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HARDY WATER LILIES
BY GEORGE EDGAR
Some of you may read the
title and think “I don’t have a pond so this does not apply to me”. A
water garden does not take a big pond. This past summer I had two water
lilies in whiskey barrels with plastic liners on my driveway in full
sun, and two lilies in whiskey barrels in my garden. The lilies bloomed
most of the summer. This summer you can have a water garden in a
container and then treat it as an annual or overwinter it in your heated
garage, basement, or some other place that does not freeze. Before I had
a pond I over wintered a
lily in a 5 gallon bucket in my
basement.
To flower and flourish, a water lily needs care like any other
perennial. Proper sunlight,
the right kind of soil, the right kind of fertilizer at the right time,
proper water depth, and pruning will determine the success of the plant.
Water lilies begin putting up their first floating leaves in late
April. The first ones may be smaller or darker in color than later ones.
As the season unfolds, the leaves get larger. Each leaf lives
three to four weeks then turns yellow and dies.
Prompt removal of yellowing leaves at the soil level encourages
new leaves to appear and keeps your pond clean. In May, the first
flowers reach the surface. Each bloom lasts for about four days, opening
and closing daily. As a flower is spent, it will slowly sink into the
pond and should be pinched out like the dead leaves, to promote more
flowering and to keep your pond clean. Debris in the bottom of the pond
from spent leaves and flowers encourages string algae.
Hardy water lilies flower from May until September with the peak
season in June through August.
When planting water lilies I use a ceramic material made from
clay that has been heated to a very hot temperature. It is primarily
used to break up clay soil and called Structure or Profile depending
upon the brand. You can also use gummy clay soil from the garden that is
free of clumps and organic matter that may float. Avoid any herbicide
(weed killer) contaminated soil. Commercial potting soil should not be
used because it contains vermiculite, perlite, and/or peat moss, which
can float out of the pot and cloud the water.
Hardy water lilies like a larger pot,
rather than one that is too small. One source recommended using a
planting container that is as large as your pond or container can
accommodate. Larger soil
volume means bigger flowers and leaves. New lilies usually are sold in
small containers and should be transplanted into a larger container. I
use a round container that is about 16 inches in diameter and about 6 ˝
inches deep, and does not have drain holes. This size will fit into a
whiskey barrel plastic liner and also is about right for my pond. With
this size of container, I usually have to divide my lilies and hardy
water lotus every other year. This is best done in the spring when the
plant shows growth and has a few new leaves. I did mine this year the
first week in
Hardy water lilies are grown from tubers that are typically 4 to
8 inches long and can have several growing points. Fill the pot
one-quarter full with the planting medium. Holding the tuber in one
hand, place the tuber along one edge of the container at a 45-degree
angle with the root pointing downward toward the opposite side of the
container. Fill the medium in around the tuber until the medium is about
2 inches away from the top of the pot with the crown sticking out of the
medium approximately one-half to 1 inch. If you use garden soil it is
very important to cover the top of each pot with at least a 1 inch layer
of pea gravel or decorative gravel to avoid the soil floating away and
to prevent cloudy water from exposed soil. Structure does not need the
gravel as it does not float.
Regular fertilization will keep your hardy water lily blooming
and growing well.
Fertilizer tablets for water plants are the easiest to use. Push the
tablets clear to the bottom of the pot at planting time in the spring
and then at least once a month from
Position the water lily so that it receives at least five or more
hours of direct sunlight.
The afternoon sun is best. Some varieties will flower at a reduced rate
in less sunlight. More sun
means more flowers. Also, locate the water lily so that the floating
leaves are out of the turbulence of the waterfall or fountain spray.
Water splashing on the top of the leaves will discolor or destroy
them.
With the onset of fall, several things must be done to prepare
the pond for winter. After a hard freeze or when plants die back, cut
the spent foliage and place the plants in the deepest part of your pond
where they will over winter until next spring. Lilies must be a minimum
of 18 to 24 inches deep in a container that is in the ground for plants
to survive over winter. My fiberglass pond is 24 inches deep and freezes
over every winter. However, the bottom of the pond that contains the
plants does not freeze and so they survive. If you have fish, a heater
is mandatory, or a pump that keeps the water moving. A good option is to
use a small floating stock tank heater. The hole in the ice lets gas
escape and allows air to come in for the fish. Plants do not need the
air hole.
A container above ground will freeze solid unless you install a
pond heater. If you don’t use a pond heater, these plants should be
pulled and stored in a cool area that is between 35 and 50 degrees F. Do
not let them dry out. One year I over wintered
my hardy water lilies by taking
them out of the pot, removing all the soil, and storing the roots in a 5
gallon bucket of water in the basement. Sources:
“Introduction to Water Gardening” by
“
“The American Horticultural Society
Complete Guide to Water Gardening” by Peter Robinson. Published by DK
Publishing, Inc.,
“Ortho’s All About Water Gardening” by
Greg and Sue Speichert. Published by Meredith Corporation, Ortho Books, Copyright 2014 |