Topic: Growing Water Lillies - What am I doing wrong?

[Garden Manager]

I Bought a water lilly for my new pond back in late spring/early summer. I chose one which would fit the size and depth of the pond. I kept it in the pot I bought it in and according to standard advice i only planted it to the depth of the leaves (so tha the pads were on the water surface). To do this i used bricks to build up the level under the pot.

Since then the lilly has hardly grown. It has produced more leaves but old ones have died off, so I have never had more than 5 leaves on it at any one time. At the same time the plant has stayed at the same depth, it has not grown enough to allow me to remove bricks from beneath it and get it down to the right depth.

I am doubly disapointed. Not only have I not achieved the growth and surface coverage (let alone lack of flowers), also since water lillies are so expensive I feel I have not had any return for this investment

Can anyone tell me if i have done something wrong or is there something I should have done/need to do to get my lilly growing (and flowering) better?

Many Thanks. 

[mm-b]

Hi Garden Cadet

I read somewhere that you should put the waterlily right down to the bottom of your pond to start with so it can find its own way up. When I got my lily I just threw it in the middle and you couldn't see any of it for a while. Now 6 months later there are lots of leaves floating on the surface and I have 1 flower which is lovely.

Perhaps you should remove the bricks and put it to the bottom of the pond.  I don't know if this is correct advise but it worked for me.

Melanie :)

[chriszog]

Hi all
  From my understanding Melanie you were possibly lucky. I purchased mine from a specialist water garden supplier and was told to re pot as soon as possible as Lillies are very hungry feeders and to plant it at the depth of the leaves and gradually lower it. If yours is not growing try re potting or feeding. They are tough old things and should be producing a new leaf almost weekly at this time of year.
Regards
Chris

[mm-b]

Hi chriszog

I was lucky then, beginners luck possibly. don't listen to me then garden cadet :-[
Sorry about that.

Melanie

[Garden Manager]

Thanks for replies.  I didnt realise lillies were such demanding plants. Clearly I need to give it a bigger pot and some food!

What I do know is that lillies must be planted with leaves on the surface otherwise they cannot photosynthesise and breathe. Basicaly if planted too deep they die.

One way around it i have learned is that (if you are brave enough) you can cut them back and then plant them at the correct depth. they then grow back as they are meant to. Of course this is a gamble and is not something to do at this time of year (perhaps in spring). Alternatively i guess if you buy them dormant you can put them in at the maximum depth and again when they start to grow they will grow to the surface. Trouble is its a bit of a leap of faith buying them dormant  and then  waiting for the leaves to appear!

I think in the autumn i will be repotting and replanting at the depth I want it. As for feeding I might go and get some aquatic plant food to give it a boost for next year.

[nippie]

I paid the earth for a water lily that never did a thing except sprout a few leaves each year.
Then a neighbour asked my OH to help her take her lily out the pond so she could split it up, he did and we nicked a bit. It has done really well and flowers all through the summer.

[silly billy]

I have grown many lillies and i find the best thing to do when introducing new ones is to have them so their leaves are a couple of inches below the surface then they will make their way to the surface and as they break the surface you lower them again until they are at the depth you want.

[Garden Manager]

I have grown many lillies and i find the best thing to do when introducing new ones is to have them so their leaves are a couple of inches below the surface then they will make their way to the surface and as they break the surface you lower them again until they are at the depth you want.

So it doesnt do any harm to 'force' them to grow taller/deeper then? I suppse they can get too 'comfortable' if left at the same depth for too long. Would it be worth sinking mine just a bit to get more growth out of it?

[silly billy]

The only extra growth you would get is longer stems on the lilly leaves.

[Mrs Ava]

I have had 2 flowers from mine this year and will repot it in the spring with proper fertilizer and aquatic compost.  Don't forget, lillies don't thrive in moving water.  I bunged mine in on bricks to start with, but the leaves were a good couple of inches below the water, then once they were at the surface, I dropped it down the rest of the way.  The water is now almost covered in leaves and the water is clear as a bell!  I got mine cheap cheap at B&Q during their end of season sale - think I only paid a couple of quid for it!  ;D

[mc55]

I put a waterlily into my new pond in May and then watched as the leaves were slowly, but surely munched.  I just have a few stalks coming out of the pot now  :(

[Garden Manager]

I have had 2 flowers from mine this year and will repot it in the spring with proper fertilizer and aquatic compost.  Don't forget, lillies don't thrive in moving water.  I bunged mine in on bricks to start with, but the leaves were a good couple of inches below the water, then once they were at the surface, I dropped it down the rest of the way.  The water is now almost covered in leaves and the water is clear as a bell!  I got mine cheap cheap at B&Q during their end of season sale - think I only paid a couple of quid for it!  ;D

Sounds like you did well with yours EJ. In more ways than one! BTW It is my understanding that rather than not liking moving water, lillies just dont like getting thie leaves splashed - which they would do if they were right next to eg  a fountain. Having moving water is ok as long as the lillies are well away from it. I have a trickle fountain in my little pond but the lilly is well away from it and soesnt seem to be afected by it.

Another thing: lillies do little other than surface covering to prevent algae and blanket weed taking over the pond. it is the oxygenator plants that do all the hard work there. Sorry!

[Mrs Ava]

Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, I know that, but the lilly leaves prevent the light entering the pond, as you say, stopping algal growth, thus a clear pond? 

[Garden Manager]

Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, I know that, but the lilly leaves prevent the light entering the pond, as you say, stopping algal growth, thus a clear pond? 

Yes its physical presence is supposed to help prevent algae, purely by blocking out light. I am sorry, I thought from your earlier post you thought there was something else it did to the water to prevent algal growth. Apologies

[djbrenton]

I bought two dormant lilies, one of which isn't as vigorous as the other. In order to cover the surface better I bought a water hyacinth which now covers about a square metre. The roots are good at removing nutrients too so the pond is as clear as a bell.