Essential tips to know for a maximum of water lily flowers throughout the season!

Why is my water lily not blooming? Why do I only have a few water lily flowers? Are you a pond owner and do you have water lilies? To improve water lily flowering, there are a few best practices to adopt.

In this micro-guide on growing water lilies, you will find the right tips to get the maximum number of flowers throughout the season

Water lilies (Nymphaea) are a genus of aquatic plants, also known as the stars of the pond. Visible from March to September, these water lily plants have flat, plate-shaped leaves that rest on the surface of the water, from which pink, yellow, or white flowers appear from June to September.

There is a wide variety of water lily plants to choose from – most grow best in ponds and lakes, but there are dwarf types that can be grown in very small garden ponds.

Some best practices:

• Plant in a basket of at least 30 x 30 cm (see our selection of water lily baskets here).
• Use a burlap cloth to prevent the potting soil from mixing with the pond water (brown water for several days).
• Use pebbles (like Limbourg gravel) on the bottom of the basket to prevent fish from removing the water lily potting soil.
• To bloom abundantly, the water lily needs an aquatic potting soil rich in organic matter.

Water lilies need calm water and full sun. Choose the right water lily for your pond – there are several types, each requiring a specific planting depth. First, place your water lily on a brick "pedestal" at a depth of 20 cm, then lower it gradually throughout the growing season. In the autumn, cut back the dead foliage of hardy water lilies and let them die back at the bottom of the pond.

List of products to promote water lily growth:

• Burlap cloth
• Aquatic potting soil
• Limbourg gravel
• Fishtale plant booster: Pssst... It's our favorite for water lily growth!

Water splashes do not help water lilies bloom well:

• Do not place water lilies near water splashes such as a waterfall, a fountain, or a pump outlet.
• Constant splashing causes the splashed leaves to rot.
• The plant replaces these leaves before producing flower buds.

Excessive foliage spreading across the surface of the water, along with small and sparse flowers, generally indicates high density; you must divide the water lily or pull out some leaves to make room for the flowers.