The water lilies, which are poisonous to many animals and have the botanical name Iris pseudacorus (swamp iris), like to proliferate in the garden pond once they have been planted. They are considered to be extremely easy to care for and when they are in bloom they are a wonderful sight. They can be easily propagated by sowing and dividing. Find out how to do it here.
How to propagate water lilies?
Water lilies can be propagated by dividing in the spring or fall and by sowing the seeds in the fall. When dividing, the rhizomes are divided with a sharp knife and planted separately. Sowing takes place in a sandy-loamy substrate, at an ideal germination temperature of 15 °C.
Dividing water lilies – easy and quick
The best time to divide a water lily is in early spring or fall. The plant should be cut down so that the root area can be clearly seen. How to proceed:
- dig generously around the root area
- Remove soil from the rootstock and spray with a garden hose if necessary
- Divide the rootstock with a sharp knife
- plant divided plants separately from each other
When choosing a location for the new plants, it is crucial to offer them a sunny to partially shaded place. The soil should be well loosened and permeable. Sandy-loamy substrates are ideal. The new plants benefit from a high nutrient content, especially in the early stages of growth.
Sowing water lilies
The seeds of the water lily ripen in autumn. They can be sown as soon as they have reached maturity. They are found in the brown and elongated capsule fruits. There they are in a multitude like rolls of money.
Open the capsules or wait for them to pop open on their own. The seeds inside are light brown, flat and rounded. You can sow seeds at home. Water lilies can be further cultivated there. As a houseplant they don't need much care.
Here are instructions for sowing:
- Seeds need cold stimulus, for example in the refrigerator
- Soak seeds in water for 2 days
- sow in sandy-loamy substrate (cover 0.5 cm thick with soil)
- Keep substrate moist
- Germination time: 2 to 4 weeks
- ideal germination temperature: 15 °C
Long wait until flowering
The water lilies can be pricked out from a height of 5 cm. They are then planted in a nutrient-rich substrate. They can thrive both outdoors and indoors, for example in the living room. The first flowering of plants grown from seeds can be expected after two to three years.
Tip
Sowing is usually easy, even outside the home. Water lilies like to sow themselves. It is therefore worth leaving the seeds to stick throughout the winter.
