A Very Hungry Caterpillar

by Lorenzo Orlando Caum on April 25, 2010

Here we have a short clip of a caterpillar eating a tropical water lily pad.

A Very Hungry Caterpillar from Utopia Aquatic on Vimeo.

A caterpillar devouring a water lily pad.

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Growing a tropical water lily via "bonsai"

by Lorenzo Orlando Caum on April 21, 2010

In this post we will share an example of an tropical water lily that has been grown using “bonsai” techniques.

The Guinea Pig

We selected Nymphaea ‘Foxfire’. It is our best-selling tropical water lily.

Growing Environment

  • Tub holds 11 gallons and is only 7″ deep.
  • Water temperature is about 80 degrees F.
  • Foxfire tuber was planted in sand in a quart pot.
  • Fertilized with a half a teaspoon of Osmocote Classic.

[click to continue…]

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Stimulate tubering in tropical water lilies with a drought

August 18, 2009

Today we will have a look at one method for getting tropical water lilies to produce tubers. Remember that tubers help a great deal when overwintering tropical water lily plants. Stress stress stress This method works by you guessed it stressing the plant. In native waters there are periods of drought and tropical water lilies [...]

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Koi and plants, imagine that!

August 8, 2009

Today we will show that aquatic plants and koi can coexist. Koi also known as “living jewels” in the ponding world have been known to eat countless aquatic plants in ponds across the globe. By being proactive it is indeed possible to enjoy both in your ponds and water gardens. Remember that koi are curious [...]

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The basics of tropical water lilies

July 28, 2009

Water lilies are a genus of aquatic plants from the family of Nymphaeaceae. Water lilies are also referred to as Nymphaea and come in types that are hardy or tropical. Note that Nymphaea is italicized because it is a genus. Therefore when writing a name of a water lily be sure to keep that in [...]

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Tropical water lily pests–aphids

July 10, 2009

Today we will be discussing ways to control aphids. What are aphids? They are insects that feed on foliage of plants. They come in a variety of colors but we often see the green ones attacking tropical water lilies. Small numbers may not be noticeable but large populations can do some serious damage to your [...]

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A Siamese bloom @ Star of Zanzibar

June 20, 2009

The other day I noticed what appeared to be a mutated bloom rising from a Star of Zanzibar. Out of the hundreds of blooms that I’ve seen this year, I’ve never seen anything quite like this. It’s a Siamese bloom on a tropical water lily ‘Star of Zanzibar’.

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10 tips for growing dazzling tropical water lilies

June 8, 2009

Here are some tips for getting the most out of your tropical water lilies! Plant when water temperature is stable You should plant your tropical water lilies when your water temperatures are at least 70 degrees F. Warmer temperatures means quicker growth but cooler temperatures can send your plant into dormancy or even death. Don’t [...]

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