NEW WATER LILY -- HAVING BABIES!

[Mmathis]

I just got an ISLAMORADA lily! It's a "tropical" that is supposedly more cold tolerent than most. I'll post a pic. It's a nice purple-ish blue, and the petals are mottled with a soft creamy color. Really pretty! Got the plant from a local store. When it came out of the water, IT WAS HUGE!!! The only other 2 lilies I have came as dried moss in a box so its size was a shocker

This one is viviparous and it already had many little babies on the older leaves. I've pulled them off and stuck them in other pots in the pond [mostly right at or just below water level]. WOW! Never realized......!

So, how do you grow and nurture these little babes?

 

[fishin4cars]

Place in small pots with the same planting media you use for the larger plants, I would not fert. if there is some osmocote already mixed in that should be ok but don't use plant stick or lily tablets while they are this young. Place in a still or close to still area and in about 4-6" of water and let them do there thing. The main thing is try and place them where the fish won't dig at all. When they are babies the roots are pretty delicate, once they start sending leaves up you can start fert. lightly and all should be good from there.

 

[Mmathis]

My other 2 lilies are "hardy" types. This one is "tropical," but more cold tolerant than most tropicals, so was going to over-winter it like a hardy. What about the babies? Do I need to do anything special/different with them?

 

[Mmathis]

Wow, the babies are popping up everywhere! At this rate, I'll be looking for homes for them. Seriously! When it's time, I'll be looking for takers.

How do y'all pack & ship your plants? Guess it would be best to wait until they establish & develop good roots. Next spring??

 

[addy1]

Wow, the babies are popping up everywhere! At this rate, I'll be looking for homes for them. Seriously! When it's time, I'll be looking for takers.

How do y'all pack & ship your plants? Guess it would be best to wait until they establish & develop good roots. Next spring??

Wet paper towel wrapped around the roots, in a plastic baggie, priority us mail, Works great

 

[Mmathis]

Well, trying to include a picture of the bloom, but having computer problems -- not letting me download. Try again, later!

 

[j.w]

TM I've been having trouble w/ getting photobucket pix to load up on here. Takes forever but it finally shows up. Don't know if it's photobucket, my puter or the forum but it's rather annoying.

 

[Mmathis]

TM I've been having trouble w/ getting photobucket pix to load up on here. Takes forever but it finally shows up. Don't know if it's photobucket, my puter or the forum but it's rather annoying.

JW -- I think it's the forum server, or at least that's what my error message implied. I download directly from the computer to my message.

 

[j.w]

I loaded a photo from my computer just for a test and it loaded up fine. Think mine is photobucket cuz down at the bottom it keeps saying "waiting for photobucket"...................who knows............darn computers!

 

[Mmathis]

Yea! It took the photo this time!

This is the "Momma," Islamorada, a "tropical." At this time I have at least 6 detatched baby plants, but yesterday noticed a couple more forming on the leaves. And all the babies seem to be thriving.... This is going to make me want to expand my pond just so I can grow more -- :wub:

 

[sissy]

I had to add something interesting that happened when I repotted 2 of my lilies as I ran low on kitty litter and oyster shells that I plant mine in ,but had some activated charcoal and added that and seems those 2 lilies have grown a lot bigger than the other 2 I planted and seems they look a lot healthier ,no flowers yet but really good growth on the leaves and great color .I think the pond water is clearer also .

 

[capewind]

My husband is the lily nut, I really know little about them (he takes care of them), but a friends lily was having lots of babies and sent me some. The biggest tuber (whatever the root is called) was only 4" long, with the smallest being about a HALF INCH... she wrapped it in a wet paper towel, and stuck them in a ziplock bag like another poster said. She told me to trust her (momma plant is 25-30 yrs old) and just pot them up and sink right to the bottom... I refused LOL. I was really afraid I would kill them, so let them float for awhile (a month). After the roots got longer, I compromised, and held the roots to the bottom with a rock. The pads stretched to the surface in a week (they were only a foot deep). Surprise surprise, she was right, and I didnt kill them LOL.

 

[addy1]

They are hard to kill, I might need to purge some, they are doing too good of a job covering the pond with flowers. But so pretty! and keeping that water cool with all this horrible heat we are having.

 

[sissy]

well it sure cooled off here tonight and got some more work done on the pond ,but the lawn needed mowed and trimmed .My lotus plants re doing pretty good and now planting the ones in the kitchen window and starting new ones for the nursery to sell .He got me more seeds from a local place and not sure how they will grow but guessing I will find out soon enough .He stopped by and brought me 30 seeds .Think I need to make a green house soon :razz: