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 There
are few sights more beautiful or refreshing in summer than a cool, clear
pond with water lilies floating serenely on the surface. The hardy water
lily, Nymphaea (after the water nymph of ancient Greek mythology), is
the perennial celebrity of the water garden, and one of the most popular
aquatic plants we carry at Berkeley Hort. If you follow these simple steps,
your water lily should bloom abundantly spring through fall, as long as
water temperatures are above 60 degrees.
| 1.) |
Repot:
As soon as you get it home, repot the Nymphaea in a larger
container. The roots need horizontal space, so I use plastic
lattice baskets or even dishpans, about 18" across and 8" deep
(I find gray ones are the least conspicuous). If you use a basket, line
it
with burlap to keep the soil from floating away. The best soil is the
good old heavy clay we're all "blessed" with here in the East
Bay:
avoid using commercial potting soils with organic matter that will rot
in the water. Firm the soil tightly around the root ball, and cover
the surface with a thin layer of gravel to keep nosy fish from disturbing
things. |
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| 2.) |
Fertilize:
Water lilies are heavy feeders, and won't bloom unless
they're adequately nourished. Most commercial growers
recommend slow-release fertilizer tablets, which can be pushed into the
soil when planting. To feed plants that are already established
in pots that are hard to reach in the middle of the pond, I make "mud
balls," consisting of Osmocote 14-14-14 time-release granules
mashed into a clay-soil ball about the size of a walnut. If your aim is
pretty good, you can toss them out into the lily baskets without
tumbling in yourself! Don't use regular granular fertilizer, which will
cloud the water and may be harmful to fish. |
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| 3.) |
Submerge:
Most water lilies need to be at least 18" deep to bloom.
Some of the smaller ones can tolerate a little less depth, and
many can go deeper. If you're planting your lily in a pond deeper than
2 feet, lower the plant slowly by starting it out on a stack of
bricks, which can be removed one at a time as the stalks grow up to the
surface. It's best to submerge the lily when the water is warm,
in a place that gets 6-8 hours of direct sunlight (in hotter climates,
4 hours may be sufficient for good bloom). The deeper the pot, the
more hours of sunlight required. |
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| 4.) |
Divide:
You can greatly increase the number of blooms your lily produces
by dividing it every 3 or 4 years, in early spring. When
the pads start standing up above the water, you'll know the plant is too
crowded and needs dividing. |
Water lilies
come in a wide assortment of colors, shapes and sizes. They range from
pure white through yellows, pinks, rosy reds, as well as the exotic "changeables,"
which open yellow then melt to sunset colors and deeper reds. Flowers
may be as small as pansies or bigger than baseballs, and may be shaped
like stars, cups, powder puffs, or spiky cactus blossoms. Many are delightfully
fragrant. The lily pads may cover as little as two feet of the water's
surface, or as much as six feet or more.
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