Water Lily Broke

Hi All. We have a lily in pond which has been there for several years. This year we had more leaves then ever before and provide good shade from sun & heron!!

This morning I noticed that a thick stem about 40 mm thick had come to the surface. It seems to have other thinner stems coming off of it. Without pulling right out of water I would guess it has broken off at the base for some reason.
Just by lifting it out of the water a few inches it also seems most of the leaves are attached to it. Not really sure what to do? Do I leave it to re-root or pull it out and bin it? If I do that I hope there is enough of the root to grow next year .
Any suggestions would be grateful.

 

No idea!

But, in your situation, I would leave it be. If you bin it, you will never know if it was doing what comes naturally. If you leave it over winter and nothing good comes of it next Spring, then bin it?

Hopefully someone with more experience will be able to give you a more definitive answer.

ETA: Think @ARMANDII or @pete may have more of an idea on this one.

 

Hello trogre, While we're waiting for the EXPERTS to arrive, I can confirm that what's happened is that your lily has growed like Topsy, waltzed out of it's basket and carried on growing upwards and outwards. I've got one exactly the same in my pond. They form a sort of raft of rhizomes which put out feeder roots into the water, so no need for soil! If you dredge the 'raft' to the edge, you can cut the rhizome into pieces around 8" long, with a sharp knife, each piece with roots and a leaf or two, pot it up and that will make a new water lily plant.
If you have friends with ponds, they'll probably be delighted to take them off your hands.
One tip for keeping the rhizomes in their baskets when lowering into water is to put fairly heavy, rounded pebbles (cobble size) over the soil. It also helps to stop fish nuzzling them out!

 

Mine started out in a basket, but they dont stay there, after a year or so they move on and just grown into the sediment on the bottom.
Its their habit of growth, only perhaps the miniature types are likely to want to remain in a basket.

Probably not the best time of year for propagating water lilies, but they are mostly tough old plants, that if kept submerged, will come through the winter ok whatever you do to them.

Mine also needs some thinning, but I'm waiting till next spring.

 

Me too @pete. I have to do my pond plant maintenance from the inside, wearing bright pink waders It doesn't seem fair frightening the frogs twice in one year

 

Hi All thanks for you help. I will leave broken stem in pond till next year keeping it under the surface until spring and take it from there.The pond is due for a good clean out which is a pain.
We normally get large containers or make a frame out of a pallet then drape a sheet of plastic in it.
Fill with water and leave for a week then get all the plants out. Next are the fish and there is always one you cannot catch. I am especially careful to check that no newts are left in bottom.Then starts the job of bailing water out and all the black sludge. I know the plants like the sludge but it gets too much sometimes. Only done this once in about 8 years so needs cleaning out again.

 

I've never cleaned my pond out and its been there since 1989.

 

Id take the stem off and pot it up in new aquatic compost.Or if long enough and if its roots run the length of it chop it into smaller bits pot up and place in a shallow spot. As the new leaves come up move it progressively to deeper spots till you reach its final destination.
Cant beat free plants.

As for the sludge,our pond went in 1996 and hasnt been desludged despite overhanging trees dumping leaves,pollen twigs etc into it. The fish are happy,Golden Orfe that need clear water to survive.