Do pond plants require fertilizer? If so, how do you fertilize plants that are rooted in gravel?
Fertilizing Plants
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My Koi fertilize mine and they grow like crazy.
Do you need to fertilize your plants? Yes. Filtered water and sunlight are not enough to maintain plant health, especially if they're rooted in a medium like sand or gravel.
I use Ag Safe timed release Aquatic Tabs. All you have to do is to shove one of these tabs under the gravel of each plant. These tabs are great! They have 5 essential minerals including iron. They also have 76 trace elements.
If you can't find them locally, you can find them on-line through a number of sources.
I use Ag Safe timed release Aquatic Tabs. All you have to do is to shove one of these tabs under the gravel of each plant. These tabs are great! They have 5 essential minerals including iron. They also have 76 trace elements.
If you can't find them locally, you can find them on-line through a number of sources.
Does anyone know if this product releases Ammonia?
koiguy1969
GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
it has been my experience that fish waste and good biofiltering to break down the waste to plant accessable nutrients are all thats needed to grow large lillies that bloom thru-out the season. water hiacynths and lettuce that are large, lush and bloom. i dont fertilize and my pond plants are still large and blooming in mid september. in Michigan.our trees are starting to turn and our temps have been unusually cool and my pond plants are thriving. and i plant exclusively in gravel... but every situation is different, so fertilize if you feel the need.
i just looked and i have a few lilly flowers up..and at least a dozen hiacynths blooming..sept.17 09
i just looked and i have a few lilly flowers up..and at least a dozen hiacynths blooming..sept.17 09
I usually fertilize with the same tabs Chef Dave mentioned but this year I did not fertilize any plants. It has been a cooler summer this year than usual. Lilies did "okay" nothing special. Tropical never got any buds. Lettuce & hiacynths did poorly. I had water celery, irises & mint [these are in the wier] that did great.I thought it was the cool weather this summer that affected the lilies but was told @ a garden center,that I should have fertilizes once a month. I will go back to using the tabs at least in the lilies. Trial & error?
koiguy1969
GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
with a small fish count fertilization is more likely to be a necessity, its true, but like i said..each situation varies.
Today I have finished re-potting all the plants (excluding the lily's) in to gravel after noticing the plants planted into between rocks had grown better & reading the gravel only forum posts. Also noticed the most dense roots were under the pot and on top of the "soil/sand". In some cases I created a void in the pots (a pot within a pot) to see if the roots enter in there and go crazy like they did with the iris.
The Lily's have remained in soil/clay for now but I did buy a new lily and have planted it in gravel/sand to see how it goes as a test.
The pond has just completed its first year and we have not used fertiliser, maybe all the tadpole poo is doing it for the plants so far?
The Lily's have remained in soil/clay for now but I did buy a new lily and have planted it in gravel/sand to see how it goes as a test.
The pond has just completed its first year and we have not used fertiliser, maybe all the tadpole poo is doing it for the plants so far?