Water lilies

One of the most common plant that we grow in our ponds is Nymphaea, on its common name of water lily. They are a graceful addition to any kind of pond, whether is a formal pond, a natural setting or a city courtyard, by their elegant floating cups and lush foliage. Their foliage also help to keep the water clear because they are large and create shade, thing that is helpful to control the growth of algae.

Their flowers vary in shape from star-like to globlet-shaped and peony blooms and color from the purest white to cream, shades of red, yellow or blue. Some of them have even perfumed flowers. Most of them bloom in the daytime but there are some that open at sundown.

They will like a place where will be full sun several hours a day, a calm water at about 20 degrees Celsius (68 F). They will need full sun for a rich bloom, otherwise they will only develop a mass of leaves and only few flowers.

Water lilies are tuberous plants with tubers that grow roughly vertically with fibrous roots beneath. Hardy varieties can be plant out in the pond from late spring to late summer, so they will have enough time to establish before winter. The tender, tropical varieties can be plant out only after the risk of frost have passed, or just grow them in a conservatory pool. If grown outside, they need to be lift and their tubers stored over the winter in a place with 5-7 degrees Celsius (41-45 F), in moist sand and protected from rodents.

Use 30-35 cm diameter and 15-19 cm deep containers for planting water lilies. Trim long roots and cut off any damaged leaves and flower buds before planting. Plant them, add a sachet of slow-release fertilizer and water well so the container will be heavy enough. Lower the container into place. Repeat feeding with slow-release fertilizer every six weeks during the growing season.

To keep them in good shape, they need to be divided when their foliage is crowding the water surface or when the roots have outgrown their container. Lift them, cut off pieces from the crown making sure each is having a young and strong shoot. Each piece must have about 15 cm of attached tuber. Replant the pieces in fresh soil and discard the old crown.

Propagation of water lilies can be done by bud cuttings, division of rootstocks from rhizomatous types, plantlets separation or even by sowing seeds.