fertilizing the plants

[micaaronfl76]

Hello All,

I have been using jobes plant sticks to fertilize my lilly pads and other pond plants. i guess i had decent growth last year but it was my first year with the pond, so i had nothing else to put it up against.

This year I am trying to limit me going in and out of the pond and was wondering what fertilizing options i had. i heard of lilly tabs and also this product:

http://www.petmountain.com/product/pond-plant-food/11442-502483/pondcare-aquatic-plant-food-tablets.html?utm_source=googleproductads&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term={keyword}&gclid=CJLtgcjbxrYCFQef4AodHlkAXw

but even the product at the link above sounds like i need to burry the tab close to the plant.

Are there any fertilzer tabs u just throw into the pond and call it a day?

Thanks

Mike

 

[adavisus]

Anything you just throw in the pond has the problem, it dissolves...

By upping the fertility of the water you are feeding only those plants best able to exploit it, namely simple free floating or string algae.

You are not putting the fertility where the roots of the plants you want to feed, can get at it...

Now it could work on a depleted pond where algae have been depleted and there is a heavy load of hungry plants, though which plants can take advantage are probably those with roots growing bare root, eg parrots feather, water hyacinth, lettuce

You may find, by applying fertiliser well timed and accurate, you avoid botching up a pond just for the convenience of less bother...

It's really not so difficult to poke a broomstick in the right place, slip a decent fertiliser pill in, and presto, months of blooms.

Many a slime filled cess pit testifies to how difficult it is, to fix a mess... that could have been a completely different kettle of fish

Regards, andy
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[Mmathis]

Someone needs to invent a long-handled fertilizer delivery device/system (but something more precise than a broom handle). I'd buy one!

 

[HARO]

I actually HAVE one of those! It's an aluminum tube with a smaller tube inside, the fertilized pellet is held in a soft rubber cone on the outer tube, and the solid end on the inner tube pushes the pellet into the soil. Unless you act fast, though, the fertilizer dissolves before you get it in place. I haven't used it in years!
Laguna carries plastic fertilizer spikes that last 3 months or so (the length of our pond growing season here) so you only have to fertilize once a year. It's up to you whether convenience is worth the extra cost.
John

 

[Event Horizon]

My pond is 4 feet deep and I have no desire to enter it to insert fertilizer tabs. The tool I made is like HARO’s tool. I push the gray conduit into the pot, and down a couple of inches. I then drop the tab in from the top and push it down and into the soil with the copper pipe. When I pull out the conduit I then use the copper end to tap down and close the hole. I probably pay more for these once a year tabs, but I get away with only doing this once a year.

 

[Carolyn22]

We lift our pots of waterlilies every year and use the Laguna year long fertilizer spikes. I have to say, it is becoming more difficult to lift the pots every year and we are looking for a better solution to that, but will be staying with the year long fertilizer spikes.

 

[micaaronfl76]

i didnt know they made year long fert spikes i have been using jobes each month.

thats a cool tool also thanks for the advice