diy lilly pad snippers

[dieselplower]

Wow holy cow 4 to 6 a month ok I'll try it!

 

[Lisak1]

Wow holy cow 4 to 6 a month ok I'll try it!

To clarify... those all go in at one time. When I re-read it, that sounded like maybe I fertilize multiple times per month - nope, too lazy for that!

 

[addy1]

I do the osmocote at the beginning of the season, then maybe a tab or two a month, maybe, most of the time not. The osmocote keeps them blooming great.

 

[markd]

Hi Addy-

Which variety of osmocote do you use?

Thanks

Markd

 

[j.w]

Not sure it really matters that much which kind of Osmocote but I've used 14-14-14 flower and veggie kind in the past.
Here is a recipe I got from someone long ago:

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.

 

[addy1]

Hi Addy-

Which variety of osmocote do you use?

Thanks

Markd

I have used what I can find here, which varies, veggie, tomato. I sort of just pour the pellets in don't really measure them.

Nice instructions jw!

 

[markd]

I have used what I can find here, which varies, veggie, tomato. I sort of just pour the pellets in don't really measure them.

Hmmmm, Sounds HIGHLY scientific! ;-)

 

[addy1]

Hmmmm, Sounds HIGHLY scientific! ;-)

very, sort of like I cook..............that looks about right. Always seem to turn out ok lol

 

[msgsfc1006]

My lilies are planted directly into the bottom of our mud pond. Thin them out by getting in with waders. One good yank does the job. I haven't had to fertilize. I believe the koi do a great job of that. The pond is 5 years old and doing very well. Fish are vibrant and some are "very" large. If anyone has tips on mud ponds, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[snoozer]

Addy, do you repot your lilies every year? I have been doing mine every other year but I am also in the pond once a month fertilizing them. I kind of like the idea of feading once and then grooming every couple of weeks. Makes it much easier.

 

[slakker]

I just use one of these... with a bit of care and clear water, it works pretty good....

http://www2.fiskars.com/Gardening-a...ng-handle-Swivel-Grass-Shears-36#.U13epV7XomQ

 

[addy1]

Addy, do you repot your lilies every year? I have been doing mine every other year but I am also in the pond once a month fertilizing them. I kind of like the idea of feading once and then grooming every couple of weeks. Makes it much easier.

No I have not repotted for two years, they were huge, long tubers stretching out, I find they bloom better with repotting and starting over. I do them every other year, or if they did not grow well I might wait another year, like this summer may be slow growth since we are still so cool. I tend to groom and every now and then stick a tab in as I groom. I have around 12 tubers in the big pond, 6 in the stock tank, 1-2 in the small preforms, a bunch of lilies to mess with. Keep thinking of decreasing the amount but never do. Sure do love the blooms they give.
I have a out of the pond groomer, to snip the dead leaves, but they are so crowded, just does not work well. My water is clear enough to see them well, but hard to back track the one you are trying to cut. The flowers do that twist and sink which makes them hard to find. I find wading is the easiest way to groom them, for me.

 

[snoozer]

I wade in too. Mine are all potted in 10" hanging basket pots. I put the hooks on so I can lift them up to fertilize easier. The hooks also help when the water chills you through your waders. I hook them on the swimming pool net to move them for spring cleaning. I divided them last fall and have 60 pots now. Needless to say some will need to find a new home or i won't be able to see the fish through the leaves.

 

[addy1]

I wade in too. Mine are all potted in 10" hanging basket pots. I put the hooks on so I can lift them up to fertilize easier. The hooks also help when the water chills you through your waders. I hook them on the swimming pool net to move them for spring cleaning. I divided them last fall and have 60 pots now. Needless to say some will need to find a new home or i won't be able to see the fish through the leaves.

They do multiply!