Water Lily: How to Grow One in Your Garden Pond
If you have a pond in your garden that you want to decorate naturally, the water lily is an option that you should consider. These types of plants are easy to care for and look beautiful, so anyone who visits your garden will be impressed and enchanted. In this article, we’re going to tell you about its origin, care, and cultivation. This way you’ll have all the information to help you decide whether you want one or not.
Also known as nymphaea, the water lily attracts attention because it has beautiful flowers. It’s native to Asia and Africa but has now spread throughout the world. Being aquatic, it does very well in any pond, lagoon or pool, as long as the water remains calm.
In fact, these plants attract attention because they even have the ability to grow in stagnant water formations. These are called wild water lilies and their roots can reach up to five meters in length.
Structure of the water lily
The structure of the water lily is simple, although it’s very resistant. We can note the following parts:
- Leaves: yes, this is in the plural because the water lily doesn’t just have one leaf as many people may think! This plant has some leaves that develop underwater and they’re large and serrated. Its other leaves float in the water and complete their development when they emerge to the surface. The surface leaves are smaller than the ones underwater.
- Flowers: these have numerous stamens and petals. They’re beautiful and have a variety of colors.
- Rhizome: this is submerged at the stem, which it’s characterized by being thick. This takes root at the bottom of the pond or lagoon where it’s located.
Water lily care
Although water lilies are very resistant, you must offer them basic care so that they develop properly. Contrary to popular belief, the most delicate part of the plant is the roots. When you’re growing or transplanting your specimen, you must be very careful because if you damage the roots the plant can easily die.
Among others, water lilies need you to clean the aquatic formation where they’re grown and for you to offer other care such as pruning. We’ll tell you more below:
It requires a hot climate
There are two types of water lilies: perennials that grow best in temperate climates, and day or night-blooming water lilies, which grow best in tropical climates. Either way, the best climate for growing water lilies is a warm one, as low temperatures don’t promote their development.
White water lily: the exception
The white water lily is the exception to the rule because it’s frost-resistant. It’s one of the most common and stands out for its beauty and aroma, which is very similar to the perfume of roses.
You have to plant it carefully
Being such a delicate plant, the planting process requires great care, and you need to consider that its fragility increases out of water. To make the process successful, we’ve shared some simple instructions for you to follow:
- Plant it in the soil first: plant the water lily in a small pot with holes for drainage and place the roots inside it and add fertilizer with soil. Then, submerge the pot in your pond, making sure that both the plant and the soil remain in the pot.
- Prioritize lighting: remember that the pond (or the body of water) where you place the plant must have ample lighting, only then will its growth thrive.
Nitrogen and chlorine-free water
The compost you use for your water lily should be low in nitrogen and the water should be chlorine-free. You can even use rainwater to ensure that it’s not contaminated. When you buy your water lily, tell the seller that you need supplies for its growth and ask them to recommend some special fertilizers.
Reproduction of water lilies
If your water lilies have developed successfully and you want to reproduce them, you should divide the rhizomes. The white water lily, for example, can be taken out of the water between April and May and cut with a sharp knife. Sanitize the cutting with some crushed charcoal or ash.
Each part must have incipient shoots, which should be placed in the sowing containers that you can prepare in advance. Once ready, place these in larger containers. When the water lilies are ready dry them in the sun and allow them to root under the rays.