|
|
I was just wondering with the weather being so nice, if we dare think of starting to get the water lilies, we put away for the winter, repotted. Or is it to early? Thanks to the club, I think my little formed pond has made it threw the winter ok. I am looking forward to the next year. Thank you for a great club.
Audrey
February and March is still too early for repotting water lilies. They are still dormant and can be killed or at least set back by division and repotting. It is best to wait until the water warms a bit and the plants show some growth. The ideal time in Iowa to repot is when the water lilies start sending out new leaf growth. Some hardy lilies start this process somewhat earlier than other varieties. I would not hesitate to repot all the plants that you want to, as soon as you see the first lily starting to grow. Usually this occurs the first part of April. So anytime in April is a good time to repot.
Hardy lilies that you overwintered in the basement may start growth earlier because of a warmer than ideal basement. It is best to wait even for these until the water is warm enough in your outdoor pond for the repotted plants to be placed in. Again, April is the time to do this. If you have containers/water gardens that you fill in the spring, I would do this a week or two before placing your lilies in them. When placing your plants in your pond, it is best to acclimate your plants to the outside temps before plunging them into 40 to 45 degree water. Just set the bagged plant outside on a cool day (not freezing) in a shady spot for a few hours, and then place the plant in the water.
I repot my water lilies every few years depending on variety and size of pot it was in. I will repot if the lily is not growing well and/or not blooming very good. A good sign that a lily needs repotting is by whether the pot is grossly misshapen by heavy tuber growth and/or the lily tubers have "jumped" the pot. Most lilies are planted in too small of a pot -- I use as big of a pot that I can easily carry (and sometimes I use ones that I cannot easily carry -- this is stupid of me). Too small of a pot can reduce the growth and bloom potential of the lily.
Jamie Beyer