For sale is one rhyzome of Water Lily – Apricot flowers Nymphaea spp.
This water plant will come bare/loose rooted and you will need to plant it when you recieve it.
Apricot flowering water lily is a very hardy water lily. A beautiful water plant with round green variegated leaves that float on the waters surface, and are likely to retain some over the dormant winter period especially in the temperate to tropical climates.
Provides shelter for fish and frogs from sun and predators.
FLOWERING: Flowers late spring into summer and early autumn. Apricot colored flowers float on the surface of the water.
HEIGHT: The plant will grow to a width of one metre.
POSITION: Grow in full sun in ponds, around the edge of dams and wetlands 30 – 150cm deep. Can also be grown in decorative pot with no hole. Plant at bottom of pond and new leaves will grow to surface. They require at least 4-6 hours of direct sun light per day to produce flowers.
FROST: Frost hardy – water lilies can survive frosts because the leaves go dormant in winter.
CARE: Fertilise in spring with one of Triffid Park’s water plant fertiliser tablets to encourage new growth and flowers at the start of the growing season. Then again at the start of summer and at the start of autumn to encourage healthy growth and green foliage.
Water lilies do not like splashing fountains, so still or slow moving water is best. Anything from small tubs with no holes, to ponds, lakes and dams.
In a decorative pot, think of them as a potted plant, growing in water, and then you can grow it on your patio, verandah, balcony etc.
FERTILISER: Triffid Park's Water Plant Fertiliser Tablets are available on our Water Plant Sundries page. There are no nutrients in a plastic pond or tub, so these are a definate must when potting your water plants, and for fertilising 3 times per year.
AVAILABLE: Australia wide except for Northern Territory, as we do not have permits to export into the Northern Territory. We do have permits for all other states. Please DO NOT order this plant if you are in the N.T., as we will not send it.
EDIBLE USES:
SEEDS - boiled or ground into flour
FLOWERS - used as vegetables
LEAVES AND FLOWER STALKS - eaten as a vegetable
RHYZOME - raw, boiled or roasted. It can also be dried then ground into a flour.The root is considered to be poisonous unless it is cooked.
Please research before cooking and eating, as above is a guide line only.
MEDICINAL USES: This plant has many medicinal uses. The roots are anaphrodisiac, anodyne, antiscrofulatic, astringent, cardiotonic, demulcent and sedative.
Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Water Lily - Nymphaea 'Apricot flowers'
When you receive your water lily rhyzome, it will come to you bare/loose rooted (not potted). You can repot water lilies at any time of the year.
During spring, summer and autumn your water lily will arrive with some leaves. During the dormant period in winter, it will have no leaves.
If you are planting it in a pond or decorative water bowl, you will need to pot it into a pot of at least 20cm in diameter or even a 4 litre ice cream container will do (eat the icecream first!).
Use a good quality garden soil i.e. one that you could grow vegetables in is best - do not use potting mix as it can contain pine bark and other composts not suitable for ponds, as they can release the wrong nutrients which then feed algae.
When planting your water lily you want the top of the growing tip to be level with the top of the pot. Work out how deep you will need to plant your lily in the pot so the tip is level with the top, then fill the pot with your soil to where the roots would start. Place one of Triffid Park's Water Plant Fertiliser Tablets on the soil, sit the water lily beside the fertiliser tablet and fill the rest of the pot with your soil to just below the growing tip. Pat down firmly, then place a layer of small pebbels or gravel around the top to stop the mix floating. Take care not to cover the growing tip.
Gently add some water to the container until the air bubbles stop. Then you can slowly lower the pot into your pond. Make sure you put it deep enough to at least the minimum growing depth listed on the label.
However as the water at the top of ponds is warmer, you may like to place it just under the water's surface for a couple of weeks until it is established and new growth appears, then you can lower it down.
If you are planting into a dam or lagoon, plant straight into the base of the dam. Read the depth information for the water lily and do not plant any deeper than suggested when the dam is at full height or you will drown your water lily.
If you cannot get into the dam and dig a hole to plant the water lily, you can tie the water lily rhyzome to a brick or rock with string or fishing line and sink it to the bottom. Alternatively use a tent peg to hold it down.
Most dams will have enough nutrients to feed your water lilies during the growing season, but one of Triffid Park's Water Plant Fertililser Tabets pushed into the root system on planting is a good way to get your lily established.
Yabbies love new water lily leaves, so if you have yabbies in your dam, you will need to place a fine mesh cage around your water lily. The mesh needs to be large enought for the new leaves to grow through, but small enough that yabbies cant get through. Once the water lily is established the yabbies wont be as interested in the older growth.
Algae is caused by many factors:
Too little beneficial bacteria
Too few plants
Excess nutrients i.e. fertiliser, decaying fish food
Warm shallow water
Lack of an established ecosystem
Seasonal changes - sun and rain cause the ph to keep altering in ponds. This is very common in spring when the water is starting to warm up and the beneficial bacteria colonies are working to re-establish themselves after their winter slumber.
Some nutrients from the garden potting soil may leach out, however this is better than potting mix as it can contain pine bark and other composts not suitable for ponds. They can release the wrong nutrients which then feed algae. We recommend a good quality garden soil i.e. one that you could grow vegetables in is best. Then top with some clean washed river pebbles to weigh the pot down.