Like any other perennial, each different water lily will have specific needs when it comes to their sunlight, soil, fertilization, water depth and pruning requirements. There are many hardy water lilies, but there are also tropical varieties which will require over-wintering in a heated area in some regions. Some water lilies can even become a weed, so beware! When shopping for water lilies be sure to check the requirements of the specific plant before you decide that you have to have it!
Generally, water lilies require a minimum of four to five hours of full sun each day to produce the most blooms. Plant your lily in a large, wide pot, using a mixture of clay and loam with a slightly acidic pH of 6.1-7.0.(Commercial potting mixes may contain amendments which will float, so if using a commercial mix be sure that it is specifically for aquatic plants!) Rather than centering the rhizome in the planter, it should be set near the edge of the pot to allow free root growth. The planter should be set at a depth appropriate for the variety, but normally, smaller types should be set so that the rim of the pot is 18 inches below the water surface and large varieties should be at 36 inches. In all cases, make sure the roots are below the freeze line in water.
Spent foliage and flowers should be clipped off at the soil line promptly to encourage new leaves and flowers.
Water lilies should be fed at the beginning of the summer and again at mid season using aquatic plant fertilizer tablets which are pressed into the soil.
These are Cedar Hill flowers!
[ July 09, 2011, 02:27 AM: Message edited by: Bill ]
* * * * Plants: 11227 | From: Cedar Hill Washington | Registered: Aug 2002
| Seeded: 4.243.48.45
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Water lilies have always fascinated me. Awhile back I saw some on TV that were so big you could walk on them!
I can remember somewhere when I was a kid (thinking it was Rhode Island, but not sure) where we used to go out on a boat and the water was SOOO clear! There were water lilies everywhere, and I'd look down into the water, and it seemed like the stems were a mile long. So beautiful! I must have been about 5 or 6 years old, but it made such an impression on me I can remember every detail of those lilies!
Cindy
* * * * Buckle up! It makes it harder for the aliens to suck you out of your car! Plants: 43285 | Registered: Mar 2004
| Seeded: 69.170.162.6
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These are Cedar Hill flowers!
Printer-friendly view of this garden