If you want more blooms, this is the one. Potting a water lily the right way is like setting the table before dinner—do it right once, and everything gets easier (and prettier).

How to Pot and Repot Water Lilies

A step-by-step guide to soil, water lily fertilizer tabs, and pot size (for both Winter Hardy & Annual Water Lilies)

Potting water lilies is simple: use a wide, shallow container, plant in heavy loam soil (not potting soil), keep the crown exposed, and feed with water lily fertilizer tablets on a schedule.

Hardy water lilies are placed sideways so the rhizome can “run,” while annual (tropical) water lilies are planted upright and need warm water (about 70°F+).

What supplies do I need to pot a water lily?

Here’s the basic “water lily potting kit”:

• Wide, shallow aquatic container (or fabric pond pot) with handles

• Heavy loam topsoil + pool filter sand (for a heavy loam soil mix)

• Water lily fertilizer tablets (pressed into the soil)
  

• Gloves + a tub/bucket of water (so the plant stays wet while you work)

What is the best soil for water lilies?

The best soil for water lilies is heavy loam soil (or clay/silt-loam type soil). Avoid light potting mixes—they float, cloud water, and can rot underwater.

Pond Megastore’s heavy loam soil recipe (simple + proven)

Mix:

• 2/3 loam topsoil

• 1/3 pool filter sand
  Moisten it a little—when you squeeze a handful, it should clump like a snowball.

Big “DON’T” list (because the internet loves bad advice)

• Don’t use potting soil (it floats and can foul the pond)

• Don’t top with rocks or gravel (it can smother crowns and slow or kill growth)

• Don’t use “aquatic planting media” meant for submerged grasses for water lilies. This is a gimmik product with no nutritional value. 

• Do not use Kitty litter. This again has no nutritional value and simply holds a lily in place and often puts it into dormancy. 
  
  
  
  
  

What pot size should I use for water lilies?

If you want a water lily to bloom well, give it room. Water lilies grow more “sideways” than deep, so wide and shallow wins.

Easy pot size guide

• Small/compact water lilies: 10–12" wide container (smaller pots can work, but wider usually blooms better)

• Medium water lilies: 14–18" wide (2–3 gallon wide pot is a great “sweet spot”)

• Large water lilies (big spread, heavy bloomers): 15–20"+ wide container (fabric pond pots are often preferred)

Rule of thumb: Wider pot = bigger water lily = more blooms.
Here are PondGro Water Lily Growing Containers for Purchase with Handles

How to pot a Winter Hardy water lily (step-by-step)

Hardy water lilies grow from a rhizome and like to “run” across the pot—so placement matters.

Steps

1. Pick a wide, shallow container. Wider pots help the water lily grow larger and bloom more.

2. Fill the pot 2/3 full with heavy loam soil mix. (2/3 loam + 1/3 pool filter sand.)

3. If using Landon granular fertilizer: mix it into the bottom soil layer only. Keep the top portion fertilizer-free so it doesn’t “burn” new growth.

4. Place the hardy water lily rhizome against the side of the pot with the crown/growing point facing the center (so it can grow across the container).

5. Add more heavy loam soil to finish filling—press it down to remove air pockets. Do not cover the crown.

6. Add water lily fertilizer tablets to the top of the soil (pressed in gently, around—not on—the crown).

7. Submerge the pot fully and start at a shallower depth while it establishes (many lilies do great around 6–18 inches; shallower often = more flowers).

How to pot an Annual (tropical) water lily (step-by-step)

“Annual water lilies” are usually tropical water lilies. They’re amazing bloomers, but they want warm water and steady heat. Pond Megastore notes annual water lilies need about 70°F+ temperatures, and tubers must be removed to overwinter in colder climates.

Steps

1. Use a large, wide container (2–3 gallon is commonly recommended; bigger pot = bigger plant).

2. Make your heavy loam soil mix (2/3 loam + 1/3 pool filter sand).

3. Fill the bottom 2/3 of the pot with soil (optional: mix Landon granular fertilizer into the bottom layer only).

4. Top off with 2 inches of plain heavy loam soil (no Landon in the top layer).

5. Plant the tuber upright with roots spread and the crown even with the soil surface (keep the crown exposed).

6. Press 2–4 water lily fertilizer tabs into the top soil to get it going.

7. Place in warm, sunny water and start a bit shallower while it establishes, then adjust to the recommended depth.

How do I use water lily fertilizer tablets?

Water lilies are heavy feeders, and fertilizer is a major reason a water lily blooms (or refuses).

Two simple schedules (pick one and stay consistent)

• Every 4 weeks: Use 2 tablets per gallon of soil every four weeks until fall.

• Twice monthly (heavy blooming plan): Many Pond Megastore care sheets use 1st & 15th feeding, with tablets pressed 3–4 inches into the soil around (not on) the crown.

How to apply tabs (no mess, no math headaches)

1. Push the tablet down into the soil near the edge of the pot.

2. Keep it away from the crown and main roots (don’t stab the plant).

3. Repeat around the pot based on your pot size/schedule.

When should I repot water lilies?

Repot immediately on arrival (new purchases)

Pond Megastore care notes commonly advise repotting immediately on arrival and keeping all parts wet while planting.

Repot/divide for long-term performance

Many Pond Megastore water lily care notes recommend dividing/repotting every 1–2 years once the pot is crowded to keep blooms strong.

Signs it’s time to repot your water lily:

• The rhizome hits the pot wall and has nowhere to run

• Leaves get smaller, blooms slow down

• The pot is basically “all roots”

How to repot (and divide) a water lily without killing it

This is the part where people get nervous. Don’t worry—your water lily is tougher than it looks. Just don’t let it dry out like a forgotten burrito in the back seat. 😄

Steps (works great for hardy water lilies; tropical is similar but gentler)

1. Pre-mix your soil and set up the new pot first. Keep the plant wet the whole time.

2. Lift the old pot and wash/loosen the soil so you can see the rhizome.

3. Find the growing tip/growing point on the rhizome (the freshest end with active growth).

4. Cut back the old rhizome so you keep a strong section near the growing tip (a common guideline is cutting the rhizome a few inches back from the tip).

5. Replant in a wide pot: place the rhizome along the side with the growing top at the surface facing toward the center so it may grow to the other side, and do not bury the crown of the plant can suffocate and not grow.

6. Add fertilizer correctly: add three to five water lily fertilizer tabs in the top soil, and avoid pushing tabs into the crown. two inches away is sufficent so new roots can soon reach the tablets

7. Start at a shallower depth for a couple weeks so it can recover, then lower to its normal depth. More sun at that crown provides more energy to the plant and less energy spent sending up each new leaf for faster growth, often many times faster!

Common potting mistakes that stop water lilies from blooming

These are the “oops” moments we see most:

• Be sure to AVOID using potting soil or compost-heavy mixes (they float/rot and can foul pond water)

• Covering the crown with stones or gravel (can smother the plant)

• Planting the whole pot and plant too deep in the pond too fast (many lilies bloom better when established shallower first)

• Skipping water lily fertilizer (water lilies are heavy feeders)

• Putting annual/tropical water lilies into cold water early (they want warm conditions—about 70°F+ per Pond Megastore guidance) We ship plants at proper planting time in spring and then thereafter through summer if ordered later.

Product Connection 

If you want this article to quietly turn into a cart add (without being pushy), these pair perfectly with the “step-by-step” solution:

• Waterlily World Fertilizer Tablets (easy, clean feeding) These are fish safe.

• PondGro Aquatic Loam Soil (great backup when local loam is hard to find)

• Fabric Pond Pots / Aquatic Containers with handles (wide containers = better blooms)

• Winter Hardy Water Lilies + Annual Water Lilies (right lily for the right pond)

Key Takeaways (Quick Summary)

• Use a wide, shallow pot so water lilies can spread and bloom more.

• Soil matters: heavy loam (2/3 loam + 1/3 pool filter sand) beats potting soil every time.

• Keep the crown exposed (don’t bury it, don’t smother it with gravel).

• Feed with water lily fertilizer tablets on a schedule (monthly by gallons of soil, or a 1st/15th bloom plan). These are fish safe.

• Annual (tropical) water lilies want warm water (about 70°F+) and are usually not winter-hardy in cold zones.

• Repot/divide every year if crowded to keep blooms strong. A few hardy water lilies may need divided even more often with fast growing rhizomes especially in the south, just keep an eye on them but the pot sizes here are usually perfect for a single season.