A Garden Guide to Growing Water Lilies

A Garden Guide To Growing Water Lilies

Water lilies are the showy centerpiece of most professionally designed water gardens, but many backyard gardeners shy away from the aquatic plant. Though they appear fragile and exotic, water lilies are actually a simple way to add beauty to any backyard pond or water garden.

Choosing Varieties

Water lilies come in two types, hardy and tropical. Tropical water lilies can add a touch of the exotic to the southern water garden, with both day and night blooming varieties, but require water temperatures that remain above 70 degrees. Hardy water lilies are the preferred choice for most growers, because they thrive in most climates and environments, from the large waterscape to the whiskey barrel deck planter. All hardy varieties are day blooming. Dwarf varieties are also available for the small water garden.

Planting

Water lilies are purchased as tubers, which resemble the rhizome of an iris. These tubers grow horizontally, so the planting basket for a water lily should be at least 12" to 18" wide. If the basket you choose has drainage holes, line the basket with burlap to prevent soil from escaping through the holes when the basket is submerged.

Select a heavy soil mix, such as garden or topsoil, rather than a light potting mix that is likely to float out of the container. Water lilies are heavy feeders, and will not bloom unless they receive proper nutrition. Pressing several fertilizer tablets designed for water plants into the soil before planting will ensure a steady supply of nutrients for the entire growing season.

Before planting, examine the tuber and remove any old leaves or thick, fleshy roots, leaving only new buds and thin, new root growth. Plant the tuber at a near the edge of the basket, with the growing end positioned towards the center at about a 45 degree angle. Finally, spread a layer of pea gravel or stone around the plant to keep the soil in the basket as it is submerged.