Fertilizer types

[MajorDan]

Mine start slowing down in September, I usually groom for winter in october. Depends on if we have a hot fall or cold. By Nov they are all groomed and fed, moved deep for the winter.

Good to know. Since this is my first winter please explain what “ groomed and feed” means. Does this also apply to pickerel rush? I have three pots of them and they are huge. Starting to worry about what I need to change for this winter. I am in 7b but have had winter weather more like zone 6.

 

[addy1]

Groom = cut all the stems, leaves off the tuber. I do leave the tiny leaves and stems, i.e. the ones just growing.
Feed = I lift the plant and litter, pour around 1/4 cup of osmocote in the pan, put the lily back down. Some need added litter, so I will pour some on the top of the plant.

I do nothing for the pickerel rush. The only plants in my pond fed are the lilies. Everything else only gets groomed dead stuff cut off, lily leaves removed, lotus dead stuff removed. In the spring I take a rake to the bog, remove all the stuff dead from the winter.

 

[Ronfire]

I have lillys in a 28" pond with pea gravel in the bottom and water feed below the gravel like a bog filter . I was hoping the lillys would grow like crazy, it has been only runnng around 2 months and the lillys are doing ok but no flowers. I was thinking of fertilizing them next spring but am concerned that the water feed will just flush out the fertilizer into the pond. I have read some use tomato fertilizer spikes.

 

[addy1]

The osmocote is a time feed, little pellets, quite often I still find some still there when I groom for the next year. I don't think it dissolves that fast. Wrap it in a paper towel, keeps it contained. I used to do that with my lotus. Years ago, now they just get dirty water from the pond and they bloom like crazy.