The dream of a romantic garden pond comes true when water lilies thrive in it. As soon as they bloom, they look simply wildly romantic! But there are certain aspects to consider to ensure that water lily cultivation in your home garden pond is successful.
What conditions does a water lily need in the pond?
To grow water lilies in a pond, you need at least 20 cm of water depth, 2 square meters of space per plant, 6 hours of sunshine daily and calm water. Selected floating plants such as Frog Bite can act as neighbors.
Space, location and water
Water lilies need a lot of space. A single water lily should ideally be given a space of 2 square meters. In addition to the space available, the location is important. Water lilies want around 6 hours of sunshine per day. On top of that, they value warm and calm water. Therefore, do not plant them where there are fountains, whirlpools or similar!
How deep should the pond be?
The pond depth should be at least 20 cm. Depending on how deep the pond is, the type of water lily should be chosen. There are species that are satisfied with 40 cm. Other species need more than 70 cm. It is best to place them in a plant basket (€17.00 on Amazon) in the desired location in the pond.
The size of the plant basket depends on the water depth:
- 20 to 50 cm: 2 to 10 liter plant baskets
- 40 to 80 cm: 5 to 10 liter plant baskets
- 70 to 120 cm: 15 to 30 liter plant baskets
What should be considered when planting?
It is important that you use slower growing varieties for smaller ponds. For larger ponds, strong-growing water lilies can be used. You should also be careful not to plant the water lilies either too deep or too shallow. You can also place other floating plants in the pond, as long as the distance from the water lily is generous. Frog bites, shell flowers and Azolla make good neighbors.
Be careful when the water lily grows
The leaves of the water lily take up the entire surface of the water or are they already pushing on top of each other? This can then lead to flower failure. It would be ideal to plant water lilies in a ratio of 1:2 to the water surface. Then they work best. If the water surface becomes overgrown, it is recommended to divide the water lilies soon.
Tip
If you choose a tropical type of water lily, you should keep in mind that such specimens are not hardy and should therefore be overwintered!
