur big hottub mama

[miguynmkoi]

I don't know nothin' about moving lilies but it seems logical (in my head anyway   ) that you leave the lilies in their pots, trimmed at the last moment.  Sounds like they will travel with you right?  I don't know how long the trip will be for you but if you had containers to hold water for the potted lilies, it just sounds ideal.

When are you moving?  Soon?  Good luck and happy adventure!

[turtlemike]

  So are you going to be PondmaninAL  Now.

[Vickie]

How many hardies do you have? How many tropicals do you have? How big are the pots they are in? I wonder if your tropical lilies made tubers? Since your in Fla they might not have made tubers? All this needs to be considered. If you have a lot of Hardy lilies you might can store each of them in plastic gallon bag and leave some dirts on the roots. If you don't have a lot maybe you can leave them in the pots and put damp newspaper on them and put in plastic grocery bags and tie shut. If you have tropical lily tubers you can store the tubers in a baggie with damp sand. If no tubers maybe leave them potted and store in plastic bags with damp newspaper tied shut until you get where your going and put back in water. If all are stored in their pots it would be easier to just put them back in water. I imagine you will have a lot to do without repotting everything when you get there. But Fernlady lives in zone 7 and must store tropical lily tubers for them to survive. Unless she puts some in aquariums like me. Ask Fernlady or Andrew their opinion.

[PondmaninAL]

Ooo haha. Well I'm goin thru a similar thing... I kept most of mine potted- tho I have like 80 pots so it wasn't exciting.if u keep them potted u won't have to worry about plant shock repotting getting soil all that messsss. But if just ur hardies u could take them out and divide them.. And ya they won't b hurt none sitting in a rubbermaid container, just seems like more work to pull em outa pots tho right? What are u gunna do w ur big hottub mama

Michelle, I was thinking more of reducing the space required to move them. As for the Victoria, I don't think that I will have to worry about moving her. I think that she is on her way out. It is taking so long for new pads to come up and the old pads and the other existing pads are getting brown spots. Euryale will be a challenge though. It has taken off just before the cool spell that we are in now.

I don't know nothin' about moving lilies but it seems logical (in my head anyway   ) that you leave the lilies in their pots, trimmed at the last moment.  Sounds like they will travel with you right?  I don't know how long the trip will be for you but if you had containers to hold water for the potted lilies, it just sounds ideal.

When are you moving?  Soon?  Good luck and happy adventure!

Annette, the containers to hold water to transport them in is the problem. When I repotted all the lilies in the Spring, I didn't have enough barrels to hold them all, much less the trops. If I pack the hardies all up in a plastic tote with water, that will cut down on space in the two U-Haul trucks.

  So are you going to be PondmaninAL  Now.

Bingo!! Give the man a cigar. Actually, Mike, it has always been in my head what my user name would be if we moved back to Alabama because this isn't the first time that we've thought of moving to Alabama. Only difference is, this time we're actually going to do it. This means that I will be closer to you and you lily ponds, so keep your ear open for any splashing in the night.

 

How many hardies do you have? How many tropicals do you have? How big are the pots they are in? I wonder if your tropical lilies made tubers? Since your in Fla they might not have made tubers? All this needs to be considered. If you have a lot of Hardy lilies you might can store each of them in plastic gallon bag and leave some dirts on the roots. If you don't have a lot maybe you can leave them in the pots and put damp newspaper on them and put in plastic grocery bags and tie shut. If you have tropical lily tubers you can store the tubers in a baggie with damp sand. If no tubers maybe leave them potted and store in plastic bags with damp newspaper tied shut until you get where your going and put back in water. If all are stored in their pots it would be easier to just put them back in water. I imagine you will have a lot to do without repotting everything when you get there. But Fernlady lives in zone 7 and must store tropical lily tubers for them to survive. Unless she puts some in aquariums like me. Ask Fernlady or Andrew their opinion.

Vickie, I have around two dozen varieties of hardies and eight varieties of tropicals. I'm sure that I will have to store the tropicals in the house for the first Winter unless we can get the PVC greenhouse put together before December. Especially Queen of Siam and Panama Pacific that I got from Watersprite this year. The white night bloomer has already developed tubers.

[Marie Fisher]

With that amount of lilies, I believe  I'd just put pot, lilie and all in a huge garbage bag. As long
as they stay damp they will be ok.  Florida and Ala. not that far apart, so probably you're talking
two days at the most.  That way will eliminate shock to the plant, you won't have to repot when
you arrive, saving your energy for the other 1000 things you will have to do. 

Locally, between my house and also a friend's and the local Botanic Garden, I've just set the whole
pot in the back of my pickup, they moved well that way, didn't know they had been moved.  But at
most they were out of the water maybe couple of hours.   Long as you keep them  damp, they will e
ok.

Marie

[PondmaninAL]

Could I cut all the stems and pads off without hurting the lilies? I'm beginning to regret potting them all in two gallon pots. :'( Could I just put each one in a plastic grocery bag and tie it up? I have a way to load them in the truck without taking up all the room.

[karen J]

With that amount of lilies, I believe  I'd just put pot, lilie and all in a huge garbage bag. As long
as they stay damp they will be ok.  Florida and Ala. not that far apart, so probably you're talking
two days at the most.  That way will eliminate shock to the plant, you won't have to repot when
you arrive, saving your energy for the other 1000 things you will have to do. 

Locally, between my house and also a friend's and the local Botanic Garden, I've just set the whole
pot in the back of my pickup, they moved well that way, didn't know they had been moved.  But at
most they were out of the water maybe couple of hours.   Long as you keep them  damp, they will e
ok.

Marie

That's what I would do.