Folks in zone 7b - when do you fertilize your pond plants?

[bagsmom]

Should I wait for warmer weather? Or give them a boost now to get them going?

I can't remember! Everything has started visibly growing now and I've already fertilized all my other plants in the yard. Do we do pond plants on the same schedule?

Thanks!

 

[addy1]

I only add a bit of fertilizer to my lilies ow everything is on their own. I usually add some once the water has warmed enough for me to wade in. OW they are also on their own.

 

[mrsclem]

I do mine when I pull my lilies to divide them and set them around the pond in the spring. That will be this weekend!

 

[bagsmom]

Thank you!

 

[Tula]

I tried something different last Fall. In the past I always divided and fertilized my lilies in the Spring, then was back in the pond for the "great Koi round up" in late Sept.. In an effort get in the pond only once, I pulled all the lilies when I did the round up, then divided and fertilized them.

I'm pretty curious how they'll do without a Spring feed. It could be I'll have to get in a refertilizes them.

 

[MajorDan]

Does fertilizer that is unused by plants just stay in the water until a plant does use it? In other words, if I put some slow release fertilizer on my new bog plants won’t that dissolve and feed whatever plant can use it. I guess algae would use it too.

 

[Tula]

Does fertilizer that is unused by plants just stay in the water until a plant does use it? In other words, if I put some slow release fertilizer on my new bog plants won’t that dissolve and feed whatever plant can use it. I guess algae would use it too.

Good question. I've been kind of worried that's what will happen to the fertilizer I put in the lilies last Fall. I worked the pond tabs into the kitty litter.......hoping the lilies are pretty this year.

 

[addy1]

I have fertizlized mine in the fall, in the spring, during the summer, depends on what is happening in my life as to when they get the food. Does not seem to bother the pond at all.

 

[doobry]

isnt the water from the pond full of nutrients?
so why fertilize

 

[mrsclem]

It depends on your fish load. I never fertilize my bog, it gets nutrients from the pond water. My lilies get fertilizer so I get more blooms.

 

[addy1]

My lilies get fertilizer so I get more blooms.

I never fertilized my big pond lilies last year, just never got around to it. They did fine, not blooming as much as when fertilized but they bloomed enough. I did fertilize the hot tub lilies, they are the "special" ones ie expensive. And very easy to fertilize walk up stick arm in water push in tab. The big pond I go wading.