How to Grow Water Lilies Indoors

Grow tropical water lilies indoors to protect them from the winter.

Water lilies have heart-shaped leaves, float on the surface of the water and grow large blooms that range in color. Water lilies need to be placed indoors in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 11. Because they can't survive in temperatures of less than 70 degrees F, they will need protection from the winter. Some varieties of water lilies go dormant in the winter.

Things You'll Need

• Growing baskets
• Burlap
• Topsoil
• Pea gravel
• Aquarium
• Aquarium heater
• Purple grow lights
• Fertilizer spikes
• Aquatic fertilizer

Instructions

1. Choose baskets wide enough to fit inside your indoor aquarium. Line the baskets with burlap, if they have drainage holes, to keep the soil from escaping. Trim the foliage, if you are over-wintering the water lilies, so they will fit into smaller pots.

2. Fill the basket three-quarters full with a heavy topsoil mix to ensure it doesn't float out of the basket when submerged in water. A lighter soil will come out of the basket when you submerge it in the water, and it will not hold the water lily in place.

3. Set the water lily close to the edge of the basket. Place the growing end pointing toward the center of the container, and cover it with pea gravel.

4. Set the heater of the aquarium to a temperature of 68 to 75 degrees F.

5. Place the basket in the aquarium at an angle to ensure that air escapes. Plant lilies at a depth of at least 18 inches.

6. Place purple grow lights with a wattage of 200 to 300 over the aquarium. Position the lights about 6 inches above the water.

7. Set the grow lights to stay on for 18 hours a day. Place the water lilies outdoors in baskets that are at least 12 to 18 inches wide in the spring when the water begins to warm.

8. Place three to four fertilizer spikes in the dirt to feed the lilies. Add a fertilizer specifically designed for aquatic plants, and follow the directions on the package.

References

• Water Garden: How to Care for Water Lilies and Other Aquatic Plants
• Victoria Adventure: Viviparous Tropical Waterlily Propagation
• Webbs Online: Winterizing Tips