A must - have for even the smallest of pool , water lilies need part every few year . Keep them healthy and prevent the pool from becoming overcrowded by dividing and replanting .
you’re able to get up to 25 new plants from one large rootball of a healthy H2O lily . That ’s enough to turn your pond into a Monet - inspired work of art ! Spring is the best fourth dimension to do this because the leaves have n’t fully grown yet , but there should be enough new green shoot to tell which parts of the plants can be break up .
Water lilies are one of the most iconic and beautiful plant that can be grown in ponds and water gardens . With their turgid , float leaves and showy flowers in shades of white , pink , yellowish , and more , water lilies metamorphose a simple pool into an elegant backyard focal point in time .

However after a few old age of maturation water lily works will often outgrow their space and ask to be divide . fraction pee lily may sound daunting , but it ’s really a straightforward process that will rejuvenate the plant and keep your pool looking its best . Here ’s a footfall - by - footprint guide to split water lily plants successfully .
When to Divide Water Lilies
Water lilies are well divided in former natural spring before water temperature climb and new growth begins . However air division can also be done in mid to recent summer after blossoming has cease . Avoid dividing in the hot part of summer as this can accentuate the plants .
Dividing in early outflow gives the novel divisions meter to found a hard ancestor system before summer rut get in . fraction in late summertime can work as well , but may mean less flowering the following twelvemonth as the plant rivet its energy on ascendent growth .
Signs Your Water Lilies Need Dividing
Here are some signs that your water lily has become overgrown and is a campaigner for section
The industrial plant has spread out far beyond its original planting spot , with farewell and flowers extending across a magnanimous section of the pool .
ontogenesis is crowded and congested , with smaller leaves and less flowering than old old age .

The midpoint of the plant has an open , empty appearance with most ontogeny around the edge .
Leaves are small and space far asunder , giving the plant a sparse look .
Flowers are smaller and shorter - lived than usual .
The original ancestor system has become very large and difficult to oversee .
If your weewee lily shows one or more of these signaling , it ’s metre to divide it . Dividing will rejuvenate the plant and shake riotous fresh growth .
How to Divide a Water Lily
Here is a step - by - step guide to separate water lily industrial plant :
1. Remove the Plant from the Pond
habituate a garden branching or graze to gently relax the weewee lily from the pond bottom . Be careful not to damage the root system . lightly overturn the entire flora and place it on a tarpaulin or wheelbarrow .
2. Rinse Away Soil
employ a hose or water bucket to rinse all dirt from the pee lily ’s roots . This allows you to clearly see the radical structure .
3. Select Divisions
analyze the ascendant system and see for crowns that can be divide . Crowns are the areas where leaf increment emerge . conventional crown will reckon like thicken stems . adolescent crowns may just be tiny tip of new growth .
4. Cut Apart Divisions
Use a precipitous knife or pruning shears to shorten the theme system apart between crowns . For mature plants , dissever large peak into lowly sections , leaving at least 2 growing baksheesh per sectionalization . Keep at least 4 - 6 inches of healthy rootstock attach to each crown .
5. Discard Excess Rootstock
old rhizome that is pithy or hollow in the center will not re - sprout . Cut off this supernumerary rootstock , leaving only healthy blank roots attached to your divisions .
6. Trim Damaged Roots
Inspect each division and trim any humiliated or damage roots . Healthy , intact roots are essential for re - establishment .
7. Plant Divisions
Gently set each naval division back in the pond , spacing them 1 - 3 feet apart depending on expected mature size of it . industrial plant crowns just below the water supply ’s aerofoil . interest in place if require until shew .
8. Fertilize Lightly
Apply a fluent fertilizer or water lily tab once divisions are actively growing . This encourages root maturation . But go easy on fertilizer the first time of year after dividing .
Caring for Newly Divided Water Lilies
right care after dividing will give your new water lily divisions the best chance of success :
hold consistent urine levels . Do n’t let the pond dry out .
Control alga emergence by hired man removal , water changes , or UV clarifiers to allow sunlight to reach the new plants .
Remove fallen leaves and debris around new division so they experience unobstructed sun .
ward off transplantation or dividing other pond plant near the novel weewee lily divisions . This keep disturbing their sore fresh root .
Hold off on fertilizing with tabloid or nutrient - rich pond ooze until you see sign of alive growth .
waitress about 8 week after plant before resuming normal fertilizing to allow roots to constitute . Then use controlled - release fertilizer tabs range near the crowns .
Troubleshooting Water Lily Division
Here are some common issues that may originate after dividing pee lily and how to deal them :
sluggish growth : This is normal for newly divided plants as vitality goes into root development before leafage and flower production . Be patient ! outgrowth will accelerate in upcoming year .
thin or distorted leafage : Poor water quality , incorrect planting depth , or entomb crowns can induce leaf issues . Improve circumstance and the plant will rebound .
Failure to thrive : Divisions that fade likely have root problems . Carefully re - divide and scrutinise roots for putrefaction or defects . Discard damaged divisions .
Pond bottom affray : Nearby activity like transplanting other plants can uproot newly planted division . Allow divisions to instal undisturbed for at least 4 - 6 calendar week .
Sinking division : apply a small rock or brick under new divisions to prevent bury into soft pool muck before source anchor .
Key Tips for Dividing Water Lilies
Time division for early outpouring or late summertime when water temperatures are cool .
rinse off all soil from roots for well-fixed profile of crowns .
Discard old rootstock . Select partitioning with 2 + growing tips and 4 - 6 inches of sizeable roots .
Space divisions 1 - 3 feet apart ground on expect mature size .
Plant crown at or just below the weewee ’s Earth’s surface .
Stake divisions in position if needed until establish .
Go soft on fertilizer the first season after dividing .
tolerate divisions several weeks to establish before disturbing the pond .
The Benefits of Dividing Water Lilies
While divide body of water lily flora takes a second of clip and crusade , the benefits are well deserving it :
rejuvenate overgrown flora for maximum wellness and blossoming .
Multiplies your water lily collection for free .
allow you to discard old rootstock and keep only the most vigorous divisions .
Redistributes plantings for better coverage and esthetics in the pond .
induce the dim , lush emergence body of water lily are eff for .
maintain right plant and root denseness for the foresightful - terminus wellness of your water lilies .
Elsewhere on the web
sizable piss lilies grow apace and its potential to get as many as 25 new plants from one prominent rootball – that s enough to metamorphose your pond into a Monet - root on art ! The good meter to do this is in spring because the leaves have nt to the full develop , but there should be enough emerge green shoots to know which region of the works can be separated .
Dividing Water Lilies
FAQ
When should water lily be split ?
What do you do with overgrown H2O lily ?
Can you get a water supply lily from a thinning ?
When and how do you divide lily ?
Can water lilies produce in a pool ?
How do you divide a water lily ?
To separate , lift the water lily and its pot wholly out of the pond . Then encounter the rootstock , the pee lily ’s boneheaded horizontal etymon . Rinse it gently with your garden hose , on a spray setting . Next , find some crowns on the rhizome , each render where a new lily domiciliation group will sprout . Cut between the crowns with a sharp tongue .
Should I Divide or repot my Water Lily ?
If your water lily has farm over the side of the container with theme dangle in the body of water , or if it is becoming difficult to lend oneself fertiliser tablets to the aquatic stool , then it ’s metre to divide or repot your pee lily .
How do water system lilies disseminate ?
Water lilies spread by producing genus Tuber - alike rhizomes . These are generally underground stems that act as organs helping the plant to lay in urine and nutrient . The rhizomes bear leafy shoot which can be split asunder to make unexampled plants .
How do you irrigate a lily ?
For freshly divided tuber , it is effective to place the lily in shallow water first , with only a few inch of water above the leaves . The foliage steams will quickly lengthen and at that time you’re able to move the lily to deeper H2O . glad pee horticulture ! This article was written by Keith , our Contractor Sales Manager .
How do you know if a water lily is root obligate ?
Watch for roots swarming around the pond , a rent pot , or reduced blooming , signifying the water lily is root - bound . Tropical water lilies will call for dividing when blooming ceases in very warm atmospheric condition . To divide , cabbage the water lily and its pot completely out of the pool . Then observe the rhizome , the water lily ’s thick horizontal etymon .