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VAN NESS WATER GARDENS, 2460 North Euclid Crescent West, Upland, California 
THE CULTURE OF WATER LILIES 
Please Read Carefully 
We are always happy to give any advice possible re- 
garding the culture of Water lilies and should any problem 
arise which is not dealt with on this page we hope you will 
feel free to consult us; however, before writing please read 
this carefully, as we have tried to cover all of the problems 
involved in Water lily culture as we know them. 
Our ideal location helps us to answer many questions. 
We are 2100 ft. high. It frosts here. We have ice on our 
pools many mornings each winter. For this reason our 
lilies are conditioned for winter weather also. In the sum- 
mer we have hot weather and can see how the lilies act in 
very hot climates. We leave our Tropical Lilies in our pools 
over the winter. They are bigger and better the second year. 
The following are the questions we are called upon to 
answer very often. 
SHOULD LILIES BE PLANTED IN SOIL? 
Most emphatically yes. Water lilies have to have soil 
and it must be rich. You may use one-fourth well rotted 
dairy fertilizer and three-fourths good loam. For best results 
use our VAN NESS WATER LILY FERTILIZER. 
HOW MUCH SOIL SHOULD EACH LILY HAVE? 
At least one bushel of soil for each lily of medium size. 
Dwarf lilies will do with less. Tropical lilies should have 
two bushels for best results. 
HOW DEEP SHOULD THE WATER BE? 
The ideal depth of water over the crown of the plant is 
from 8 to 10 inches, although they will give fairly good re- 
sults in water from 6 to 15 inches in depth. 
SHOULD LILIES BE PLANTED IN BOXES? 
They may be planted either in boxes or on bottom of 
pool, but pool is easier kept clean if boxes are used. Place 
fertilizer in lower half of soil, fill box with garden soil and 
cover with | inch of coarse sand. If pool is deep the boxes 
should be raised to within 8 or 10 inches of the surface. 
Boxes should be 2x2 ft. square and | ft. deep for best re- 
sults. Line boxes with newspapers to keep the dirt from 
sifting out. DO NOT USE REDWOOD. 
DO LILIES LIKE SHADE? 
They do not. They will not bloom unless they have full 
sun for at least half the day, preferably morning sun. Sucn 
lilies as Comanche and the Marliacs do fairly well in partial 
shade. Water Lettuce, Hyacinth and the Taros are satisfac- 
tory in shady pools, but to try anything else is money 
wasted. 
CAN WATER LILIES BE GROWN IN TUBS? 
Yes, the small and medium sized lilies do well in tubs, 
but the larger varieties will do better in a concrete pool. 
SHOULD LILIES HAVE RUNNING WATER? 
No, running water is always too cold for lilies. They 
like still, warm water which will not become stagnant so 
long as there is vegetation in the pool. 
HOW DO YOU KEEP MOSQUITOS FROM 
BREEDING IN POOL? 
If you have half a dozen of fish for each 6 ft. of pool 
they will very effectively keep out mosquito larvae. 
WHEN SHOULD POOLS BE CLEANED? 
Early in the spring, before the lilies begin to grow, all 
debris should be cleaned out of the pool. It is not neces- 
sary to drain the pool and remove the soil oftener than once 
in two years. All cleaning and replanting should be done 
in the spring or fish spawn will be lost. In mild climaie 
clean pool every 4 or 5 years . 
WHAT PESTS ATTACK WATER PLANTS? 
Aphis is the only pest to contend with. This may be 
controlled by spraying with the hose, early in the morning, 
then the fish will eat them. Begin with the first signs of 
Aphis. VOLCK OIL SPRAY is the best that can be used after 
you have Aphis. It is safe—will not harm plants or fish. 
HOW SHOULD POOL BE TREATED TO KEEP 
WATER CLEAR? 
If you observe these few rules you will not have any 
trouble. 
You must have a well balanced pool with plenty of 
plant life and scavengers. 
Sample—6’ x 8’ Pool Suggestions: 
1. Only a drip of water, new water causes algae. Water 
will always be fresh and pure, never stagnant if you follow 
all of the hints listed here. 
2. Snails—24 of any kind. 
3. Fish—12 of any kind. Goldfish are very pretty and 
just as effective as mosquito fish. Mosquito fish eat the 
eggs of goldfish 
4. Oxygenating Grasses—2 to 5 bunches. 
5. Lilies—At least one hardy or tropical to each § 
square feet. The lily pads cut off much of the direct sun 
and do MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE to eliminate algae 
and discoloration. 5 lilies for this sample pool. 
6. Fertilizer—Steer fertilizer is good, but causes algae. 
Bone meal and blood meal is much better. Our special fer- 
tilizer is excellent. 
7. Boxes—Any wood but redwood. Tubs are fine, es- 
pecially for Lotus. 
HELP FOR LEAKS AND CRACKS 
For cracks in pool, dry pool thoroughly and patch with 
one-fourth inch of Asbestos roof cement over crack. For a 
pool that just leaks generally all over, make a mixture of 
pure plastic cement and water to the consistency of paint. 
Paint pool with this mixture or paint with our water-proof 
paint listed on page 19. 
