Lily Fertilizer Tabs

[MoonShadows]

It's time for me to fertilize the water lily I bought last month. When I bought it, the nursery woman stuck 3 Aquascape fertilizer tabs down into the soil, and told me to fertilize it once a month. Is this correct? And, what is a good fertilizer tab to use? Thanks.

 

[EricV]

If you want something like the Aquascape tablets, there are a couple of other sources for aquatic fertilizer tablets. As far as I know, they are all basically the same size and same nutrients, so get whatever is available and in the tablet count you want.

Others around here use plant food spikes to great effect.

 

[MoonShadows]

@EricV When you say plant food spikes, do you mean for "regular plants" or aquatic plants?

 

[EricV]

Yeah, for land plants. Hopefully a proponent will be along with more info.

 

[Gordo33]

I use this product and have had great success with great growth and flowers blooming from May thru October. It's nutrient formula is 10-26-10. Last year I could not get this product and the lilies were not flowering like previous years.
I used this product last year
AgSafe Aquatic Tabs Pond Plant Water Lily Fertilizer - It's formula is 10-20-10.
So different products will have different nutrient formulas and different results.

This is last month

 

[IPA]

I was told to use Jobes Organic vegetable and tomato fertilizer or any organic Tomato fertilizer but I don't see how that could be any better than what @Gordo33 is using.

 

[Lisak1]

I've used the Aquascape tablets, the Highland Rim tablets, and tomato spikes - same results with all three. Next year I'm going use the Aquascape once a year fertilizer - repot everything and give them a good dose of fertilizer in the spring. We used it the first year - that was the only time we noticed a real difference. Flowers were the same but the pads were much thicker and greener. It's granular though, so it's tough to use unless you are repotting, I think.

 

[IPA]

I found a hollow plastic spike with a cap and small holes. It had fertilizer in it that I sprinkled in my garden and replaced it with the Jobes.

 

[MoonShadows]

I purchased Aquascape® Pond Plant Fertilizer 10-14-8

 

[EricV]

I've used the Aquascape tablets, the Highland Rim tablets, and tomato spikes - same results with all three. Next year I'm going use the Aquascape once a year fertilizer - repot everything and give them a good dose of fertilizer in the spring. We used it the first year - that was the only time we noticed a real difference. Flowers were the same but the pads were much thicker and greener. It's granular though, so it's tough to use unless you are repotting, I think.

I think what they recommend with the granular stuff if you are not repotting is to wrap it up (coffee filter, as I said in this thread or another) and push it into the soil. But for sure easier if you are repotting.

I picked up a small bucket of that stuff at their fall sale last year. Will last a while, for sure.

 

[Lisak1]

I picked up a small bucket of that stuff at their fall sale last year

That's my plan for this year - maybe I will see you there! haha!