New Ponder = Bad Water Lily Care Giver

[pecan]

I started my pond last year. Went to the local hippy pond store (they live in TP's and sell pond plants LOL). I told them I wanted water lilies, they said ok and handed me 4 pots of them.

I got them home and stuck them in the pond and ignored them all summer. They did not get very big, only a few a leaves and the flowers were all white, nothing too great.

Over the winter I have been doing some research and discovered the error in my ways. I did not fertilize and they remained in 6" regular plant pots.

I took them out yesterday to repot. I put them in much larger plastic tubs I got from Wally World (about 2-3 gallon) . I am going to add some Jobes Tomato spikes once I see good growth. I bet with the replanting and the fertilizer I will notice a huge difference this year.

Ponding is a learning experience in so many ways. The good thing is the more I learn the more beautiful and healthy my pond will be.

 

[addy1]

I can send you some pink ones if you wish, just pay for the shipping, small box around 6 bucks or so, large box 11.25

I grow mine in the wally world oil pans and kitty litter.

 

[pecan]

That would be great Addy! Thanks so much. I will send you a private message.

I went to Wally World looking for their cheep oil pans and they only had 1, so I looked for kitty litter boxes and they didn't have any. So I went to the plastic storage bin area and found some black plastic containers I think made for rinsing dishes in for 1.97 each and they were the right size and shape

 

[pondlover]

Pecan those are the same things I got to plant my water lillies in. I also got the kitty litter.

Addy do you put any fertilizer in with yours?

 

[addy1]

Pecan those are the same things I got to plant my water lillies in. I also got the kitty litter.

Addy do you put any fertilizer in with yours?

I put about 1/4 cup of osmocote in the bottom of the pan, cover that with kitty litter then stick the lilies in. Some say that can cause huge algae growth, but I did not have any issues with algae. Then when I groom them later in the summer I add some lily tabs off and on, no real schedule.

 

[fishin4cars]

I used osmocote last year when replanting and no problems as well. For better growth and flowers I do recommend using lily tabs IF you can get to the pot fairly easy. Once a month is all you need and one or two tablets per feeding on a 2-5 gallon pot is a good feeding. If the pot is deep and hard to get to a once a year feeding with osmocote will still produce great plants and nice flowers as you can see in Addy's pics.

 

[pecan]

Larkin, what about Jobe's tomato spikes? are they as good as liliy tabs? I can get to my pots easily enough. They are about 18" down and I have hip waders

 

[addy1]

I just wade in, snag them with my toe until I can pull them to where I can reach them. Stick in a few tabs when I groom the lilies, every other grooming, dead leaves and flowers snipped off.