How2Day: Water Lilies Winter Storage

Water lilies make lovely landscaping touches. Frank Lukasseck/Polka Dot/Getty Images
Water lilies make a lovely addition to ponds and water features in your yard. When sowing tropical lilies, use deep pots in which the crown remains above the soil. Hardy lilies grow at an angle. Both require covering with between 6 to 18 inches of water once potted. The pot serves as an anchor for the plant once placed in the water. In seasonal environments some water lilies die in the cold, but there are preventative methods that protect your flowers.

Bring the lily container indoors. Keep the base covered with moist cloth or peat moss. Alternatively, cover the container's soil with newspaper. Store in a cool, dry location, checking the soil's moisture regularly. Or, if your container has room for water, put it in a window and refill with water as needed throughout the winter.

Dig a hole between 18 and 24 inches deep. Put the water lily bulb into it and refill with soil. Cover the planting with fall leaves or straw about 2 inches deep. Put a rock or other marker on top of the tuber so you can find it easily and return it to the pond come spring thaw.

Hardy lilies don't need a change in environment. Simply put them in the deepest part of the water. If there is any chance the pond could freeze completely, put boards over top of it. Cover the wood with leaves or straw. Weigh down the four corners of the wood using spare rocks. Once the water thaws in spring, remove the protective layer.

Transplant the water lily bulbs into an aquarium filled with soil. Use a 20 gallon tank or larger. Make sure the lily bulb between 4 and 6 inches deep in the soil. Cover the soil with water and put in a heater with a temperature gauge. The prime temperature for the lilies is 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Grow lights contribute to plant health over the winter.

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