Temperature question

[Joshaeus]

Hi everyone! Here's a question...I understand that water lilies will go dormant below a certain water temperature. My question is, does the lower water temperature have to be sustained to trigger dormancy, or will dormancy be triggered by a single night (or several consecutive nights) of sufficiently low water temperatures even if the daytime temperatures are warmer? For example, if I had a tropical water lily that needs 70+ degree water in a container pond, and the water reached the 80's fahrenheit during the day but dipped into the low 60's at night, would the lily go dormant because of the lower nighttime temperatures? If the lower nighttime temps will cause problems, are there any reliable ways to keep the water gardens warmer at night? Thanks

 

[GBBUDD]

joshaeus. I think your past the expertise of this forum. https://www.ftd.com/blog/share/types-of-lilies
start with the basics see what lillies prefer wetter areas and which are hardy or are easy to grow. I know some do not like to be fussed with at all. and can take a year or two before they take root and bloom.
good luck

 

[Joshaeus]

(Facepalm)...I was talking about water lilies, Nymphaea sp, not terrestrial lilies.

 

[Phaewryn]

(Facepalm)...I was talking about water lilies, Nymphaea sp, not terrestrial lilies.

Try asking in the forum for aquatic plants: https://www.gardenpondforum.com/forums/aquatic-plants.15/

 

[Jhn]

@Joshaeus

When you are talking temps in relation to aquatic plants water temp is what matters not air temp. Your water temp will not swing from 60degrees at night to 80 degrees during the day unless it is a very small body of water. Keep in mind too most water lilies don’t do well in small containers as they can’t spread the pads out, if that is what it is going in.

Ime with tropical lilies once established they will tolerate lower water temps with the onset of fall to a certain point Before going dormant. I imagine the tropical water lilies will do fine in the New England area during the Summer months until early fall. When I had them, I treated them like annuals and once they died in the fall I tossed them.

They aren’t that expensive I would buy one and experiment with it to see how it will do, if you are putting it in an actual pond.

 

[Joshaeus]

Ok. Would a 15-20 gallon, above ground container count as ‘small’?

 

[Phaewryn]

Ok. Would a 15-20 gallon, above ground container count as ‘small’?

EXTREMELY small. As in how on earth are you even growing them in something that small?

 

[Joshaeus]

EXTREMELY small. As in how on earth are you even growing them in something that small?

Ah...bummer. I can't make anything much larger because I live in an apartment complex with a bunch of little kids round about. Maybe water gardens (outdoor ones, at least) are not for me.

 

[Phaewryn]

Maybe water gardens (outdoor ones, at least) are not for me.

There are plants you can grow in that size container, just probably not water lilies.