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.

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.

At week 1, the tuber sprouts. By week 2, there are a handful of tiny floating pads. By week 3, the pads are gaining size. By week 4, the Foxfire plant sends up its first bud.

Applications?

This technique could be particularly useful to water gardeners who have a limited space. An example could be growing a tropical water lily in a container water garden.

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 respond by creating tubers. When the rain returns and water levels rise back to normal, the tubers sprout and grow new plants. Its a rather neat cycle!

You can trigger this response in your own pond or water garden. First we’ll need to know several things. This is a process that takes some time and doing this will cause you to lose a good portion of your growing season (no blooms).

Lets begin

You’ll need on average about two months of time and its recommended that you do this towards the end of your season as it just makes more sense. So to restate that–acquire a tropical water lily, enjoy its majestic blooms for the first half of your season or so but leave around two months for stressing via drought. It should begin to get cold by the time the stressing period is complete–this further stresses the plant.

• Weeks 1-2: Unpot tropical water lily from large pot and move to a small pot–do not fertilize. We highly recommend a pot with holes at the bottom but more important choose a pot that is smaller than a gallon. We have had amazing results with quart pots.
• Week 3: Move the tropical water lily which should be in a small pot closer to the surface of the water. If you had it at say 18 inches of depth, move to 9 inches. Note that that we measure depth from the water surface to the crown of the plant.
• Week 4: Move the tropical water lily even closer to the surface of the water. If before it was at 9 inches, now move it to 5 inches.

Midpoint checkup

You are about half way, you’ll notice several things occurring. First you’ll see a decline in plant size which means smaller and less number of blooms. This is normal. This is great as these are signs of stress. Next you’ll see the foliage do something remarkable. They will begin to curl upwards and as you progress with this stressing period, the plant will hold the foliage out of the water similar to what lotus plants do.

• Week 5: Once again move the tropical water lily towards the surface of the water. It was 5 inches, now move it to 1 inch.
• Weeks 6-7: Keep the plant at this level. The plant should have stopped blooming and cold weather should be approaching.
• Week 8 or more: You will want to leave your tropical water lily plant until just before the first frost will occur.

In the video below we have a N. Midnight Serenade that volunteered to help you understand what a tropical water lily should look like during its final weeks of undergoing stress.

Stressing a tropical water lily with low water level from Utopia Aquatic on Vimeo.

Harvest for overwintering

It’s now time to unpot the plant and gather the tubers. We recommend tossing them in a tropical aquarium as that is the best method for overwintering. They will sprout underwater foliage and when spring comes around you can set them in your water garden or pond at the appropriate time. As for the actual plant you have several options:

• Send it to a warmer climate. There are some places that tropical water lilies grow and bloom year round (that sounds like our location in Florida).
• Toss the plant–although not recommended.
• Grow the plant inside during the winter.

Let us review

Your tropical water lily is stressed through a small pot, lack of nutrients, simulated drought, and finally cooler water temperatures. It must occur over a period of time as tubers do not form overnight. Good luck!

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 and intelligent so you’ll need to get ahead of them!

Get your plants setup

We will begin by speaking generally about pot sizes. You will want to correlate the size of your koi with the size of your plant container. If your pots are small, they can nudge and move them around and potentially knock them over. Furthermore, it is quite possible for them to “root” or “dig” into the substrate of your pots. How can you prevent this? Ensure the following

• Use a large pot / container that is more wide than tall aka squat pots.
• Cover the substrate of your plants with rock. We highly recommend large river rock or pieces of flagstone. Pea gravel is far too small. The koi will move the pea gravel and create a mess with minimal effort. Be sure not to allow the rock to suffocate the crown of the plant–leave a small space between!
• Grow young plants outside of pond and transfer after they are full-sized.

For marginal & bog plants, you can place them pond side in the dirt or put them in the pond. If your pond is deep, you can use concrete blocks, milk crates or something similar to raise to the appropriate water level. Typically bog & marginal plants will do best will just a few inches of water over the pot.

Lily-like aquatics may or may not work out due to the fact that new foliage is very soft and thus easy for the koi to eat. There are plant cages that you can purchase that will protect most of the plant.

Submerged plants and floating plants are likely to be the first attacked. They can be regarded as delicacies. Anacharis may be gobbled up but Hornwort may not because it has a bitter taste. For floating plants, such as water hyacinth and water lettuce it is the roots that are consumed. For tiny floater plants, such as Duckweed or Azolla, everything is eaten. You can save these plants by moving them to a stream or another protected part of your pond.

Water lilies can also grow in a koi pond. You will want to be sure you plant a mature plant in a large pot. Small starts will be eaten and should be grown to full size in another pool of water before transferring into pond. Remember to place flagstone or large river rock over the substrate and to use concrete blocks or milk crates to raise closer to the surface as many koi ponds are several feet deep.

Summary of plants and koi

Just because a koi eats plants in one pond does not mean that your plants will be eaten by your koi. To restate that, not all koi eat plants. Surely, you have visited your local water garden store and seen plants in a koi pond!

If your koi are young, introducing plants early will reduce the chances that they will find your new favorite pond plant a delicacy.

When in doubt, experiment. You know you’ll enjoy your koi pond more when there are plants around!

Looking for more proof? Visit CJ’s adventures in ponding.

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 mind, e.g. Nymphaea ‘Foxfire’ or for short N. ‘Foxfire’. You may also write a name as tropical water lily ‘Foxfire’. When speaking it is accepted to simply refer by the common name, e.g. Foxfire.

Utopia Aquatic focuses on tropical water lilies and these plants make breathtaking additions to ponds and water gardens. They stand out in pools of water because of their exotic look with blooms held above the water surface and floating foliage. They come in a variety of colors and many are even very fragrant. There are day bloomers, night bloomers, and even kinds that can self replicate (viviparous).

The minimum requirements for growing tropical water lilies are:

• Water temperature of at least 70°F
• Quality substrate–clay, sand, heavy garden soil
• Fertilizer–Aquatic plant tabs, Osmocote
• At least 6 hours of full sun
• Water depth around 18 inches; + or – a few inches is acceptable

Utopia Aquatic grows tropical water lilies in these conditions:

• Water temperature of at least 70°F
• Substrate: sand
• Fertilizer: Osmocote
• 8+ hours of full sun
• Water depth around 18 inches

For best results, plant in a 2 gallon container or larger. Fertilize every few weeks. Your tropical water lily will grow into an XL tropical water lily and reward you with extravagant blooms.

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 plant too deep

Planting in very deep water means slower growth. The water is cooler down at the bottom. Therefore it takes more time for buds and pads to reach the surface. Opt for a water depth of < 18 inches from crown to surface of water.

Plant in a large pot

When you plant in a large pot, tropical water lilies will have large majestic blooms and foliage.

Use a good substrate

Don’t use potting soil. It is lightweight and will float and make a mess. Choose from heavy garden soil, clay, or sand.

Fertilize adequately

Tropical water lilies are heavy feeders. You’ll need to continue providing them with nutrients so you can enjoy blooms. Fertilize every few weeks and don’t place fertilizer too close to the crown of the plant. Be sure not to over apply!

Ensure full sun

Tropical water lilies need ample sunlight in order to go through photosynthesis. Don’t let trees block sunlight and don’t let plants be crowded by one another.

Maintain for more

Instead of letting old foliage and blooms rot away–remove them on a weekly basis. You will be rewarded with more.

Be proactive with pests

Reactive is a response. Take care of tropical water lily pests beforehand. For example: weekly spraying of BT will prevent pad damage by the China Mark moth aka sandwich men.

Don’t allow splashing

Constant turbulence from fountains can be a disaster for the pads. They will yellow or develop fungi and rot away.

Protect plants from aggressive fish

Fish that dig will make a mess in your pond and stress your tropical water lily. Place river rock around the crown of the plant, leaving a small gap between the crown and the surrounding rocks. Don’t use pea gravel unless your fish are small–otherwise they will toss them around.

Today we will address our concerns with tropical water lily seeds that are available from the internet.

At auction sites and other sources across the web, there are tropical water lily seeds that are available for purchase. While the pricing seems really good, there are some matters that we feel consumers should be aware of. We will be using the screen capture below.

What is actually for sale?

In the screen capture above, we see the titles of the auctions. The first auction is intact but the ones thereafter are questionable. In our minds, we are familiar with what a tropical water lily is–a plant that grows in freshwater with roots that thrive in silt, foliage that floats on the surface of the water, and blooms that rise out of the water. A cultivar of a tropical water lily begins with Nymphaea. For example: Nymphaea ‘Day Glow’. We also know that they are a genus of aquatic plants from the family of Nymphaeaceae.

As for lotus–a plant that grows in freshwater with roots that also flourish in silt, foliage that floats on the surface of the water as well as above the water, and blooms that rise high above the water. A cultivar of a lotus begins with Nelumbo. An example would be Nelumbo Green Maiden. We are also aware that they are a genus of aquatic plants from the family of Nelumbonaceae.

Based on this knowledge, we can conclude that tropical water lilies are NOT the same as lotus. Therefore this auction is misleading! In reading the auction we are made aware that they are actually selling tropical water lily seeds.

What are you not being told?

Did you know that the only way to get a truly identical plant is by vegetative means? This can be by viviparous plants which grow new plants from blooms or foliage. This can also be done via tubers.

A final way to obtain an identical plant is via a species plant.

What should be done?

Sellers of tropical water lily seeds on the internet should be forthright in educating the consumer. People are entitled to know exactly what they are purchasing.

Additional reading from Victoria Adventure.

Photo credit: eBay screen capture @ May 24, 2009 : 21:50:30 pdt

Photo credit: Green maiden picture from Luster Aquatic Nursery

Photo credit: Viviparous tropical water lily pad picture from Victoria Adventure

Recently we’ve noticed that there has been a significant increase in the marketing for commercially prepared aquatic plant soil. While different companies are selling this product, the basis is that it’s ingredients are inert and natural and are kiln-fired.

Several years ago when I was just getting into this hobby, I happened to get a small bag of Schultz Aquatic Plant Soil from the local Home Depot. It made several promises but these were the best ones:

• 100% natural ceramic granules that are kiln-fired
• No peat or compost materials (will not cloud water)
• Holds oxygen and nutrients for aquatic plants to utilize
• Creates an environment for fish to lay eggs
• Neutral pH
• Hold plants firmly in place

At first glance, the product looked just like kitty litter! In short, both the marginal & bog plants as well as the tropical water lilies barely grew. In fact some failed to grow at all. Furthermore the product was very light weight and could barely hold the plants in place.

Our recommendation is to avoid these products altogether!

Selecting the right type of soil

Now what do you need to look for in a good soil? Tropical water lilies naturally grow in a loamy substrate. This soil is continually changing because things that were once living biodegrade to provide nutrients. Whats the next best thing? Well have a look in your backyard.

If you have clay, sand, or another heavy garden soil, then you are in luck! You should be concerned with using your local soil if you know that it is contaminated with products such as pesticides. If that is the case, then you can head to you local garden center and pick up “play sand” or “plain sand.” This is the same substrate that we use to cultivate our tropical water lilies. Even our wholesaler uses sand! We favor this substrate over others for the following reasons:

• Economical; a 50lb bag is $2 and change
• Free of contaminants
• Holds plants securely in place
• Reusable and allows for easy re-potting

If you plants aren’t growing so well, or you plan on re-potting, or your just planting new tropical water lilies try changing your soil and provide the appropriate amount of fertilizer and watch your plants flourish!

In this article we will have a look into tropical water lily fertilizers.

Lets first start by looking at fertilizer analysis (N-P-K)

• N stands for Nitrogen. It is responsible for healthy roots, vigorous growth, and green foliage
• P is for Phosphorus. Its purpose is to ensure strong blooms.
• K represents Potassium. It aides in helping the plant resist stress.

When looking at fertilizers, you’ll notice that there are numbers that are associated with N-P-K. Those numbers represent the analysis and are shown in percentages. For example lets say a bag of fertilizer reads 10-15-5. This means that there is 10% nitrogen / 15% phosphorus / 5% potassium.

Tropical water lily fertilizers come in several forms: granular, tablet, or liquid.

Granular fertilizers for tropical water lilies

Granular fertilizers are typically slow-release and are activated by some element–water or temperature. One brand of granular fertilizer that we use is Osmocote. Although it is not marketed as a fertilizer for tropical water lilies, it actually works very well for tropical water lilies. There are different versions of Osmocote but we use Osmocote Classic which is 14-14-14. This means that means that there is 14% nitrogen / 14% phosphorus / 14% potassium.

• Osmocote Classic: 14-14-14
• Ag-Safe Pond-Pearls: 15-10-10
• Landon Aquatic Fertilizer: 12-20-8
• William Tricker’s Praefecta: unknown

Tablet fertilizers for tropical water lilies

Tablet fertilizers are usually quick-release meaning that when they are exposed to water they begin to degrade and therefore release fertilizer into the surrounding area. Most products fertilize tropical water lilies for a few weeks. We use Ag-Safe Aquatic-Tabs.

• Ag-Safe Aquatic-Tabs: 10-20-10
• Highland Rim Aquatic Plant Fertilizer: 10-26-10
• TetraPond Lily Gro: 10-14-8
• Plantabbs Pondtabbs Plus: 10-14-8
• Pond Care Aquatic Plant Food: 20-10-5
• CrystalClear Thrive Aquatic Plant Fertilizer: 10-15-8
• Pondmaster Aquatic Plant Fertilizer: 10-14-8
• Jungle Labs Aquatic Plant Food: 15-7-12

Other fertilizers for tropical water lilies

There are also liquid forms of fertilizers. We do not recommend them as contain low concentrations of NPK and diffuse immediately when applied. Finally there are extended-release fertilizers. Companies claim that they last a year. We do not believe that this is a realistic claim and feel that plants that are fertilized throughout the season will outperform ones that are fertilized once a season. A better option would be to opt for a granular or a tablet form.

Tips for tropical water lily fertilizers

• Don’t place fertilizer in direct contact with the roots of a plant. You could burn the plant!
• Tropical water lily fertilizers can be bought locally and online.
• Fertilize tropical water lilies every few weeks to promote continuous blooms.
• You can start with Osmocote and supplement with tablets or even reapply Osmocote (poke a hole in soil, place Osmocote in and seal hole with substrate)
• Are you out of aquatic plant fertilizer? Jobe’s tomato fertilizer spikes work well as a backup!
• Are your tropical water lilies lacking blooms? Select a fertilizer with a high middle number.

Remember we include a sample of Osmocote Classic with every domestic order!

We now look at another tropical water lily pest–the tadpole of a tree frog.

Some weeks back, I noticed some tadpoles in one of our stock tanks. It happened to be the one that houses our plant stock for N. ‘Charlie’s Pride’. We keep it simple here! No state of the art filters, or unnecessary chemicals. We get dragon flies, damsel flies, ladybugs, and other beneficial critters. We also keep wakin in most of our stock tanks so as to control mosquitoes and provide supplement for the tropical water lilies. Essentially we look to nature to manage the ecosystems and therefore, it was a pleasant sight to see the tadpoles.

Recently there has been some significant damage to our N. ‘Charlie’s Pride’ plant stock. Thankfully each tropical water lily variety is separated into their own stock tank so the damage was contained. The damage that occurred was very severe–water lily pads eaten down to their skeleton. This damage knocked our entire line of N. ‘Charlie’s Pride’ out of commission for awhile.

The remedy

Upon conducting some research, we were able to determine that the tree frog tadpoles belonged to the ‘Cuban tree frog’ which is a non-native species. Our only remedy is to remove all plants and then scoop out all tadpoles with a net. We then remove the destroyed foliage, fertilize the plants, and finally return them to the stock tank. Due to the resilience of tropical water lilies, they spring back rather quickly!

Perhaps with a large pond, this damage may be limited or may not occur but with a small to medium sized pond, these tadpoles could wreak havoc upon your tropical water lilies.

A contributor to this article, “DG” suggested that the tadpoles could be used to educate children. We suggest that a pond owner conduct their own research and if possible seek help from an local agricultural extension agency. If the tadpoles are determined to be native species–share tadpoles with a local school so that children can learn about metamorphosis or even relocate to a local pond or lake.

Photo credit: Picture of tree frogs. Craig Presnell of Luster Aquatic Nursery.

Contributor credit: Educate children about metamorphosis with tadpoles. DG.