Water lilies are a great addition to any water garden or pond. These delicate and ethereal blooms give a beautiful ambiance to your garden, and they are easy to grow. This article lists some tips to grow these flowers in a pond.

Water lilies are of two main types; the tropical ones that bloom in both the day and night, and hardy ones that bloom only in the day. For a residential water garden, planting the hardy variety works well. If you are planning to grow them, then there are a few things that you have to keep in mind. Water lilies thrive in sunshine, so you need to place the pool somewhere that receives plenty of sunlight. Plant them in still water like a small pot or a big shallow urn. They do not grow well in water bodies that have fountains or in streams.

Growing in a Pond

The flowers are first cultivated in a container and then slid into the pond. This is one of the best methods, since most people have artificial ponds made of concrete, and covering the bottom of the pond with soil is not feasible. It will not only make the pond muddy, but will also be difficult to clean. Aquatic plant care is different from caring for the plants that grow on land, so special attention should be given to them.

Choosing a Container
The first step is to choose a good container to grow the lilies in. A wide and shallow container works best, and you can choose from the round ones to the more popular rectangular ones. Plastic containers that are approximately 12 cm deep and 28-30 cm in diameter work best. If the container has large drainage holes, then line the container with burlap so that the soil and mud does not escape through the hole.

Preparing the Soil
Since these flowers are aquatic plants, ordinary potting soil will not do. You will need nutrient-rich loamy soil that is boosted with organic manure and aquatic fertilizer. Aquatic fertilizer pellets can be found in gardening stores or nurseries. Place the soil in the container lined with burlap, and then compact it.

Planting the Tuber
Make a small depression in the soil towards the edge of the container. Now, plant the rhizome in the soil after removing any old leaves and roots. The rhizome is not planted in the middle of the container like most plants because the roots of water lilies spread laterally, and therefore require space to grow. Next, cover the soil with a thin layer of gravel or small rocks so that the soil does not run out of the container when placed in water.

Place Plant in Pond
Slide the container gently in the pond at a depth of 12-18 inches. The stems and leaves of the plant should float above the surface of the water. If your pond is deep, then you need to construct a supporting structure under the water and place the container on the structure. You can construct a makeshift support by placing a few bricks one on top of another to get the required height.

Planting water lilies in a pond is not difficult, and you will be rewarded with beautiful blooms if you follow the correct procedure. Ideally, the hardy types should be planted in early spring. They usually bloom from early June to late September. These flowers cannot thrive in the cold and they become dormant. They require at least 4-5 hours of sunlight a day to grow, so make sure that you plant them in an area of the pond where it can get adequate amounts of sunlight.