So far as I m concerned , the Water Lily is the queen of aquatic plants. Nearly every one that owns a pond also has a Lily or wants one. The worth of the hardy Water Lily lies not just in the wonder of it's cup-shaped or star-shaped flower but also within the round or heart shaped leaves (pads) which not only do they keep the fish happy but they help to keep the water clear as well.
There's no doubt that it s a fascinating plant that has a lots of surprises for every one of us and an equal amount of pitfalls for the beginner. The initial surprise for the newbie is the vast range of flower sizes, leaf sizes, leaf spread and planting depth required. The dwarf varieties (minatures) with 1" wide leaves covering about 1 sq.ft of pond surface and bearing medal-sized flowers are an outstanding choice for a minipond created from a half-barrel. At the other end of the scale you will discover the Viogrous varieties with leaves measuring more than 8" across whch, and if left alone, will blanket a pond of 50 sq.ft or more and produce flowers the size of dinner plates.
The golden rule is never to buy a Water Lily just because the image looks nice and also it costs less than the others on show. You should measure your pond surface after which you can aim to purchase a number of specimens with an anticipated spread of not more than half the pond surface. Never be guided by price. The ones which are far too vigarous for the typical size pond actually cost less than the greater compact ones which usually do not look good value for money because of thier size.
To make selection easier it is better to group Water Lilies into a tiny number of types. Dwarf, Medium and Vigorous. All you will have to do is to choose the type with the correct planting depth and also the anticipated spread to your needs and then find a variety within that group with a shape and colour that you find attractive. Time of flowering will not come in to the choice because all Water Lilies behave roughly the same. Blooming starts in June and then the flowers appear in succession until September. Each bloom opens from late morning to late afternoon and lasts for about 4 days.
Now for the surprises. A lot of the scores of varieties on offer today came from the breeding work of a Frenchman who lived the name of M. Joseph Bory Latour-Marliac. The very first one appeared in 1877 but unfortunately his secrets died with him in 1911. Because of this, the bulk of the Water Lily varieties inside catalogues are more than 80 years old. I an happy to mention that new American varieties are actually beginning to appear on the market, but Latour-Marliac hybrids still continue to dominate.
Now for the planting rules. May and June are the perfect months for planting and you ll need a sunny spot and still water . Take off the old leaves from your rootstock and trim back the firous roots. Plant firmly so that the crown is barely protruding above the surface. Submerge the basket so that the young leaves float at the surface and gradually lower the basket to the final depth as the leaves grow. This will take several months to achieve.
Once you ve stocked your pond with plants, leave it for a month befor introducing any fish. Don't just tip the fish in as soon as you get them home. Place the polythene bag in your pond and leave it for an hour. After an hour gently open the bag and add some pond water to it. Leave the bag in your pond for an additional 10 minutes. The ultimate stage is to tip the fish in to their new home. You should not worry if the fish hide among the foliage for a few days, this really is quite normal behavior. Leave them alone and what ever you do, don't endeavor to coax them out.
Which Water Lillies To Grow In Your Pond
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