Waterlily seedling tank and unusual nightbloomer flower.

[minnowman]

The owner of my former minnow business shut it down this year. He left me the 8'x16'x4'deep minnow tank so I tore it down and rebuilt it as a 10'x20'x20" seedling growout tank. It's made of pressure treated lumber and 3/4" plywood, and a polyethylene liner. All of the plants and many more were in a 4'x7' tank two weeks ago. They seem really happy to have more room and bigger pots. They are all seedlings of N. 'Ostara' and open pollination.
The last 2 pics are of a nightbloomer seedling that normally makes cup shaped or flat blooms. I don't know why it made one bloom that opened past flat. I wish all of its blooms were like the last one.

 

[fishin4cars]

Gary, you been busy! That's a lot of babies! Nice looking set up!

 

[Craig58]

Gary,

I have a night bloomer and have had several others over the years. My wife and I have observed that the last blooms of the season seem to open farther and stay open longer in the mornings. I'm not sure really why. I suspect that maybe as fall approaches, the nights get longer and maybe this has something to do with it. Since these are tropicals, maybe the cooler weather makes the plant sense the end is near and it keeps the blooms open longer and wider in a desperate attempt to get as much pollination done as possible? Not sure but I have heard of plants that as they near death they put all resources into blooms/reproduction instead of leaf growth. Possibly this is related to that?

Craig

 

[minnowman]

Here are a couple more shots of the seedlings. All but one look like normal purple blooms, but the last one has petaloid stamens!

 

[minnowman]

Another new one bloomed today. It has petaloids and very nice pads(the one to the right of the bloom).

 

[fishin4cars]

That is a good looking lily! I like the yellow center against the Blue/purple and the contrast of the mollted leaves. nice all around package. seems to be single blooms not groups of blooms so far. very nice! I like your set up! i would like to set something up like that, green house and indoor ponds, some for plants, some for raising selected goldfish.