How to Plant a Water Lily in a Pot
Potted water lilies are a graceful and fragrant addition to the garden pond or backyard water garden. Gardeners in cold-weather regions will have more success with hardy water lilies, which can be potted and submerged in spring, when water temperatures have reached 50 degrees. Their cousins, the tropical water lilies, need water temperatures to hold steady at 70 degrees or warmer. Potted lilies planted in quantity will spread their pads out across the water as they grow, creating shade that's often sufficient to discourage algae growth in ponds and water gardens. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Black plastic pots
- Garden soil
- Pea gravel
- Garden hand-spade
- Garden hose or watering can
- Lily fertilizer tablets
- Brick pavers
Instructions
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1
Select black plastic pots that are 10 to 12 inches deep and about 15 to 20 inches in diameter for your water lilies. The larger the pot, the larger your water lily will grow. Small water gardens may use smaller pots that will help keep down the size of the water lily.
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2
Wash about two cups of pea gravel. Line the bottom of the pot with the clean gravel. Fill the pot with regular garden soil until pot is about two-thirds full.
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3
Soak the soil well with plain water from a garden hose or watering can. Slip a lily fertilizer tablet into the soil.
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4
Position the water lily rhizome in the pot. Hardy lilies should be planted slightly to the side, with the bud end leaning in toward the pot center. Tropical water lilies should be planted in the pot center.
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5
Continue filling pot with garden soil. Leave about 2 inches of head-space at the top. Give the pot another good soaking.
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6
Wash another batch of pea gravel. Spread it across the top of the potted water lily plant and press down gently. This will help hold the soil in as you submerge the pot in the pond.
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7
Position brick pavers in the pond or water garden. Place the potted water lily plant on the pavers. Allow at least 8 inches of water, and up to 12 to 18 inches in deeper ponds, to cover the top of the pot.
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Tips & Warnings
Pot a number of water lilies at one time. Use them to attract wildlife to your pond while keeping algae growth at bay.
To overwinter water lily rhizomes, remove them from the pot in late fall. Place them in a plastic bag filled with damp peat moss. Keep them in a cool place that won't freeze.
Don't use potting soil or vermiculite when potting water lilies. They need a heavy soil with lots of nutrients to retain water and to prevent the soil from washing away.
