How to Grow Hardy Water Lilies

Surface water plants, hardy water lilies have leaves that float on top of your pond and roots that grow in soil below the surface. Hardy water lilies survive temperatures in zone 3, because their roots grow below the ice level. They reduce algae and evaporation, moderate water temperature and provide a resting place for frogs. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Basket
• Permeable fabric
• Garden loam
• Manure
• Gravel
• Fertilizer tablets

1. Choose a hardy water lily that meets your color and space requirements. If you want a small spreader try the Berit Strawn that displays a rare orange coloration. Denver white and Fabiola pink provide medium sized varieties. Grow Red Spider and Virginia white in large ponds only.

2. Examine your new plants for insect eggs or larvae before adding to your pond. Rinse the plants under a hose and keep them under observation in a bucket of water for 2 weeks until you're sure they're pest-free.

3. Plant the hardy water lily in a 16-inch plastic or wire basket lined with permeable fabric designed for water gardens to hold in the soil. Use a mix of garden loam and manure. Top with an inch of gravel.

4. Place the planter basket at the proper depth to allow the leaves to float at the surface, between 18 inches and 3 feet deep. You must keep the roots below the freeze line of your pond to ensure winter survival.

5. Site the water lily in a sunny position, away from any fountains. The plants must receive at least a half day of full sun for bloom formation.

6. Add fertilizer tablets from April through August to promote heavy blooming. Pinch off dead leaves and spent blossoms to encourage more blooms.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't allow the roots to freeze over the winter. If temperatures threaten to freeze the entire pond, remove the plant and keep it at 40 degrees to maintain dormancy.