Miracle Grow in lily container

[Alvarero]

Here is a question for the lily experts. I took a 100 gallon water trough and I am using it as a lily container. I am in the process of converting my lily pond into a bog filter so I need to start getting creative with my plants. What I would like to know is, has anyone tried mixing some miracle grow directly into their lily containers? Does it benefit the plants? At this time I don't have any fish in the container just plants. I want to experiment. What I've been encountering is my lilies get root bound when I put the fertilizer spikes in the dirt. What I hope is that the plants will get the fertilizer evenly from the water without the need for the fertilizer spikes. Thanks for the feedback, Rob

 

[Waterbug]

I'm far from a lily expert, or even novice, but I love experiments so hope you try it.

If you could apply the Miracle Grow directly to the leaves without getting it into the water the roots wouldn't have access to the nutrients. Miracle Grow in the water would be available to the roots. My assumption is plants will always produce as an extensive root system as possible. They wouldn't say "Wow, I have lots of food, no need to grow roots". More of a "where my next meal coming from". But I don't know for sure.

Would be a cool experiment. I'd also be interested in how algae reacts. And also maybe you end up with some kind of world record lilies.

 

[addy1]

In my lotus pond, a 300 gallon rubbermaid, I used osmocote under the kitty litter for the plants. But also added miracle grow to the water (no fish) never had algae in that pond. I think the plants ate every bit of nutrient available and once they grew the leaves shaded the water pretty well.

 

[Alvarero]

Water still clear, scuzz on the top of the water, could be filter residue. Open house tonight at my high school. Pictures to follow soon.

 

[Alvarero]

Miracle grow experiment update.

Water didn't turn green and the leaves are growing nicely. Yesterday I added half a package of M.G. and I will report on water quality in a few days. I added the UV light yesterday to my Koi pond. 36 watts and I think about 1000 to 1500 gallons per hour going past it for my pond. I have restricted the water flow by putting a tee in the line from a 4800 gph pump into two 1 inch lines that are 10 feet each. The line for the UV light is brought down to a half inch. I hope for the best and will also include a picture of the setup in a few minutes.

 

[Alvarero]

 


Here is the video from this afternoon. J.W. still green...

 

[j.w]

Yep still green but it should get better soon w/ the uv. But your pond is huge so might take awhile longer. You have such nice tropical plants..................I'm green w/ envy like your pond

 

[baeya]

My pond was clear after only a week of installing my new 100 gallon Skippy filter. I purchased 4 bags of bio media right from the Skippy website. I also used Micro Lift PL Media Bacteria Gel to give it a good start. I have a waterfall filter, don't remeber the brand, that I put new Matala pads and new bio media in as well. I've had my pond with just the waterfall filter in it for over 8 years and never ever had clear water until I started the new Skippy filter on September 7 this year! Soooo happy!! Thanks to the nice people on this forum

 

[Alvarero]

Yep still green but it should get better soon w/ the uv. But your pond is huge so might take awhile longer. You have such nice tropical plants..................I'm green w/ envy like your pond

I plan on giving it a month or so. I like the blue glow at night that comes off the uv light. The plantain plants are doing great. We use them to make our seafood boil pots. Note: no fish are harmed in our clam bakes.

 

[Alvarero]

My pond was clear after only a week of installing my new 100 gallon Skippy filter. I purchased 4 bags of bio media right from the Skippy website. I also used Micro Lift PL Media Bacteria Gel to give it a good start. I have a waterfall filter, don't remeber the brand, that I put new Matala pads and new bio media in as well. I've had my pond with just the waterfall filter in it for over 8 years and never ever had clear water until I started the new Skippy filter on September 7 this year! Soooo happy!! Thanks to the nice people on this forum

Baeya, I will break down one day and buy the skippy precut filter pads. I just refuse to believe that the generic filter material that I use can't work just as well. I've had clear water in the past, my pond was smaller and I had less water flowing through the filters. I think I can trouble shoot this thing and get it right. One day I want to pull out my extra goldfish. I get attached to the little suckers. Since I pump water in every night I think most of the fry float out when the fish do spawn. So it is a matter of pulling them out and finding a good home. Thanks, Rob

 

[baeya]

I also had an overpopulation of goldfish at one time. When my pond was green, I didn't even know we had a very large snapping turtle in it. The turtle took care of a lot of them and we got the rest out when we had to empty the pond to make a repair.

 

[Alvarero]

Yep still green but it should get better soon w/ the uv. But your pond is huge so might take awhile longer. You have such nice tropical plants..................I'm green w/ envy like your pond

J.W., the water looks a little clearer today. Now I am worried that I need to get some netting to put over pond so the birds don't see all the yummy fish. I see nets for sale online for around 50 dollars. Do you feel one way or another about netting over a pond? Should it be tight over the water or loose with some supports underneath?

Thanks, Rob

 

[j.w]

Everyone that uses netting pretty much uses the black bird netting that you get from Lowes or Home Depot or someplace that sells that stuff near you. It's really cheap.You raise it a couple feet or so above your pond so the birds can't just poke right through it while standing there. If you put it flat on the pond and don't raise it up a bird could poke your fish and maybe not get it out but still could wound it or even kill it. I don't use it myself but others here do and they can tell you exactly what kind of supports would work best to hold it off the water.

 

[addy1]

J.W., the water looks a little clearer today. Now I am worried that I need to get some netting to put over pond so the birds don't see all the yummy fish. I see nets for sale online for around 50 dollars. Do you feel one way or another about netting over a pond? Should it be tight over the water or loose with some supports underneath?

Thanks, Rob

You want it up off the water, I have read of herons standing on the netting and fishing through it. So far my chicken wire around our pond has worked. Can't see the fencing well from the house so not too yucky, would prefer not to have anything around the pond, but my job to protect the fish or go fishless.

 

[Alvarero]

J.W. and Addy, thanks for the feedback. I'll swing by Lowe's this weekend and check it out. After reading Baeya's post I am hesitant to walk around in my pond because I don't want my toes snapped off by a turtle. As the water gets clearer I am starting to see all the way to the bottom. Best 70 dollars I've spent in a long time.