Watter lilly fertilize

[Ronfire]

I have a top pond that has 10"-12" of pea gravel below 28" of water. I have this setup like a bog filter so the water enters in below the gravel. My hope is that the water lily will grow well. I started this last July and the lily's did ok but no flower, only fake ones. I was wondering if I should fertilize them this spring with tomato spikes or should they get enough nutrition from the heavy fish load . I move about 1000-1200 gph into this pond. I also have a regular bog between the 2 ponds.

 

[Ronfire]

This is what is below the gravel in the top pond.
I could not get the photo to load in the above post

 

[Lisak1]

Lilies, in my experience, always need additional fertilizer. They like lots of fertilizer. Some years I've used a slow release type that I can do just once when I re-pot them in the spring. If I use the tomato or aquatic spikes, I find they need feeding every two or three weeks to keep blooming.

 

[Tula]

I agree, lilies need additional fertilizer. I keep mine in pots.....mostly oil pans from Walmart. I put in some clay kitty litter, then about 1/4 cup of Osamacote, mix it up a little, add the lily , then top off with more clay kitty litter. I learned this from @addy1 , who has beautiful lilies.

 

[addy1]

I agree, lilies need additional fertilizer. I keep mine in pots.....mostly oil pans from Walmart. I put in some clay kitty litter, then about 1/4 cup of Osamacote, mix it up a little, add the lily , then top off with more clay kitty litter. I learned this from @addy1 , who has beautiful lilies.

Usually doing that I don't need to feed the entire summer. My lilies get 1/4 cup tossed in the bottom of the pan under the litter and plant, unless I am doing all new clay, which does not happen very often now.

 

[Tula]

Usually doing that I don't need to feed the entire summer. My lilies get 1/4 cup tossed in the bottom of the pan under the litter and plant, unless I am doing all new clay, which does not happen very often now.

I did all new litter this year.....what a mess to remove all the old litter and my lilies were in grown into the deer fencing.

 

[addy1]

what a mess to remove all the old litter

One reason I quit removing all. When the lilies get over grown, I do yank the older dead tubers, put the younger better ones in the pot, sort of shove down among all the roots of the plant. Now if the pot is full of roots. I take a sharp knife, cut off xxx amount add litter, fertilize and done. I used to use a hose to rinse off all the old litter, add new litter than figured out the plants don't really care. They grow well no matter what I do.

 

[Causeofhim]

Lilies, in my experience, always need additional fertilizer. They like lots of fertilizer. Some years I've used a slow release type that I can do just once when I re-pot them in the spring. If I use the tomato or aquatic spikes, I find they need feeding every two or three weeks to keep blooming.

What time in the spring do you repot?

 

[Causeofhim]

Usually doing that I don't need to feed the entire summer. My lilies get 1/4 cup tossed in the bottom of the pan under the litter and plant, unless I am doing all new clay, which does not happen very often now.

Can I ask what kind of clay litter you guys use? So....no soil at all?

 

[mrsclem]

Plain clay cat litter. Make sure there are no additives! Walmart carries large bags and most dollar stores have it. No soil. Getting ready to add pond tab fertilizer to mine this week. Already have buds- 3 month earlier than usual.