Preparing the plants for winter

Tilley’s Nursery

111 East Fairmount Street * Coopersburg, PA. 18036 * 610-282-4784

PREPARING THE PLANTS FOR WINTER

Hardy water lilies can be permitted to die down naturally. Leaves and flowers should be cut off as they die back and turn brown. The less debris left to decay in the water the better. The lilies can be left in the pond as long as there is 9 - 10" of water covering the top of the pot. If there is less than this it is a good idea to pull the potted lily up after dormancy and place it in a five gallon bucket to be stored in a place that is cold yet a hard freeze will not occur. Perhaps a garage or basement.

Oxygenators should be cut back and left at the bottom of the pond. Excess plants should be removed.

Hardy bog plants should be cut back after the first hard frost and sunk to the bottom of the pond. They should be raised as soon as the temperature starts to rise.

Hardy floating plants produce turions (winter buds) which fall to the bottom of the pond to reappear the following spring when the water temperature rises. In the autumn, before these buds disappear, you can collect a few and store them in a jar of pond water with a handful of mud on the bottom. Keep them in a cool, light place until spring when they can be encouraged into early growth and put in the pond to help keep down early algae growth.

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