Hail + Lillies = swiss cheese :(

[TheNewBean]

Hello friends,

Last night Albuquerque got pummeled with golf ball sized hail stones for about 40 minutes. This completely turned my lily pads into swiss cheese. I'm wondering if i should cut back the pummeled pads to encourage new growth? Or should I just let them do their own thing?

Side note is that i have been battling green algae and the lily pads were just starting to gain good coverage and help block some of the sun. I was excited to have a bit more shade for the fish & water to help control the algae.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[GBBUDD]

I'd cut half of them back, and leave the other half so that they may still be allowed to produce Chlorophyll for the plant.

 

[Lisak1]

I'd cut them all back. Once they are damaged, they just rot. The tuber will keep producing whether there are pads at the surface or not.

 

[addy1]

My deer eaten to the tuber lilies come back just fine without leaves. Just takes a bit of time.

 

[BarbO]

How late in the season will the tubers keep putting out pads? Sorry about the pad swiss cheese!

 

[Mmathis]

How late in the season will the tubers keep putting out pads? Sorry about the pad swiss cheese!

I think that depends on where you’re located. Here, in zone 8a/b, I have repotted and trimmed as late as September into October and still had pads come up. In fact, this past winter, the “late” pads stayed and didn’t die off. We had a very mild winter!

 

[sissy]

I was wondering how long a growing season you have and if the water will stay warm enough for them to recuperate and grow back or rot .

 

[Lisak1]

I was wondering how long a growing season you have and if the water will stay warm enough for them to recuperate and grow back or rot .

Do you mean the tubers @sissy ? The tubers won't rot. They'll keep producing pads as long as the water stays warm enough. Mine sent up more pads after I cut them all back last year in October.