water lillies

[Oldhead]

How deep do you plant your water lillies? (hardy ones). I madethe center of the pond 2ft deep for this and most info says no deeper then 18". I've also seen the other extreme that up to 5ft is fine.
Also i'm repotting and fertilizing them today into a black plastic concrete mixing tray that is about 30" long 18" wide 8" deep, will it hurt to submerge the leaves since they have been on top of the water, i'd like to set it alittle deeper then they are now.

 

[DrCase]

Mine are 2 ft deep with no probs,,,If you want to move them deeper the new pads will find the top of the water,,not sure about the old ones

 

[oldmarine]

Most all of the instructions and advice that I have read or given are minimum one and a half feet. My in gorund molded pond is two feet to the bottom. I have four lillies potted, and the last one I bought and potted was purchased and planted to late, and is dead. I had to remove it form the pond. My oldest lilly is about four years old and is sending up it's first lilly blossum. I should see the flower open in a couple of days.

One thing I found out from experience, (and out of my own stuburn way), is to use the aqaudic fertalizer for the water lillies as recommended. I have had the best water lilly blossoms I have ever seen because of using the fertalizer tablets as recommended.

 

[koiguy1969]

i put mine at 18" till the pads touch surface, move them to 24" till the pads hit again, then move them back to 18" and the spread is way bigger.

 

[oldmarine]

Just from experience,.....................

Put the potted water lillies on the bottom, anywhere, and at any depth, (from1.5 feet to 3 feet), and they will grow to the surface without your help. Trust me.

Just as long as they are in the right potting mix, and fertalized as recommended, they will do the rest.

All you do is wait and enjoy.

 

[Oldhead]

Well I replanted them in the tray and pushed some fertilizer into the soil. I put them at 2 ft and the next morning the leaves were already at the surface.
Do they have to be a certain age plant to get flowers? Just wondering cause all the lillies at the lakes around here are blooming.

 

[oldmarine]

I can't answer that from experience, but I asked the same question to a local pond guy. His answer was; if you plant them yourself this year from a tuber, they are just getting started and may blossom by the July or later. If the water lilly plant is already potted at the time of the purchase, they will adjust to your pond and usually start sending up lilly blossoms right away.

I didn't know this guy had already potted and established water lillies ready to take home until a month ago. He told me that if you don't want to wait for blossoms, buy them from a local pond nursery and take them home.

I am hoping that he will get in some established Lotus.