What temp to lower the lillies?

[falconut]

I've got 3 Hardy Water Lillies, they're on shelves. The pot bottoms are around 18"-24" under the water. I'm going to move them to the bottom, which is around 3 feet deep. Just not sure when to do this?

Also, when I lower them, I've read that the stems and leaves should be cut off. Does it matter if they're still green?

 

[Tula]

I cut mine back for winter, otherwise they decay. Kim

 

[CountryEscape]

If you cut the lilies back when they are beginning to die, you are keeping the dead and decaying leaves from falling to the bottom of the pond and decaying there, or floating into a skimmer.
If your pots are that low, I would guess there is no reason to lower them. I have all of my lilies on shelves, and have never put any of them lower for winter. I'm in zone 6a. My pond froze a few times last winter, but never more than a couple of inches. If your pond has fish and you keep it somewhat open with either a heater or water/air bubbler, I doubt your plants will suffer. Hardy lilies can survive fine as long as the tuber itself does not freeze. So, if the top of the pot is 10" below the surface, and you get 2" of ice, you're fine. If the top is 4" below the surface, and your pond freeze 6" deep, you may be in trouble.
I just don't like to try to pull the pots up from the bottom of the pond in the spring, when the water is so darn chilly, as at that time, the closer they are to the surface, the sooner they will start growing again, once the freeze warnings are gone.
Good luck!

 

[falconut]

I'll have to measure how far down they truely are. According to one website, I'm in 7a and another I'm in 6b. The 2012 map said 7a, so I'll assume that's my zone. I seem to be comparible to you.

 

[addy1]

One of my lilies was in a leaking preform last winter, it was in around 10 inches of water or less. No air flow, the pond did freeze, (no fish) that lily came back just fine. They are pretty tough, I sort of figured it was a goner. I have mine around a foot to 18 inches down. Yours should be fine. You just don't want the tuber to freeze.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

My hardy lilies sit on a shelf at about 2 ft depth. Max pond depth is about 5ft.

I get about 8 or 9" of ice in the winter, and last year got about 3 ft of snow on top of that.
I don't lower my lilies. Last thing I would want to do is get up to my neck in the fall in that freezing water, especially when there is no need. Same goes for the spring and bringing them back up again.
Your lilies are fine where they are, just cut back them back as much as you can and remove the waste.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

NIce pond Mucky

So the top of your pond was completely covered by ice and snow? What kind of fish do you have?

 

[Mucky_Waters]

NIce pond Mucky

So the top of your pond was completely covered by ice and snow? What kind of fish do you have?

thanks
I have mostly various goldfish and some minnows, but added a couple butterfly koi this year.
yep completely frozen over, and 3 ft of snow accumulation. I did an experiment last winter to see what would happen if I did nothing to keep the pond open or oxygenated, and had a few fish deaths in early spring. Fortunately lilies are much more hardy then fish. I'll be doing things differently this winter.

 

[falconut]

Wow, my guess was way off. One shelf is 12" and the other is 9", so there's only like 3" and 6" over the pots. So, I'll definitely be lowering them. Does mid-November sound about the right time to do this?

 

[addy1]

As long as your water does not freeze you can lower them anytime.

 

[CountryEscape]

Yep, no set date. You can keep them lower all the time, too. Lilies will simply grow until their leaves reach the surface. So, really doesn't matter where they are all year, best to put them where you want them year round. If you have freezes there, put them where they will always be below the freeze line. Then never worry about moving them. :blueflower: