Make sure they get adequate water until they are fully established. Installation of Aquatic Plants Installation of aquatic plants is a fairly easy, but it can be a fairly mucky job. No preparation of the area is necessary. If you are planting during the normal growing season, you can add some slow release fertilizer to the area around each aquatic plant to make sure the plant gets its nutrients. Be careful not to over fertilize since this will promote algae growth.
Most marginal plants can live in zero to six inches of water.
Water lilies and lotus prefer a deeper pond-like setting. Bare root or containerized aquatic plants can be installed with comparable success. Some aquatics are very aggressive and must remain in the pot under the water. Simply allow the pot to sink where you would like the plant to be. Water the plants if they need it.