I said I wanted to try something similar to Sean's method of producing larger numbers of tropicals in Dixie Cups, but for hardy waterlilies. I started a small number of hardies in little oblong plastic tubs. These are made by Glad, their "Soup & Salad" containers. They hold about 1/3rd of a 1 gallon squat pot, so that's how I dosed the fertilizer.
Rather small starts from a tuber is planted in one of these tubs and it looks like the tub gives it enough room to grow the tuber with root stock out across the tub, while putting up good pad growth and flowers. The plants produced in the small tubs look like they will be of a good size to sell and ship fairly quickly, or larger enough to be moved up to a larger pot, if that's what you want.
From what I've seen so far, these little tubs would also be good for growing hardy waterlilies in a small pond or container garden, when you don't want to see a large spread over-growing a small surface area.
To see what it looks like, here's a pic of a recently planted Arc-en-Ceil. The plant has just started to take off, so it is easy to see in this tub.
A little while back, I took a number of small starts from a couple of Mungkala Ubon tubers. They've been growing for a little while now and have started blooming.
Now, the idea is mainly to produce a number of plants in a good size for sale and shipping, in a relatively small space. I'm of the opinion that this is going to work out just fine. At the same time, it also looks like a good way to pot hardy waterlilies to get good growth for smaller ponds and container gardens. I think the rectangular containers make sense in that the plant has room to grow a longer, horizontal tuber than in a small, round pot.
Could be wrong, but I think I'm on to something with this.
Your millage may vary, close cover beforestrikingg, and always wear your seatbelt. (And any other caveat I may have forgotten.)
Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL
