5 of a kind, plus dragonfly.

[Mike S.]

Normally, I'd not brag about a Daubin that puts up mulitiple blooms. For Daubenyana, that's about par for the course. But this one is doing it planted in an 18oz plastic cup!



I started using the large plastic cup after reading Sean's article on growing tropicals in "Dixie Cups." It was later pointed out to me that he actually meant what he said, 8oz. Dixie Cups. Since I bought a big bag of the larger ones, I'm still using them, but I have also started planting more in the smaller cups. These will be "bonsai-ed," per that article. The one's I've put in the larger cups haven't been trimmed back much at all.

In fact, I've found that in my 4X8 Patio Ponds, most tropicals planted in the 1 gal. pot actually grow too big, unless you plan on putting just one to three plants in there. Even then, they will cover the entire surface and compete for every square inch of surface area. I've found some round, "disposable" salad bowls that hold about a half gallon that might be more appropriate for tropicals in smaller ponds. They would be more stable than those cups which can tip over fairly easily.

When I took the pic of the 5 blooms, I also snapped this one on a different Daubin, in the kiddie pool next door.



I know its a little fuzzy, but it was cropped from a larger pic that was taken as most of my pictures are, with my Droid X. It's so handy that I keep forgetting to break out the "good" camera.

Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL

[luvmypond]

That is so cool. 

[SueSTx]

 

[andi_mn]

there is just something  about that pic taken with the droid that i love. the color, composition...all of it. made it my wallpaper....thanks, andi

[Mike S.]

Why, THANK YOU, andi! My Droid and I are flattered.   

Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL

[Vickie]

I use plastic cups too. I am a plant hog and it allows me to grow more lilies. Oink Oink!

[Marilyn C]

I used to grow Dauben in a mud pond, and the blooms got huge.  No one would believe it was Dauben.   The vivips were huge too, with long roots on them before the pads even started to deteriorate.   Gotta love anything that blooms that well.

[Mike S.]

Daubenyana is probably my favorite waterlily. Multiple blooms are the norm for it and I've grown them in 8oz cups, up to 10 gallon pots. It will pretty much match whatever you grow it in. I've had one that bloomed Christmas, (in Florida,) and one that became a cut flower in a vase started closing during the day and opening at night.

I've given a number of Daubin's away, best way to get someone hooked on waterlilies!

Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL

[Julles]

I've started a bunch in slightly larger plastic gimme cups (like from McDonald's or for beer at the stadium).

One of my best bloomers this year was still in one of those little cups, blooming away alongside the others in their 1-2 gallon pots.  Just last weekend I realized he was still in that little cup, and pulled him out, loosened the roots, and put him in larger 1 gallon pot. 

He's still blooming away!

[matherfish]

Mike, Dauben is a beatiful lily. Two of my favorite water lily's photos that I have taken have been Dauben. Hope you do not mind if I post them.

[Mike S.]

Nice pics! And being Daubin, are those vavip starts making the small pads I see submerged in the last pic? Gott'a love it!

Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL

[matherfish]

Mike, they are vivip starts. The pics are a few years old and I no longer have Dauben as I lost it wo years ago, and have not replaced it. May need to trade with you for one if you have one to spare.
Speaking of vips, I am finding several vip starts on some of the plants this year. Islamorado and Panama Pacific are two that I noticed, but have not looked at the other vip lilies. How are yours producing?

[Mike S.]

PM sent on the Daubin exchange idea!

You asked about the other vivips I've got growing. Islamarada, Key Largo, Panama Pacific, and Ploi Dang are putting up pads with buttons on them. As of now, I've only started new plants from Panama Pacific (and Daubin, of course.) So far, only Ploi Dang has actually produced a new plantlet on it's own and I recently took some heathy pads from that one and put them in a dish tub, weighted them down with rocks and set them out in the sun. It's been 4 days now and three of the four have plantlets going, those should be "pot-able" in another couple of day.

I did select a couple of pads from each and broke the stems, but left them attached to the plant. This hasn't been particularly productive as of yet, but I am still watching them, just in case.

I will be setting some more tubs out with cut pads on the other vavips just like I did with Ploi Dang, this week. I did have some that started looking like they were going to go well from the other plants, but the raccoon found them first. Now all this will be done in a protected area. (Read, heavily fenced!)

Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL