How do people in the North [zone 4 or less] winter over their tropical water lilies?
I would like to have some, but wonder if I could keep them over winter in my fruit cellar as I do the regular lilies.
I take them out of the ponds before frost here, let them dry off somewhat, then put them in my fruit cellar in an old water tank, cover loosely with black plastic and wait patiently for spring.
Would appreciate any advice.
Maxine
tropical water lilies
Maxine, That works for me I'm in z 5 and have 2 tropicals. I pull them out in late October and put them in a tub of water in the basement. This had worked for 3 years. I repot before I put them back in the pond.
We put all our water plants in 5 gallon buckets of water in a cool, dark place in our basement. They kind of go dorment & start off quick when we put them outside in spring. Some are on their 3rd year in the basement.
Bernie
Sure glad I don't have to worry about this. I'd be in trouble if I did! Course, where I"m at you still risk losing the tropical lilies. Mine was pretty pathetic for a while last year after a big cold streak. I think it's been killed back again in our recent hard freezes. We'll see in a few more weeks if it will recover a second year in a row. I'm not going to hold my breath. AT least I have N. odorata which is a native hardy lily. I don't worry much about that one.