Waterlily Hardy

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Hardy Water Lilies are a beautiful addition to your pond, they produce plenty of large flowers which rest on the water surface, throughout the warm seasons. They come in a range of flower colours and they have flat leaves that remain all through the year.

Water lilies require a sunny position, at least 4 hours of sunlight per day. They do not like water splashing on their leaves so do not place them too near a fountain or waterfall. A minimum water depth of 40cm is preferred. Water lilies require a fair amount of nutrient to grow well, we recommend re-potting once a year in early spring and regular feeding with slow release tablets.

POTTING WATERLILIES

Select a suitable pot (at least 20cm or larger is ideal). You can use smaller pots but this will limit leaf growth and the potential of flowers. Line the pot with newspaper to stop the soil from flowing through the holes then hold the plant to be potted in position while you pour the potting mix in around it.

Make sure to use an Aquatic Potting Mix! Aquatic Potting Mix is free from strong fertilisers and herbicides making it completely safe for aquatic life and it will not pollute the water.

Fill the pot to approximately 3-4cm from the top and push down firmly. Push 1 fertiliser tablet into the soil near the roots. Spread a layer of river sand on the top (about 1cm thick). This will stop soil from discolouring the water. Spread a layer of gravel stones on the top to hold everything down. We normally use crushed pea gravel.

Slowly fully submerge the newly potted lilies in a bucket of water or gently run the hose onto the pot until the water runs clears before placing them into the pond. This is to try and get rid of as much clay that may be in the gravel or sand being used as this can discolour the water.