Where [in the pond] do you place your lilies?

[j.w]

I have mine anchored down to the bottom of holy pots, 2nd yr and still waiting for blooms. If they don't perform this year it is back to pots w/medium and fert.

 

[tbendl]

I have mine in the kitty litter. I didn't add any fertilizer. I'm afraid that if I do it will green out my pond again.

 

[j.w]

@tbendl so do your lilies bloom a lot w/no fert or are you still waiting to see?

 

[tbendl]

No I haven't had any blooms. Not on my lilies or my hyacinth or my iris last year, although it was like late July or August when I actually got the pond up and running but still.. I WANT BLOOMS... I'm sure it's one of those wait for them to mature things. Although, side note, I did have 1 of my water hyacinths survive the winter. I'd love to get more of those.
But no, no blooming blooms.

 

[j.w]

You might have to add fertilizer tabs T. I have added them to mine in the past w/no green results and I have lots of fish in my pond too that produce fertilizer. When I added the fert I got blooms.

W/fert:

W/O fert:

 

[tbendl]

Oh wow, like those fertilizer spikes or the stuff Addy puts in hers? I didn't add any because I was afraid of the green water this spring. Maybe I'll have to pull them up and add some then.

 

[j.w]

I've added the spikes, and tabs, and Osmocote (veggie kind), compost (high quality, not stinky).
For years I used this recipe someone gave me and they bloomed like crazy. Now I am trying to be lazy and take the easy way but it does not seem to be working for me.

WATER LILY FERTILIZER RECIPE

Use pots w/o holes (or you can line pots w/ black plastic garbage bags) and throw in about a half cup of Osmocote Pellets (Veggie Formula) per 18" pot on the bottom of the pot before adding the soil. Osmocote will last for about 4 months. She used composted cow manure for her soil. She said it was the next best thing to natural pond muck. She also stuck a walnut sized wad of plain steel wool on the bottom of the pot. She said it kept the lily from getting chloritic (yellowing from lack of iron). She also mixed in Mosquito Quick Kill Granules into the compost to inoculate the soil w/BT to kill caterpillars that try to eat the pads. When mixed into the soil it seems to "time release" and last all Summer. She mulched the top of her containers w/ pea gravel and if in w/ koi she used bigger rocks or broken flagstone fitted together like a puzzle to keep them from digging around. She said keep the rocks away from the crown so as to allow the plant to grow.
P.S one word of caution: Compost should smell like high quality compost and not cow poop! It should not be moldy,stinky or nasty in any way.
I tried her recipe for several years and I got wayyyyyyyyyyyy too many blooming lilies that covered my whole pond! So if you have the room give it a try.
I had mine planted about 18" deep and in full sun all day long.

 

[tbendl]

That's what it was, Osmocote. I also have the spikes but hadn't tried them. I guess if I don't get blooms this summer I'll consider the manure but maybe I'll try spikes first (I'm lazy too).

 

[addy1]

I just use the osmocote, works great and lots of blooms. Tomato spikes also work well, so I hear, never have tried them

 

[CountryEscape]

I got osmocote in small 2 oz bags for 10 cents each last year two different times at Menards! I think I have about 40 of those little bags now, so no excuse to not fertilize my lilies this year. Going to pull them all this weekend and freshen up the soil, and give them some fertilizer, and drop them back in. Have two friends building small ponds this year, and they will both want a lily, so will repot a couple that I think I know what color they are. LOL
That recipe from your friend, JW, sounds really interesting, especially the steel wool part and the stuff to keep the bugs away. I haven't noticed any yellow leaves or bugs, though. Only yellow leaves are the old ones that are getting ready to die ... or that's what I always thought they were turning yellow from.

 

[DrCase]

DrCase you have your lillies free floating? Do you get blooms and a lot of lily pads? I like that idea.

It grows like crazy, it started out in a pot a long time ago,but grew out of and over it
Maybe I should have divided it but I never have , it's just a giant root wad with no dirt.
So if it's happy and I still don't have to do anything I'm happy too

 

[j.w]

So it sounds like once the lily gets way huge it will bloom. Maybe I will hold out for a longer try.

 

[slakker]

On a shelf for me, but easy enough to reach in a feed and prune.

 

[CountryEscape]

Slakker has a good point ... if you don't plan to go into your pond to prune and fertilize your lilies, keep them close to the edge where you have access to them. I always enjoy going into the water when it's time to prune. Seems like it's in late July, early August, and the water is very warm, and I'm in need for a cool down from hot humid weather.