Water lilies

There are different zones that apply to pond plants. Each pond plant species has its own planting depth and therefore its own zone. Zone 1 is for waterside plants which are still planted completely in soil. These are mainly garden plants and perennials that like to be in moist soil. Marsh plants fall into zone 2 and love wet feet. These are often planted at a depth of up to 20 cm. Water plants or underwater plants are often completely underwater. They can be planted at a depth of up to 40 cm in zone 3. The flowering varieties still display their flowers above the water. Water lilies, the queens of the pond, are found in zone 4. They are planted at a depth of 120 cm. Oxygenating aquatic plants are also sometimes placed in zone 4, as they are also planted at a depth of around 120 cm. However, oxygenating aquatic plants at Bakker.com fall into zone 5. We always plant oxygenating aquatic plants immediately after setting up the pond. This way, algae don't stand a chance. Floating plants fall into zone 6. These floating plants are not planted in the pond but simply laid on top of the water. The roots of the leaves extract nutrients from the water. Please note: the plant depth is always measured from the water surface.

Water lilies

Water lilies are also called the queen of the pond. Water lilies love still water and lots of sun. During the day their stunning large flowers decorate the pond. The flower closes at night and in bad weather. Besides the beauty of the flower, the water lily is also important for the pond. The leaves provide shade in the pond. Creatures use this to cool off and the chance of algae growing is reduced.

Planting water lilies

Water lilies are planted at a depth of between 40 cm and 120 cm, measured from the surface of the water. The best time to plant water lilies is spring. We do this between April and June. We plant them in the pond bed or in pond baskets. If using a pond basket, we always select a large version. If the basket is too small, growth can be reduced because the plant can't absorb enough food. We fill the pond basket with the water lily's roots and special potting soil for the pond. We prefer to mix the pond soil with clay. We top off the potting soil with a layer of coarse sand or gravel so that the potting soil doesn't dissolve in the water or wash away. We don't immediately put the water lily at the deepest point of the pond. First of all we let the plant grow a little in a shallower place.

Pruning water lilies

Water lilies get more and more leaves. If there are too many, not only is the water harder to see, there is also less and less oxygen in the water. This has a negative impact on the living environment for the animals and bacteria in the water. We remove the old leaves in autumn so that the water can get enough oxygen. We do this by cutting the stems of the leaves at about 20 cm above the water's surface. This height is important to prevent root rot. We always do this with sharp, clean pruning tools to avoid pruning injuries. We also cut off the dead buds and stalks in the autumn.
Once every 3 or 4 years, we rejuvenate the water lily. This is when the water lily and its leaves grow further above the water surface. We remove the pond basket from the water along with the water lily and rinse the root stock clean. We then cut away the old part of the tuber and stems, leaving the top shoot and about 15 cm of stem. We plant it back in the pond basket with pond soil. Position it so that the shoot faces up with the stem at an angle and the cut is facing down in the basket. Once it is topped off with coarse sand or gravel, we put the young shoot back into the pond.

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