Growing tips to make waterlilies flower:
1. Waterlilies need sun to flower:
- Waterlilies are very sun dependent so should be placed in as much sun as possible.
2. Water depth:
- Each named variety has a depth requirement - some Pond waterlilies will grow well with 36" of water over the 3 litre basket, others will struggle with more than 24" of water over the top of the basket.
- Double flowering Pond waterlilies such as Nymphaea Gonnere like to be nearer the surface than other waterlilies of a similar spread.
- Dwarf and miniature lilies only need 6" of water over the top of the 1 litre basket they are supplied in.
- The crown of the plant (at the top of the basket) needs to be below potential ice depth but need not go down to its final depth immediately.
- In Summer the open, flat leaves supplied on the plant should be placed so they lay on the water surface.
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- dense, flat growing leaved waterlilies
3. Splashing water does not help a waterlily flower well:
- Do not place waterlilies near splashing water such as a waterfall, fountain or pump outlet.
- Constant splashing rots the leaves being splashed.
- The plant replaces these leaves before making flower buds.
4. Fertiliser is essential to make waterlilies flower well:
- The Pond waterlily needs nutrient so give a boost from aquatic fertilizer regularily.
- Add XL fertilizer balls to the basket of an established 3 litre plant in Spring and again in June to extend the flowering period.
- Add one small fertilizer growth ball to a 1 litre basket of a Dwarf or Miniature waterlily in Spring and in June.
5. Repotting:
- Pond waterlilies can become congested so need repotting to flower better.
- A sure sign is if the leaf does not lie flat on the surface but stands upward out of the water.
- See 'Repotting a waterlily'
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- waterliliy leaves standing above water surface
Use of chemicals is a problem for waterlilies:
- Chemicals have an inhibiting affect on the growth of pond plants and waterlilies even when they claim to be harmless.
- In killing algae and blanketweed they are killing a form of plant life.
- They may not kill the pond plants and waterlilies you are trying to grow but they will stunt their growth rate and alter their growth patterns.
- Waterlilies and oxygenating plants will be worst affected by chemicals as their entire structure lives in/under the water.
