Water lily: Diseases and Remedies (Explained for Beginners)

NOTE: In this article, Water lily and Nymphaea may be used interchangeably; in fact, Nymphaea is the botanical name for Water lily.

There are two jewels of the aquatic world, the water lilies and the lotus. In both ancient and modern times, they are celebrated for their beauty. Many of them are easy to grow and reward the gardener with fragrant and sumptuous blossoms from June to October.

Both plants should be planted in the spring. Lotus are notoriously slow to start and need a lot of sun to flower, but water lilies start quicker and have a faster growth rate.

Why does my Nymphaea roots have rot?

Root rot on your Water lily (Nymphaea) can be fatal if not treated with care. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you follow our guide to keep your plant alive if the symptoms occur: Root soft and blackened.
Water

Why does my Water lily have gray mold spots?

Gray mold spots are a type of fungus that is found a lot in flowers, and spreads quite rapidly. If you notice brown (or gray) spots, it is probably this fungus. Don’t ignore these symptoms, as they may end up killing your plant.

Our Solution

The solution is quite logical when you know the cause of the problem. Most of the time, it is due to overwater of the Nymphaea. We advise you to remove the infected parts of the plant, cut off the infected roots and leaves, then repot your plant using sterile potting soil and a clean pot.

Why does my Water lily have leaf spots?

Leaf We provide you with all the information you need to identify and save your plants if they display signs like leaves that suddenly change color or wilt/droop. This sort of sickness is one of the most aggravating for Water lily owners.

Why are my Water lily leaves turning yellow?

This is probably the most common problem in the gardening world, yellowing leaves. There are 2 main reasons for this phenomenon, overwatering, or a lack of nutrients.

Whether you think your plants are getting too much water, cut back on how often you water them, and take the following measures to see if they might be nutritionally deficient:

Here are some indicators of yellowing on the Nymphaea brought on by its numerous flaws:

  • Yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves are the first sign of magnesium shortage. Veins continue to be green while the leaf’s core turns yellow. The leaf’s edges yellow last.
  • Yellowing between leaf veins is another sign of iron shortage, but young leaves on plant tops and branch tips are initially affected.
  • Sulfur shortage first affects the youngest leaves, turning them entirely yellow.
  • Leaf edges turning bright yellow but inside leaf remaining green are signs of potassium insufficiency. The symptoms first appear on older leaves, and the leaf edges quickly become dark.
  • A broad yellowing indicates a nitrogen deficiency. Yellowing starts with older, inner leaves. Yellowing spreads as it advances, eventually touching new leaves as well.

Our Solution

You only need to act in accordance with the symptoms listed above. You can address a potassium or nitrogen deficiency by buying a particular soil, and a gardening store consultant will be able to advise you on how to do that. Furthermore, you can also limit how frequently you water your plants.

Is my Water lily sunburned?

You can easily tell if your Water lily (your Nymphaea) has a sunburn. In this case, your plant will change color, starting to turn yellow or white, much like it does on us.

Sunburned

As we saw above, if your Water lily receives too much water or not enough light, the leaves may also change color.

To find out if the yellow leaves have been sunburned, look at the part of the bottom that is tinted closer to the base. The yellow leaf is probably burnt and not something else if this portion stays greener.

Why are my Water lily leaves turning brown?

A plant’s browning leaves are typically a symptom that it has been sunburned and has been exposed to excessive amounts of direct sunlight. Don’t worry; your plant probably won’t perish as a result, but its growth will be negatively impacted.

Should I leave my Nymphaea in direct sunlight?

No! Don’t leave your Nymphaea (or Water lily) in the sun if it displays the symptoms mentioned above; that’s why it’s in such a bad situation.

Our Solution

The remedy, as said in the paragraph above, is simple: just move your plant’s Water lily out of direct sunlight. Your plant should swiftly re-grow with this strategy and appropriate watering.

Why are my Nymphaea leaves drooping or wilting ?

In most cases, this happens when your Nymphaea lacks water. This is especially the case for large plants, naturally they need more water than others.

Drooping

Whether your Nymphaea plant’s pot appears light, the soil and roots are likely fairly dry and need water, so you can readily tell if it needs to be hydrated.

Our Solution

In order to ensure that the roots of your plant receive the water’s benefits, you must first moisten the soil in the container if it is absolutely dry. One common error is to immediately drown the Water lily after a dry period in the belief that it requires a lot of water.

This is true, but the easiest way to end it is to give too much water at once. Instead, you should water the soil properly, returning to a peaceful watering rhythm.

Caring Tips for Nymphaea

Water Occasionally

Water is necessary for your plant to live, but timing and amount of watering must be balanced. Overwatering could have disastrous effects on your own name, as we already mentioned.

Touching the soil will let you know whether your plant needs water or not; if it still feels damp, it’s generally best to wait a few more days.

Always keep temperatures stable

It’s also a good idea to keep your Nymphaea at a constant temperature, especially if it’s kept indoors. In general, at GreenShack, we suggest booking a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, keep your Nymphaea away from radiators, air conditioners, and other sources of hot or cold air.

Keep your Water lily Dust-Free

This one relates to indoor plants. Just like your furniture, dust collects on the leaves of your indoor plants. The issue is that this can block the photosynthesis process from starting, which would cause the plants to gradually lose their color.

This would also make the pests happy, a real descent into hell for your Water lily.

Take a microfiber cloth and gently massage the plant’s leaves to get rid of the dust. Use a damp cloth to make dust removal easier, but avoid using corrosive materials like rubbing alcohol!

Keep drainage in mind

If you tend to overwater, you need to pay attention to your drainage, and we advise choosing a saucer and a pot with drainage holes if they are not already there.

If your pots don’t already have holes in them, you can add volcanic rocks (or any other pebbles with holes) to the bottom of your pot in the meantime. This will assist in creating a channel and keep the water from pooling there for an extended period of time, protecting the roots from decay.