Water Lily (Aqua) Is a perennial.
Grows like an aquatic herb.
Belongs to the family Nymphaeaceae.
Counts more 50 subspecies.
Aqua It has a wide root system of a brown tint. The rhizome is heavily intertwined underwater.
The roots reach more than 2.5 meters... Petioles and leaves grow on them. Thanks to such a system of air ducts, the flower can easily breathe and stay on the surface of the water during showers and strong winds. The center of gravity of such leaves is located in the place where the petiole grows.
Floating leaves, ovoid. They reach 25-35 cm in diameter. Young specimens are crimson. With age, the leaves change color and become lilac.
The plant is heterophilous.
Because of this, the color and size of the leaves are different. Lily is rolled up in the form of a cap. With the help of it, the flower bud is sheltered.
Below are photos of Water Lily (Aqua):
Bloom
The flowers are single, very large, of a snow-white shade. In diameter, they can reach 15-25 cm. The shape of the flowers is cupped. Each flower has 3-5 petals... By arrangement, the leaves smoothly turn into stamens. The stigma is orange-bloody and depressed.
Scent very strong, delicate, floral. Every flower can bloom 3-5 days... But due to their large number, flowering continues during all warm days from May to September. With the onset of cold weather, the flowers begin to fade. After flowering, oval fruits of an emerald hue are formed. Fruit formation takes place under water.
Growing area
Where do water lilies grow? In the water along the banks of rivers, lakes, swamps and other bodies of water... Distributed in the center of the Russian Federation, Asia, Transcaucasia, Belarus, Ukraine.
In most cases, Aqua grows in forest and steppe zones. Also, this representative of the flora is used as a decor in landscape design. The water lily can grow in flowing and standing bodies of water. She decorates artificial swamps, ponds, streams, lakes, fountains.
Interesting fact. Aqua's mesmerizing bloom inspires poets, writers, composers and artists.
Many talents have depicted the Water Lily in their canvases.
Claude Monet planted different types of flowers in his greenhouse and erected gardens in the suburbs of Paris.
One of these gardens called Japanese aquatic, in which Water Lilies grow.
In this garden, he created a series of paintings with Water Lilies and Aqua.
Care
In early spring, it is necessary to carry out insecticide treatment. They have a wide range of effects. Important be in time before the flowering of neighboring plants.
Until the buds are fully formed, it is necessary to treat the flower with fungicides. Such procedures prevent the development of fungal diseases.
Processing must be done necessarily, since the flower grows in water conditions with high air humidity.
Accommodation
Planting and transplanting a plant allowed produce throughout the growing season.
Lilies need 3-6 hours natural sunlight. The plant can tolerate direct sunlight.
The optimum temperature for growth is 18-26 ° C. The temperature should not be allowed to drop below 14 ° C.
The place for growth is chosen sunny, warm, protected from the wind. The water in the reservoir is changed every two weeks. Wild Water Lilies can tolerate heavy rainfall, cold gusts, and even hail.
Planting and transplanting
Usually he lasts from late spring to early autumn - before the onset of cold weather. The selected body of water should be well lit.
If you use large and wide reservoirs, then when cold weather sets in, the ponds freeze over. So that frost does not damage the root system of the flower, the plant is planted in the soil itself in a larger depression.
When using decorative fountains, Aqua is planted in a special container.
This way of growing allows you to pull the flower out of the reservoir and transfer it to a warmer and lighter place for wintering.
Such containers should not be very high, but very wide, resembling bowls or trays. There should be drain holes at the bottom.
When using a basket with large cells or a knocked down wooden box, it is necessary to lay burlap. Otherwise, the ribbed surface will damage the Aqua roots. And the soil will be washed through cracks and holes, which will lead to the death of the plant.
When using Water Lily as a decor for landscape design, containers are recommended to be chosen dark to match the color of the ground surface.
Thus, they will not be visible from the artificial reservoir.
Important! When planting a plant in soil, it is necessary to use soil no more than 25-35 cm thick.
The root system should be secured with wooden studs, wire, rubble or natural stone.
Useful video
How to properly plant a Water Lily is visually shown in the video below:
Reproduction
Reproduction happens seeds and shoots of the root system.
Strongly overgrown powerful bushes must be divided once every 3-6 years.
Excellent for such reproduction fit root system with a well-developed bud.
Slices, which are made with a sharp knife, are sprinkled with crushed charcoal.
Aqua negatively reacts to drying out. Therefore, the bushes necessary transport and place in a new body of water as quickly as possible. Full rooting during vegetative propagation should occur after 14 days.
Growing from seeds
At breeding the seeds of the planting material are sown into the soil located at the bottom of the decorative reservoir. The use of small baskets of soil is also allowed.
The containers are immersed in water and lowered to the bottom of the reservoir. When it hits the soil, the planting material opens and begins to grow. When fully rooted, the plant begins to reach for the light and reaches 25, -3.0 meters in length.
Under weather conditions in the central part of the Russian Federation, growing a water lily from seeds impossible.
Therefore, this breeding method is used only in botanical gardens or greenhouses, where the air temperature can be monitored.
Fertilizer
Top dressing necessary bring in in the spring. To do this, use purchased soluble fertilizers. They are added to the water next to the plant. When using slowly dissolving dressings in the form of granules, the frequency of application should be once every 3-4 months.
Benefit and harm
Dry Water Lily drink with neuroses, severe shocks, insomnia.
She is an a sedative, as it contains Nymphaline Glycoside.
In folk medicine, her use in neuralgia with fragility of bones, rheumatism.
Is an antipyretic and pain reliever for fevers. Dry leaves of this representative of the flora are used as an external agent. The leaves have an anti-inflammatory effect. The root system removes inflammation of the skin, removes rashes, acne, papillomas.
All this is due to the essential oil, which is contained in the plant in large quantities. In case of colds, the root of the flower is used as a mustard plasters. Rhizome tincture is used against spleen tumors.
The plant contains proteins, starch, nymphein alkaloid, a number of vitamins and other useful substances.
But people with low blood pressure are not recommended to take Aqua, as the plant's trace elements soothe the body and lower the pressure even more.
Aqua- aquatic perennial. It is grown in the fortified soil of decorative reservoirs. Loves the sun and feeding. It blooms during the growing season from May to September. Possesses gentle floral scent. It is used in medicine as a sedative.
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A nymphaea or water lily is a flower of extraordinary beauty that naturally occurs in the open spaces of the river. There are many legends about its origin. It is quite popular for decorating artificial and natural reservoirs and is used to decorate zoos, botanical gardens, and recreation parks.
Water lily tetrahedral: description and photo
This is a perennial aquatic flower on a thick raising buds above the water column. Water lilies belong to the Nymphaeaceae family. All of them have a powerful root system capable of fixing themselves in the bottom soil and staying there, despite the waves and currents that are sometimes observed in water bodies. The type of tetrahedral water lily belongs to the smallest representatives of the Family. They have heart-shaped-oval leaves, painted in a pale greenish tone on the back side, and in saturated green on the upper side. Sometimes on the leaf blades, dark spots of irregular shape are noticeable, but this is not a characteristic feature of the species.
White, small in diameter (up to 50 mm), lily pads have 12 oval-oblong petals with slightly pointed edges. The base of the calyx is quadrangular. Leathery triangular-oval sepals, horizontally cut off at the base, together with the fruit, form a quadrangular pyramid. The core of each flower is filled with numerous yellow stamens. The blooming tetrahedral water lilies look very gentle and elegant. The photo shows one of these cute flowers, as if in a mirror, reflected in a pond. This plant reacts to sunlight by opening its buds towards noon and closing again in the evening. Water lilies bloom from June (in some regions from May) to frost. It is noteworthy that their graceful flowers have a pleasant aroma.
Breeding at home
The tetrahedral water lily, the description of which is given above, feels great not only in natural, but also in artificial reservoirs. If all the conditions are created for her, she can become an original decoration in the landscape design of a personal plot. Note that the color of its petals can be not only white, but also pink, lilac, purple, lilac, beige and even blue. Thanks to the different colors of the miniature buds, unusual compositions can be created.
Ground requirements:
- Enriched with organic matter.
- Heavy.
- Silted up.
- Necessarily with the addition of clay.
- Nutritious.
The soft water in which the flower will live must be slightly acidic. Growing a tetrahedral water lily cannot be called easy. This plant, endowing with beauty, requires increased attention to its person. It can be propagated by seeds, but the result will be good only in open water systems. At home, it is better to use the method of dividing the rhizome. Each fragment must have at least one growth bud.
It is required to plant a delenka immediately, since the rhizome is irreversibly damaged in the absence of moisture for a long time. It is advisable to first place a young plant in a container prepared in advance and filled with the necessary soil, but you can also immediately in a reservoir. So that the roots that have not yet been fixed do not float, they are carefully fixed with small pebbles or screenings. To what depth to plant a tetrahedral water lily depends on the size of the seedling. It can be as little as 30 cm or even 1 meter.
The container with the flower must be kept in the reservoir from the first day of planting. As the water lily grows, its "home" is immersed deeper and deeper. In regions with cold winters, it is wiser not to transplant it from the container to the bottom, since in the fall the plant will have to be placed again in some container and taken out to a cool room so that it does not die in a pond that freezes to the bottom. It is important to know that tetrahedral water lilies love light, but they will bloom in partial shade. But it is useless to wait in the thick shade of flowering. The second condition for successful cultivation is stagnant water. In extreme cases, small waves are allowed. But near fountains or other systems that create vibrations and rapid movement of water, they die.
Water lilies love feeding. A large amount of fertilizer is applied during the period of active growth. They "pamper" her with bone meal, which is combined with clay, roll balls from such a "dough" and place them near the roots.
Diseases and pests
The plant is resistant to diseases. In this respect, it is rarely a hassle. Of the pests, only aphids attack it. In this case, the flower is affected, and the plant itself does not suffer. A strong stream of water is used to fight. The use of insecticidal agents is undesirable, since a violation of the aquatic microflora is possible.
This flowering plant is one of the oldest on our planet. There are many interesting legends about water lilies. According to one of them, a beautiful nymph turned into this flower, who loved Hercules with all her heart, but he did not respond to her feelings. Water lilies are called mermaid flowers, water lilies, elf girlfriends, white chickens. Many types of water lilies are used in medicine, since all parts of the plant contain alkaloids, flavonoids, starch, glycosides, tannins. They are used for diarrhea, hepatitis, insomnia, headaches, bladder spasms, for the treatment of external skin injuries. Some peoples use water lilies in cooking. If their seeds are roasted, they will taste like coffee. This plant has rather strong roots that are rich in starch. Some peoples use them to make starch flour.
The leaves and flowers of water lilies are always clean, as they are covered with a special substance that repels any dirt.
Water lilies in a freshwater aquarium
The tetrahedral water lily is one of the delightful decorations of the aquarium. Provided the appropriate conditions are created, namely, abundant light, the necessary nutrients of organic nature and water temperature, this miniature plant is able to delight aquarists with the most delicate flowers and beautiful leaves for many years. The plant is called a living filter, since it, together with shrimps, which happily hide in the foliage of the nymph, purify the water from harmful substances. In November, the water lily is taken out of the aquarium and placed in a container, which must be placed in a cool place, since the plant begins a period of dormancy or hibernation. Return the plant to the tank in early spring.
Features of the water lily tetrahedral
Among the representatives of the Nymphaeaceae family, there are species that cannot survive in the cold and are winter-hardy. They are not afraid of such frost, but at the same time their root system should not freeze through. The tetrahedral water lily is a winter-hardy species. The area of its natural growth is quite wide. It can be found almost throughout Russia, with the exception of the south and the Far North, as well as in North America, Canada, Finland, Japan, China.
In many regions, adorable nymphs are endangered. If urgent measures are not taken to improve the ecosystems of reservoirs, then in the near future, the complete disappearance of these wonderful flowers is possible. The tetrahedral water lily is also already listed in the Red Book. Fortunately, the catastrophic situation has so far been observed with only a few species. The main cause of death is the pollution of water bodies and extermination during the flowering period.
The beautiful white lilies that appear on the surface of the pond have inspired artists and poets throughout the ages. The refined beauty of water lilies amazes and amazes the imagination. It is hard to believe that these flowers can be grown in.
The water lily, or Nymphaea, is a genus of perennial aquatic plants of the Nymphaeaceae family. Includes about 50 species. White water lilies are called water lilies. Nymphs are ubiquitous and can be found in the wild in both hemispheres. Nymphs live in water bodies of the temperate zone, in the cold lakes of Scandinavia and Siberia, they are also in the tropics.
Some flowering species of water lilies are used in culture.
The rhizome of the nymphea is powerful, with numerous long roots. In adult water lilies, tubers are formed in the roots. The rhizome is located horizontally in the silt at the bottom of the reservoir, thin roots go into the bottom soil, securely holding the plant.
The leaves of the nymphea on long petioles rise vertically upward. Some of them remain under water, but there are also surface ones. Leaves appear above the water in summer, round, elliptical or rounded-heart-shaped in shape. The surface is dense, leathery, not wetted with water. The coloration is green, reddish green, brownish green, or even variegated. The leaf plates of lily pads of a temperate climate lie on the surface of the water, and the leaves of thermophilic tropical nymphs rise above the water. The size of the leaves depends on the type of plant.
Nymphaea "Escarboucle"
Nymphaea "Paul Hariot"
Water lily flowers on long stalks form under water. When the time comes to bloom, they appear on the surface, striking in their perfect beauty. The length of the peduncles, like the petioles of the leaves, depends on the depth of the reservoir. They are resilient and flexible, leaves and flowers can move along the surface under the influence of currents and wind. Another interesting feature is that the flowers can close in the morning or in the evening and be submerged in the water. On some days, in the rain, for example, they do not appear on the surface at all.
Nymphaea "Bama Bound"
Nymphaea "White Sultan"
The flower of the nymphaea is single, the diameter depends on the species, from 3 to 30 cm. The petals form a bowl, in the center of it there are several pistils and numerous large yellow or orange stamens. The color is very varied. In the wild, temperate climates, most water lilies are white or pinkish lilac in color. In the warm waters of the tropics, there are species with cream, pink, yellow, purple, blue and purple petals. Ornamental garden nymphs can please with a very rich palette of colors.
Nymphaea Nymphaea "Midnight"
Nymphaea "Pink Sensation"
In northern reservoirs, water lilies bloom in June, in the south - at the end of spring. The life time of one flower is about 4 days. They are pollinated by insects, the seeds ripen under water, after ripening they float and are carried by the current. After a while, they settle to the bottom and germinate there.
The use of nymphea in landscape design
Decorative ponds have long ceased to be exotic, it is not difficult to arrange a small artificial reservoir in the garden near the house or in the country. Among aquatic plants, the water lily is indisputably in the first place. This is not only a beautiful plant, but also a very useful plant for water bodies. Nymphaea absorbs a lot of organic matter, helping to reduce algae growth in ponds and lakes. It purifies the water, preventing it from blooming.
For planting in a reservoir, varieties are selected taking into account the depth of the reservoir:
- dwarf and small - flower diameter 5-15 cm, planting depth from 10-15 to 50 cm;
- medium - flower diameter 15-18 cm, water depth - 30-60 cm;
- large - flowers with a diameter of 18-25 cm, planting depth 50-100 cm.
To emphasize the beauty of water lilies, experts recommend leaving at least half of the water mirror free. You should not plant many nymphs at once in one pond. They grow rapidly, become smaller, flowering becomes more and more rare. The entire surface of the pond will be covered with leaves, which is not particularly beautiful.
It is better not to mix water lilies of different colors in the same group. If nymphs of different sizes and shades are planted in the pond, then be sure to divide them with a section of the water surface.
Lighting... Nymphs are light-loving plants, the reservoir should be illuminated by the sun for at least several hours a day.
Landing. The water lily can be planted in the bottom soil, and if the pond is small, then it is most convenient to place it in an ordinary flower pot, trellis basket or other container and lower it to the bottom of the reservoir. A small pond is cleaned more often, it is much easier to get a pot out during a water change. The soil in the container with the nymph rhizome must be sprinkled on top with a layer of pebbles or rubble so that the earth does not float and contaminate the water in the pond.
The soil... Water lilies love good nutritious soil, their active growth and regular lush flowering depend on this. It is desirable that the soil is sufficiently viscous. For example: garden soil and clay in a ratio (3: 1). It is helpful to add humus.
Fertilizer... Usually aquatic plants are not fertilized. The decomposed organic matter is enough for them. But there are also special fertilizers for pond plants on sale, which slowly dissolve in water. They are recommended to be laid in clay balls and placed under the plants during transplantation.
Pruning... In summer, only yellowed leaves and faded flowers are cut off. It is advisable to cut also
pedicels, and leaf petioles at the base of the bush, so that they do not rot in the water.
Reproduction... The garden nymph is propagated by dividing the rhizome. The best time for this is spring. It is better to take the bushes out of the water and divide them on a cloudy day so that the sun does not burn the plants. Perform all work with gloves.
The roots of the nymphs are very long and fragile. They are easily damaged, but in general they take root well after transplantation. An old water lily may have a large tuber with several rosettes of leaves. Divide it with a knife so that all the rosettes were with a part of the tuber.
After transplanting, young nymphs are immersed in a pond at different depths. The immersion depth should be such that the upper leaves reach the surface of the water. A stone or an inverted empty pot can be placed under a container with a water lily, and as soon as it begins to grow and release new leaves, it is gradually lowered to a greater depth.
Wintering... Wintering water lilies is not an easy question. Common wild water lilies overwinter well in silt under ice. If a hybrid nymphea lives in a garden pond, whose ancestors were thermophilic species, then it may not overwinter. In addition, the garden pond is often shallow and completely freezes over. And even more often it is a plastic container, from which all the water is drained for the winter.
Therefore, in the fall, gardeners are concerned about an important question: what is the best way to choose a method for wintering the rhizomes of nymphs growing in a small freezing pond?
If the depth of the pond is 60 cm or more, the water is not drained for the winter, then cold-resistant water lilies can winter in the reservoir. It is important that the pond is completely filled with water before frost. In severe winters, water can freeze to the very bottom, but plants of winter-hardy local species are able to winter in such conditions. Helpful advice: When the pond mirror is completely frozen, you can throw snow on it from the paths. Such a "fur coat" will protect the pond from complete freezing and fill it with water with the onset of spring.
Perhaps the easiest way to store nymphs is to winter the rhizomes in the basement. In the fall, containers with water lilies are taken out of the pond, old leaves are removed, placed in dense plastic bags and transferred to the basement or cellar. The bags are not closed, there must be air access from above. They are needed for ease of movement and moisture retention at the roots.
With the onset of spring, you can see that even in the basement, plants begin to grow. If it is still too cold outside, then you can put the plants in a bucket of water and move them to a cool room (veranda, barn) to slow down their development until the onset of favorable times. To accelerate growth and achieve early flowering in the spring, they are transferred to light and warmth.
There is also such an interesting way of wintering. If you have nowhere to store the water lily, you can use the old way of storing vegetables in a hole under the snow. A plastic bucket with a rhizome is lowered into a narrow deep hole (about 80 cm) dug into the ground. It is better to take the rhizome of the water lily together with the silt, fill it with water, but there should be air above it. Above the pit, an overlap is made of old boards and everything is covered with dug earth. For ventilation, insert a bunch of dry stems or an old broom under the ceiling at an angle. Surprisingly, such wintering is often quite successful. This is better than keeping the nymphea in a warm apartment in winter.
Decorate your ponds with lovely water lilies!
The Nymphae family.
Name: The water lily got its Latin name from the name of the water nymph. The Slavs called her "mermaid flower" or overpower-grass. It was believed that a water lily flower is able to protect a person during travel from various troubles and misfortunes. There was even a belief " Whoever finds the overpowering grass, that velmy will find talent ... on the way, wherever he goes, he will find a lot of good and overcome evil power and ailments. " It was recommended to put it in an amulet and wear it as an amulet.
Description: The genus includes almost 35 plant species growing in temperate and tropical regions - from the equator to Canada. Specifically, I will focus on one that is found in natural reservoirs in Russia - Snow-white water lily - (N. candida) In the ground, at the bottom of the reservoir, it develops a powerful rhizome with a tuberous surface, reaching 5 cm thick.
Long white cordlike roots extend downward from the rhizome, and wide, rounded in outline, with deep cuts at the base, leaves on long flexible petioles and peduncles rise up to the surface of the reservoir. Flowering of water lilies begins in May-June and sometimes continues until the first frost. Flowering peaks in July-August. The flowers are snow-white with a delicate aroma, reaching 10-15 cm. Outside they have four green sepals, inside white petals arranged in several rows, passing in the center to the stamen. The flower lasts about four days. After flowering, the pedicel curls up and goes under the water. Fruit: capsule, develops under water, ripens open and pours out seeds, dressed with mucus, resembling fish eggs. they swim for a while, when the mucus breaks down, sink to the bottom and germinate.
Features of a water lily: in the morning the bud floats to the surface and opens up, in the evening the flower closes and sinks to the bottom.
Alex balbas In the garden, ornamental ponds, they grow mainly a hybrid water lily. For small and medium-sized reservoirs, pink water lilies are best suited, they are more hardy and do not grow much.
Location: water lilies prefer a sunny location. They will not bloom in full shade. Planting water lilies should be done at the rate: 1 per 0.5-4 sq. m. otherwise the reservoir will seem overgrown. He loves stagnant water, so it is not recommended to arrange fountains.
Boarding and transfer: The best time to acquire and plant is from early May to late June. Plants can be planted in the ground of a reservoir, but our own experience shows that it is best to plant a water lily in a plastic container of at least 5 liters. (it will be more convenient to clean for the winter). For planting, use: peat 2-3 cm thick at the bottom of the vessel, the mixture is old compost + sand + garden soil, all in equal parts. I used commercially available aquatic plant primer. When planting a water lily, we place fertilizer balls under the roots (meat - bone meal + clay, a ball the size of a tennis ball is made). When planting, do not deepen the growth bud! We crush the soil, cover it with pebbles so that the plant does not float up. Carefully place the pot with the planted plant in the pond. The optimum tank depth depends on the plant variety. Dwarf enough 15-20 cm, very tall 70-100 cm from the growth bud to the surface. In the spring, in order to accelerate the growth and development of the plant, the container is placed in shallow water until there are no leaves, after the leaves grow back to the recommended depth. Plants, planted early, have time to take root and bloom in the first year of life in a new place.
Wintering: The most difficult thing in growing water lilies is keeping them in the winter. This problem has to be solved individually. Plants can stay in their places in winter if they are at a depth of 0.5 m or more, and the reservoir is large and does not freeze to the bottom. If the reservoir can freeze to the bottom or the water is drained for the winter, then the containers with water lilies should be moved to a cool, dark, non-freezing place. Water lilies wake up in the spring when the water starts to warm up. At this time, the plant that hibernated outside the reservoir must be returned to its place. If there is not a lot of melt water in the reservoir, then tap water is added. After a few days, the water can "bloom" becoming dull green. You should not worry and change the water, after a week it will become transparent. Spring frosts are no longer terrible for frost-resistant species.
Diseases and pests: in general, these plants do not get sick, but in dry hot weather they can be damaged by aphids.
Reproduction: mainly by segments of rhizomes. Rhizomes branch and have dormant buds. For reproduction, a piece of rhizome with a bud is used. It is recommended to sprinkle the cut with crushed charcoal or ash. The roots and leaves do not tolerate drying, so the division process should not be stretched. For transportation, the plant is placed in a container with water.
Let everything work out for you, and the plants grown by you in the pond please you!
Water lily has been known since ancient times.... Legends were made about her and endowed with miraculous powers, worn as a talisman. Its old name is conquer grass. And from Latin its name is pronounced as "Nymphea".
The flower is unusually beautiful and looks fabulous on the water surface. To date, the nymphea is the most beautiful, vibrant plant in home ponds and lakes.
Water lily is listed in the Red Book- protected by law, due to the reduction of the species.
What does a flower look like, where it grows
If you watch a water lily at dawn, you will get an indelible feeling!
When this magical creation of nature rises from the depths of the reservoir, and then opens the bud before your eyes, you understand that a flower is being born right now. And so one by one.
What's amazing during the day, the flower moves throughout the reservoir behind the sun turning his head towards the rays. If clouds come to the sky, then the bud closes instantly.
And closer to sunrise, the lily prepares for its immersion under the water. If the weather is cloudy in the morning, then the water lily may not rise to the surface of the water at all.
Nymphaea blooms from early June to late October, depending on the variety. About 50 species can be found of this flower.
Useful information: the uniqueness of the flower is that the water lily is an amphibious plant that can grow both on water and on land.
Can grow in lakes, rivers with slow flowing water. In water bodies from the temperate, tropical zone to forests and tundra of Russia, Canada and Scandinavia. Some frost-resistant species calmly tolerate wintering in freezing water bodies.
The appearance of the flower is so varied that you can find a plant in diameter from 3 to 30 centimeters, not to mention the inflorescence palette.
Water lilies have a powerful root system in the form of tubers.... Long roots go down from them, which also serve as an anchor for the flower.
Planting and caring for a white water lily
Can it multiply?
According to the biological description, nymphs reproduce vegetatively by rhizomes, less often by seeds, (with the help of fish, which shake the plant upon contact), as well as pollen(thanks to beetles and insects).
In the natural environment of a water lily propagates by shoots from rhizomes... It is enough to cut off the rhizome with a bud and plant in a pot.
Division and landing of nymphs:
How to plant this flower in water?
To plant a water lily optimally at any time, from May to the end of September... If the pond is heated and large, then the plant can be planted directly into the ground. In small ponds, they are placed in special containers.
If you plant a flower directly in a container, it will greatly ease your labor costs to move the plant to a warm place during the winter.
Containers should be wide and low, with drainage holes... If the holes are too large, then burlap is lined at the bottom to avoid washing out the soil.
And do not forget about the outer component of the flower container: it should be dark in color so that it does not look out from the bottom of the reservoir.
The soil for the water lily should be made up of garden soil, sand, and compost. You can add bone meal, it will have a positive effect on the development and growth of the flower.
When planting, the rhizomes must be laid on the ground with the roots down so that they do not float. But it is necessary to plant rhizomes so that they protrude slightly from the ground. Otherwise, the water lily will grow and develop poorly.
Also it is possible to grow a flower with its seeds... To do this, you need to take a container, container or pot and pour some water and sand. The seeds are pressed into the sand and refilled with water. You will get about 3-4 centimeters of water above the seeds.
After 6-12 days, it will be possible to observe the rise of the first adventitious roots. At the same time, the time comes for the first transplant into 2-4 cm pots, and after the second transplant, 7 cm pots are chosen.
The second transplant is carried out in pots directly into the reservoir, with a water temperature of + 18-22C.
The next stage is final. They choose 20 cm pots and transplant the flowers into a pond with water to a depth of 40-50 cm, where they are kept at a water temperature of + 20 + 22C.
In order for the nymphea to endure the winter well, it is important that the depth of the pond reaches 1-1.5 meters. If the depth is less or more, the flower must be removed to a dark place.
For this, it is first prepared: the dying leaves are removed and the container with water is removed to a warm place. So the water lily goes into hibernation.
The water level in the container should be up to 4 cm above the rhizome. And in the spring, the beauty will return to her pond.
Use on the farm
The water lily is used in the household for various needs.
For example, rhizomes are used for food... Cut into slices, dry, grind to a state of flour. Then they are washed and used for baking bread and flat cakes.
With acute respiratory infections, the roots of the flower are used as a mustard plaster... And decoctions and infusions are used in the treatment of malignant formations. Also, the broth has a calming effect on the central nervous system.
For its hemostatic property, often used for wounds... Soothes and relieves pain. Also rhizomes are used for inflammatory processes on the skin.
A drink is prepared from the seeds of the nymphea resembling coffee. For insomnia and neuroses, healers are used as a sedative.
And for rheumatism and neuralgia, water lily is used as an analgesic, for fever as a mild antipyretic agent.
However, the use of the plant for medicinal purposes should be careful, especially when taking decoctions and infusions, as it significantly lowers blood pressure.
It is imperative to consult a competent doctor and obtain permission from him for self-medication with this plant.
Beautiful pond decoration
There is a beautiful legend about green tea and a white water lily... If at dawn green tea is placed in a blossoming flower and collected at the end of the day, then after drinking it, a person will gain the necessary vitality.
If a water lily has settled in your pond, then an interesting solution would be the appearance of fish in it. Fish not only decorate the pond, but also serve as good helpers for flowers.
The most popular fish will be Koi carp and comets. They are extraordinarily beautiful. Comets are more mobile and live in the upper layers of the reservoir, moreover, they do not bother flowers. And carps are more fussy, rushing about in plants and making a mess.
If the reservoir is large (2-3 meters deep), then carps will fit better into the picture. If the reservoir is small (up to 70 centimeters), then opt for a comet.