I tried once, but messed up. Was the pot too deep(50 cm), should they have been planted near the surface, should i have gotten a wider shallower pot?
How does one grow these in impromptu conditions?
If you can point me to anyone who knows, id be grateful...

Water lilies aren't very fussy, but, you need to know the requirements of the one you are trying to grow. All water lilies go dormant in winter but tropicals need to be pulled and stored in sand someplace where they won't freeze. Miniatures can only deal with about a foot of water above their heads while some of the really big ones need about 6 feet. Potting soil doesn't matter. In lakes, they are rooted in pure clay sludge. I plant mine in aquatic pond media or sand. Two are planted in the bottom of plastic lined ponds in aquatic media (because animals knocked them out of the pots). The third is still in its pot.

Well, it was too deep. I dont know the commercial types, but i take it they fall under the category of small........
Any advice on changing water, pot size, etc?

That's Nymphaea alba growing in a galvanized stock trough I borrowed from the cattle. They survive year round in the trough. Last winter we had one night that dropped below 0F, which was a record for this area. I have another variety with sort of a peach-colored bloom with smaller, streaked brown foliage growing in this as well. The tubers or whatever the grow from are planted in heavy, gummy red clay in old trashed meter boxes which just sit the floor of the trough. I don't do anything except keep the trough filled with water and try to pull out the spent leaves and blooms.

I also have some American lotus growing in a larger trough down at the barn. It did pretty well as far as growing, but when it put up leaves and buds that didn't sit on the surface of the water, the cows ate them. I'm trying to think how to leave them there and prevent the munching. The lotus is growing in a small rubber tub which was also filled with the clay.

All of them spread out a lot. The photo is of a 4' diameter trough and either Nymphaea by itself would cover the surface if they weren't having to share with each other and other things. The lotus is growing in one 8' in diameter.

The troughs are often called 'knee troughs' because the top comes to just above the knee of a grown bovine :). These plants had no trouble reaching the surface when they grew in the spring. I'd think they could manage even deeper water. Mine are growing in full sun. I think not all the Nymphaeas are cold tolerant, but I once found a specialty site in Europe that sold a lot of them and gave info on the cold tolerances.

They don't seem like difficult plants to me.

This thing....its not very deep is it?

skopjecollection said:This thing....its not very deep is it?

For cattle they are 2 ft. deep, but some are manufactured for goats and sheep and those are more shallow.

A net search for 'galvenized stock tank' should tell you the different sizes available. I'm not sure what might be available in your area. Or go to an enterprise that specializes in farm equipment if you have one near. Farm stores that carry fencing, feed and general supplies have them here. Or can special order one. It's likely the same there.

I'm going to have to copy that, Donald. I've never had water lilies.

I was about to say you should throw a Juncus in there, but then I spotted one.

The water lily ponds (dormant water lilies & Koi) in the shaded garden at Bach's Cactus Nursery this afternoon ……………

Beautiful! James, are these ponds private or secret? I've been to Bach's several times (was there just last week) and have never seen ponds. And I can't picture where they'd be!

I've been there too, and didn't know about the ponds.

Waterlilies like to be about 18" below the surface of the water. They prefer water that is not moving. Waterlilies are heavy feeders. I fertilize every year.