Detailed Guide to Water Lily Planting Methods and Care Tips
Water lily (scientific name: Nymphaea L.), perennial aquatic herb; rhizome thick and fleshy. Leaf stalk cylindrical, slender. Leaves elliptical, floating on the water surface, entire margin, leaf base heart-shaped, leaf surface deep green, underside dark purple. Leaves dimorphic: floating leaves round or ovate, base with a curved sinus, heart-shaped or arrow-shaped, often without emergent leaves; submerged leaves membranous, fragile. Flowers solitary, floating on or raised above the water surface; sepals four, green; petals usually eight. Fruit obovate, about 3 cm long. Flowers large, beautiful, floating on or rising above the water surface, opening by day and closing at night; sepals nearly free; petals white, blue, yellow or pink, in multiple whorls, sometimes inner whorls gradually transforming into stamens; anther connective with or without appendages; carpels ring-shaped, adnate and semi-sunken in the fleshy cup-shaped receptacle, and partially fused with it at the lower part, the upper part extending into a style, stigma forming a concave stigma disc, ovules anatropous, pendulous on the inner wall of the ovary. Berry spongy, irregularly dehiscent, maturing under the water surface; seeds hard, wrapped in a gelatinous substance, with a fleshy cup-shaped aril, embryo small, with a small amount of endosperm and abundant perisperm.
Water lily planting methods:
Two important factors in planting water lilies: 1. Light. 2. Temperature. Whether the light is sufficient determines whether water lilies can survive and thrive; the more sufficient the light and the warmer the climate, the better water lilies grow and the shorter the dormant period. So if you want to grow water lilies, you must first assess whether you can provide a place with sufficient light.
1. Flower pot: Try to choose one with an outward-flaring opening; leaves grow better with an outward-flaring opening than with an inward one. The wider the pot opening, the larger the flowers (the size of the pot bottom matters little). The depth of the pot affects the flowering interval: the deeper it is, the longer the interval.
2. Soil: Try to choose soil with relatively high clay content, such as: clay, Yangmingshan soil.
3. Next, place a small amount of slow-release fertilizer or root fertilizer at the bottom of the pot (too much will cause root rot). Put about 1/4 to 1/3 soil in the pot, press it firm, then bury the tuber in the soil with the growth bud pointing up. If the tuber is buried deep, the flowering interval will be longer but the flowers larger; if buried shallow, the interval will be shorter and the flowers smaller. After planting, move it to a place with sufficient light, fill with water, and wait for leaves to grow and flowers to bloom (if there are too many leaves, some can be pruned).
4. If you want to plant more than two tubers together, unlike planting other flowers, the two tubers should be planted right next to each other, because if planted separately, when the leaves of the stronger one shade the growth bud of the weaker one, the weaker one will get no light and will die. In addition, when planting them together, it is best that they are the same species or same color series, because dark color series (such as purple, blue) are stronger than light color series (white, yellow). Remember this!
5. After blooming, the flowers can be cut for arranging (except for midnight-blooming lilies). The lifespan of a flower is about 3 to 6 days; on the first day the flower is relatively straight, then it becomes more and more curved, until it bends into the water. If flowers are cut for arranging, the flowering interval will be shortened; if they are left to fade, the interval will be longer.
6. Fertilizing: About every one and a half to two and a half months, apply slow-release fertilizer or root fertilizer about 3 to 5 cm away from the tuber, but do not apply any more after the end of September, because autumn is gradually approaching and water lilies will enter their dormant period; fertilizing instead will cause root rot.
7. After entering autumn and winter, water lilies will also enter their dormant period as the temperature drops. At this time, it is best not to disturb them; just fill with water when the water is low. For scented water lilies and varieties with spotted leaves, the dormant period is longer than for those without spots; light color series are longer than dark color series.
8. Transplanting and dividing buds: This can be done every year after Qingming and before Mid-Autumn. When dividing buds, be careful not to damage the growth buds; the size of the tuber does not matter much. In one pot, it is recommended not to have too many bud hearts, as it will be too crowded, the leaves will become smaller and it will not bloom. Therefore, on average, buds should be divided once or twice every two years (so I give away the extra ones every year).
9. Some varieties carry out another kind of asexual reproduction at the center of the leaf. If you find a bud heart growing at the center of the leaf, leave it alone at first and let it grow. When the leaf begins to turn yellow, cut off the leaf stalk together with the bud heart, place it in a water basin or flower pot, and likewise put it in a place with sufficient light. After about two weeks, when the growth bud has grown larger and roots have formed, it can be planted like a normal plant, and it will also bloom that same year.
Water lilies are flowers that do not need much management, because they grow very fast. Even if there are occasionally caterpillars or aphids, the damage to them will not be too serious. If water lilies are planted next to roses, the roses will hardly get aphids, because the aphids are all fed full by the water lilies. As long as there is sufficient light, they are guaranteed to grow vigorously.
