First of all, we can hardly wait for a freshly planted, still delicate water lily to grow luxuriantly and show us its beautiful flowers. But soon their spread can take on proportions that are not only not nice to us, but also disturb us to a large extent. Here's how to shrink them.
Water lilies are very invasive
Thin out water lilies again and again
Under favorable living conditions, water lilies spread so much that their leaves can cover the entire surface of a pond. There is hardly any space left for other aquatic plants. Also for their sake you have to remove part of the water lilies.
An experienced pond owner doesn't let it get that far, because cutting the water lilies is part of their regular care.
- Cut back water lilies at least once a year
- in the period from April to August
- Take out the plant basket (€11.99) to also cut back roots
- Cut specimens rooted in the pond bottom with pond scissors
fish out leaves
If the water lily leaves are so numerous on the water surface that they may even overlap, you can fish out some of them. A rake with a long handle is helpful so that you don't have to climb into the pond. Use a landing net to remove leaves that are torn off and still floating around in the water. This measure is a temporary solution, because the plants will sprout again.
Also remove roots
If pruning has been neglected for a long time, then the water lilies have certainly multiplied under water. You can only make them smaller if you also remove most of the roots. Since water lily roots can be very firmly attached to the substrate, this work is not always easy.
The easiest way to remove the rhizomes is in a small pond, because you can climb in and the roots are easily accessible at a manageable depth. However, if it is lined with foil, you must proceed in such a way that it is not damaged during this process. Depending on the situation, you have to decide on the spot whether you want to use a spade, a saw or just a sharp knife.
tips
Remove any cut off rhizomes from the water so that they do not sprout again and thus contribute to renewed propagation.