water lilys

Question
I have recently obtain sever water lily plants. I was told that there were different colors flowers that come from then. The person I got these from has had them growing in tanks for several years and the tubers on one is over four feet long. I wanted to plant them in my 4 acer lake but now the outside temp is in the low 30's and the water to cold to walk in and plant. Can you recomend the best way to plant these  before the lake freezes over and how do I tell them apart?

Answer
They must have grown them in a large tank to get tubers that long!  You won't be able to tell what color they are until they flower.  You can overwinter the tubers a variety of ways.  Since they're already bareroot, you might try putting them in an open ziploc bag with damp reptile sand.  See http://www.fishpondinfo.com/plants/overwinter.htm for more on overwintering lilies. It's mostly about tropical waterlilies but hardy ones may also overwinter that way.  The hardy tubers should be refrigerated (or put in a cold room 33 to 45 degrees F) (unlike tropicals) to prevent premature growth (and subsequent rot).

If the tubers are actively growing with leaves, you can try to set them up in an indoor pond or aquarium for the winter that would include warm water and lighting so they can grow.

I suggest buying some hip waders.  I was in my 39 degree F pond today doing a few things in my hip waders and long plastic gloves.  If you get those, you can plant the tubers now although not ideal.

Good luck!