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Ponds & Aquatic Plants

Water lily questions?????

14 years ago

I am a newbie to ponds and especially the flowers..I was given numerous water lilies nd they are doing great...but my (dumb question) is when the flowers die(due mostly to the bugs eating them) do I leave them in pond or should I cut them off or just what...PLease help..thanks

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Comments (4)

pikecoe
14 years ago
When the blooms die after about 3 days you should break them off as close to the bottom as is possible. Also the pads when they turn yellow or before they start decomposing or start looking yucky should be pulled off also.
nkm56
14 years ago
Some pond stores and sometimes evern places like Petsmart and Petco sell a pruner that will reach down the the base of the lily for trimming. It has a "trigger" in the handle that activates the blades at the other end. Pretty neat gadget.
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Thanks sdavis and Joyce. I'm growing these in 100 gallon stocktanks, so I'd better stick to Tina. I've had that one before and it did well. I was just curious about how the shades of purple compared, and it sounds like they're very similar. Joyce.....I think I remembered seeing a lily in your lotus pond. I just have a very small lotus pond (300 gallon stocktank), but was wondering if I put a lily in there too, it would probably be too shaded. Is your's more at the edge, where it might get more sunlight?
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pondmanimal I want to grow the tiny west african dwarfs . Much too small for a pond. Pads max out at two inches. , I just happen to like aquariums as much if not more than ponds . Most WL are far too large and need very intense light. I'd always blamed past failures on light levels. Weathersby Have kept tropical lilies since 1982 . They have experienced down to 26 which is hard freeze Sure it wasn't your water depth. WL are very light demanding ,that's why the floating pads. This year all my fish were wiped out (Swordtails ) for the first time. ever . Not sure why ,only thing I see different is the duration of the cold . Set several record as it stayed below 42 for almost 4 days . 28 was the lowest I recorded but there were several back to back frosts. All the lilies were severly set back but all are recovering even the aquarium plants are recovering.except for those grown in the bog situation . They were above the water line. What kind of lilies did you have ?? Most would be hard pressed in water that deep. gary
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Hi Catherinet, I believe it might rot before it puts out any leaves. I would put it in some clay soil in a two gallon pot, submerge in your pond and see what develops. If you have fertilizer tabs, that would help and pebbles on top of the soil. Make sure your fertilizer tablets are on the bottom of the pot away from the Lily roots to prevent them from burning your roots. Best of luck to you.
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For a small pond like you describe I have found the pondmaster 190 kit (part number 2019) to be a good fit. It is a one piece pump and filter. It comes with an optional aquabell attachment that you probably won't use. I have a very small header pool on top of a stream that used to get a lot of sediment in it. I put this pump/filter in there without the attachment and it just discharges under the surface. The turbulence is minimal and it has really helped the water clarity. My $0.02: make the pond as big as you can now, you will never be sorry that it is too big. Here is a link that might be useful: Pondmaster 190
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wendyrhodes
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks so much for the info...I am in love with my pond and am now wanting a bigger one and am trying to learn all I can before I start another one!
watershaper
14 years ago
Blooms only last three days or so, and should be pulled off as everyone stated. One trick to know if they are spent or not is to squeeze the closed bloom. If they squirt water they are done, if not leave them in place. The more organic material you get out of the pond before it sinks and rots the better for your maintenance.
Also, if you do have bugs eating them you may need some type of treatment. The only bugs we get here are aphids, and Aphid X is about as good as anything in a pond treatment in my experience.

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