They are so beautiful with their floating star petals! But you don't have your own garden pond? No problem, because water lilies can also be cultivated in pots. How it works? Read on!
How can you grow water lilies in a pot?
To cultivate water lilies in a pot, choose weak-growing varieties, a waterproof container and a sunny to partially shaded location. Fill the container with a 10-15cm layer of sand and place the plant in the center before adding water and fertilizer cones.
Choose weak-growing water lilies
Only weak-growing, small varieties are suitable for container or container culture. This includes, for example, the dwarf water lily. Here are a few varieties that have proven to be well suited for container cultivation:
- ‘Sulphurea’
- ‘Shady Lady’
- ‘Ellisiana’
- ‘Chrysantha’
- ‘Froebeli’
- 'Perry's Red Dwarf'
- ‘Liliput’
- ‘Helvola’
- ‘Joey Tomocik’
- ‘James Brydon’
- ‘Perry’s Baby Red’
Finding suitable containers and a location
Only those that are waterproof are suitable as containers. So you can choose a bricklayer's bucket (€40.00 at Amazon) from the hardware store, a glass bowl, a ceramic bowl, a plastic pot or an open wine barrel. Even balcony boxes are suitable as long as they are waterproof.
When choosing a location, you should make sure to choose a sunny to semi-shady place. A place in the blazing sun is less recommended. The water in it heats up too quickly and too much. This harms the water lilies. Whether on the balcony, the terrace, in the garden or at the entrance to the house - you can find a suitable spot everywhere.
The planting itself – how does it work?
First clean the vessel. Then fill a 10 to 15 cm thick layer of sand in there. Now the plant is placed in the middle in the sand. Then fill with water (usually a water depth of 15 to 30 cm is sufficient) and distribute fertilizer cones. The planting is complete!
Aspects in care
All types of water lilies are relatively easy to care for. They should only be fertilized moderately in the container. Over-fertilization can quickly occur, which damages the plant. In winter it is important to overwinter the plant. A dark, cool, but frost-free room (e.g. basement) is the right choice for this.
Tip
Check your water lilies regularly for diseases and pests and clean the water of algae!
