Hardy Water Lily Fall Tips and Tricks

Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping
by Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping
Hardy Water Lily Fall Tips and Tricks Hardy Water Lily Courtesy of: Poseidon Plants Hardy water lilies rely on the length of the day to determine when to stop growing in the fall. During the fall season most hardy water lilies will develop leaves known as "indicator leaves." Indicator leaves are small almost transparent leaves that can be found at the base of the plant near the rhizome. They are the plants way of determining when the length of day increases in the spring season. Once the plant has indicated an increase in day length new growth will emerged from the rhizome. Trim away the old hardy water lily foliage in the fall but be sure not to disturb any of the indicator leaves. Hardy Water Lily Courtesy of: Poseidon Plants Fertilizing your hardy water lilies in the cooler water is not effective because the plants are not able to absorb the nutrients. The unused fertilizer will only contribute to the nutrient load and spring algal blooms. When it comes to over wintering your hardy water lilies you have two options.1. Submerge your hardy water lilies to a depth below freezing. If ice forms on the rhizome you will have plant cell death that will lead to softness and rotting.2. Remove your hardy water lilies from the water feature and store them in a cool, dark, and humid location (free from freezing). Pushing the hardy water lily growth all winter long with the use of lamps and heat is not suggested because they have a winter dormancy requirement in order to sprout properly in the spring. Forced winter growth can effect production in the spring and summer and in some cases shorten overall hardy water lily lifespan. It may be hard to live without the brilliant blooms our hardy water lilies display in the summer but come next spring when they do emerge from their winter slumber the anticipation of the first bloom will soon make us forget. Be sure to check back in the spring for more hardy water lily tips and tricks. Cory MannB.S. Horticulture Michigan State UniversityPoseidon Ponds & LandscapingPoseidon Plants
Hardy Water Lily Courtesy of: Poseidon Plants
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  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Sep 26, 2012
    Poseidon, I only have one Tropical Lily and the rest are Hardy Lilies. I use a "solar blanket" and shut off the waterfall in Florida for the really cold days and sometimes the Hardy Lilies bloom during the coldest month. I will be checking your site for more information. thank you.
  • Thank you Sherrie and we love hearing how people take care of their ponds around the country.
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