5 Simple Steps

To Dividing Your Hardy Water Lilies 

If you missed the springtime window of opportunity to divide your hardy water lilies, don’t worry, it’s not too late. Although springtime isthe best time, you’ve actually got the entire normal growing season to get it done.

The reason for dividing your water lilies is that they eventually run out of room in their existing pots and need more room for the roots to spread out so the plant can flourish. Not only is this relatively easy to do, but you end up with more plants as a bonus!

lilies

Step 1

Remove the plant from the pot and gently rinse the dirt from the root system.

Step 2

Cut the older growth from one end of the tuber, and the newer  growth from the other. If there are new “eyes” along the tuber you can snip them off and pot them if you wish.

Step 3

Take a sharp knife and cut the tuber back on the ‘growing’ part. On small plants you can safely cut the tuber down to 2-3 inches. Keep it at  around 5-6 inches for larger plants. You should also cut off new buds and any older leaves so the plant can  stay focused on growing a new root system.

Step 4

Plant the tuber in good quality garden soil that has been poured into a pot that is suitable for water gardening. Potting soil is not the best choice so make sure that the package says ‘garden soil’. Insert the tuber into the soil placing it next to the wall of the pot rather than in the center of the pot. Insert a couple of aquatic plant food tabs about halfway into the soil and then pack the soil around the tuber so it will stay in place when the pot is submerged. Finally, pour a layer of pea gravel over the soil to keep it from washing away. This also discourages your fish from digging in the pot.  Make sure that you do not cover the crown of the tuber with gravel.

Step 5

Slowly submerge the pot into your garden pond. Don’t be alarmed if some dirt residue mixes in with the water. This is normal and it will soon settle to the bottom and the water will clear. Keep your new plants in water that is no deeper that 12″ until you notice at least five or six new leaves. Once the plant is established you can place it in deeper water if you wish. There, you’re done. Now your old plants will have more room to grow and you’ll have new plants to keep or share with friends. Wasn’t that easy?

Fertilizing Your Water Lilies… 

Unfortunately, sunlight is not enough.

Your water lilies will grow, thrive, and bloom much better if you get in the habit of fertilizing them regularly.

The good news is — It’s Easy!

you can either remove your water lily from the pond to fertilize them, your sometimes you can even do it with the plants still in the pond…

I prefer to remove them so I can inspect to see if they are becoming overgrown, and possibly need dividing. This is really the best way, and a good time to kill two birds with one stone. So, first – remove the pot from the pond. Then drain out any excess water, so you can see the surface of the soil and 

Rhiozome.. Next, here’s a trick I use to fertilize my lilies quickly and easily…

Have a fairly wide tipped flathead screwdriver nearby, and then use it to punch a clear path into the soil and through the existing roots. Then give it a good twisting to hollow our your hole. You’d be surprised how hard it can be to push a fertilizer tab down into a dense root pack – so try this next time and tell me if it isn’t 100% easier. Now that you have your ‘holes’ dug – take 3-4 water lily fertilizer tabs out (we like the Tetra Pond fertilizer tabs), and push them down into the holes with your index finger.. That’s it — you’re done!

Then just cover up the holes and top off the plant with some fresh dirt, as we discussed in our last article – and you’re ready to move onto the next one. Once you’ve fertilized all your lilies, just slowly lower them back into the pond..

Here’s another trick I use – Don’t just drop the pot back into the pond, as trapped air bubbles can sometimes uproot the lily or some soil..

This is espcecially true new pottings, as the soil has not been properly ’set’. Here’s what I do:

Lower the pot into the water, just enough to fill it with water, then raise back up out of the water until you see all the air bubbles disappear. Do this a few more times, until you think you’re removed all the air bubbles from the pot – then slowly lower it down into the pond. There’s nothing more frustrating than having a newly potted lily (or any plant) suddenly lift up out of the pot, dumping dirt all over the pond, and having to be repotted.. I’ts happened to me more than once..