Water Iris

[pebbleoz]

I had the blue water iris growing fabulously well in my pond. Then I decided to divide it and I foolishly (I now realise) I put individual little fronds of the iris around each pot. It's been two years and they are finally starting to grow but they are now very yellow.

I need to fertilize them but don't want to do it while they are in the pond. If I fertilize them in another pond how long before I can put them back in the main pond without them greening up the main pond? Or is there a particular fertilizer that I can use that won't green up the pond? We have had problems with string algae.
Thanks.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Most fertilizers made for aquatic plants come in the form of little tablets. If your iris are in pots, you simply use your finger to push the tablet down into the soil a couple of inches to prevent the nutrients from escaping into your pond water in any great amount.

 

[bagsmom]

I really like using the Laguna once a year fertilizer sticks!

 

[pebbleoz]

Thanks. I am a horticulturist and had no idea these things existed for aquatic plants! I found laguna sticks online and will try and match the ingredients with something similar I can get here.

 

[GBBUDD]

There's a difference between fertilizers and waste organics in the water column. When I had the planted fish tank. They have a fertilizer regiment where you would swear it would create problems. And the problem I had was the plants exploded and had to constantly cut prune and rip them out. The pond can be very similar once your balance is acquired. The plants consume the nutrients before algae has a chance to grow