The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Water lilies(Nymphaea) are jewels of the aquatic world.
The flowers are round and centered around a radial notch.
Both plants are best planted in spring.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
While mostwater liliesare grown outdoors, you could grow small varieties of these plants in containers indoors.
Some lotus will not flower unless they receive six hours of sunlight daily.
Soil
Always use topsoil that is free from herbicides and pesticides.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Do not use potting soil, which has elements that will float.
The pond or containers should be large enough to allow therhizomeroom to spread.
Also pay attention to depth when you are planting your aquatic plants.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Once the plant is established, the pot can remain at the desired depth.
Place the containers so that the soil line is below the freezing mark in your pond.
Fertilizer
Fertilize your plants with tablets that you press into the soil around the plant.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Fertilize plants once a month.
Tropical waterlilies are heavy feeders and should be fertilized generously throughout the growing season.
Types of Water Lilies
The two main divisions of waterlilies are hardy and tropical.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Pruning
Lotuses die back at the end of the year.
Cut them down to a few inches above the rhizome.
Because they’ve been sitting in water, this is a messy and somewhat smelly job.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
It is best to do this before their flowering season.
Several sheets of newspaper can be placed on the bottom of containers for the same purpose.
see to it to research the ultimate size of your plant before you buy the container.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
A waterlily with a six-foot spread will not thrive in a whiskey barrel or a small tub.
Plenty of options are available on the market in all colors and sizes.
They often come asbare-root plants.
Cover the soil with gravel or a thin layer of sand.
Gently cover the tuber with a small amount of soil, but do not compact the soil.
Be very careful not to damage the tuber or runners that extend from the tuber.
Add water until the soil is saturated with mud, without puddling on top.
you might use a large salad or mixing bowl or even a small aquarium.
This method works best with very small dwarf varieties such asNymphaea’Pygmaea Helvola'.
Start with a soil-based planting mix designed for use in aquariums.
Rinse the mix under running water to wash away loose soil.
Place the mix into the container and plant the lily following its planting instructions.
Carefully fill the container with water to a depth of about six inches.
If the plant fails to bloom, it’s probably not receiving enough light.
Add water as needed to maintain the original water level (or whatever the plant seems to like).
If the leaves or the plant don’t look right, then you know that something is affecting it.
Midges can be handled withmosquito dunks.
Diseases commonly seen on water lilies are crown rot and leaf spot.
What Do Water Lily and Lotus Flowers Look and Smell Like?
Size, color, and how they grow distinguish tropical lily flowers from hardy lily flowers.
Hardy lily flower colors include white, pink, and yellow.
Hardy lily flowers float on the water’s surface.
Lotus flowers come in pink, white, and yellow.
Some smell like lemon, others sweet, while others have a pleasant floral scent.
Give the leaves a good spray with a hose or cut off severely affected leaves.
Remove the infected plant to prevent spread to other plants.
Trim off the affected leaves.
Both water lilies and lotus need some time to establish themselves and mature.
Water lily pads keep water clean by blocking sunlight and oxygenating the water, which keeps algae at bay.
Their roots also feed on nutrients that algae would like to feast on.
Midwest Invasive Species Information connection.
White Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata).
United States Department of Agriculture.
Non-native waterlilies (Nymphaea spp.).
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
