Water Lilies and Air Stones?

[MariaTeresa]

I have three water lilies in our pond, 'planted' last year. Early in spring before anything was growing I divided one lily (colorado) and fertilized (with fertilizer spikes) the resulting two plants along with the third lily. The one lily (a chromatella) is sending up lily pads very well. Last year the pads were variegated, this year they are mostly reddish/purple. I know the other two colorado lilies are alive because they had little lily pad shoots coming up before I moved them from the plant shelf to the bottom of the pond. Now however, over a month has passed and no lily pads have come up from those two. I'm having an algae bloom so I can't see if there are any forming or starting to come up.

I did have an aerator stone that was dropped between the two pots. (Because that is where it reached. I've since moved it up onto a planting shelf and to the side, in case this is the culprit.) I'm wondering if perhaps the disturbance in the water from the air bubbles might have negatively affected the lilies. Any ideas?

The pond temp has decreased with all the chilly weather we are having. It is back down to below 60F when it had been getting up to almost 70. Could that be the reason? Or maybe from dividing them?

 

[Tula]

I've had air stones near my lilies and they were fine. I've got two pots that haven't done anything yet this year....so who knows...guess I'll climb in and take a look.

Maybe they're slower because they were divided? Lilies are sometimes a mystery

 

[HARO]

How deep is the water where you placed the two lillies? Dividing waterlillies sets them back, as does cooler water. Add to that the stress of placing them too deep, too soon, and you COULD kill them.
John

 

[MariaTeresa]

They are about 2.5 ft deep. We've had some hot weather lately that's warmed up the pond, so perhaps that has helped. This morning they both have little lily pads almost at the surface. I'm very glad they are alive! Hopefully they will start to thrive, as they have the most beautiful flowers! I did move the air stone, just in case, and I think I'll keep it away from the lilies from now on. It might not have bothered them, but it definitely doesn't bother them now.

 

[sissy]

Just the cold water holding them back and raising them up higher to catch more sun will help .I raise mine up to about 6 inches below the water surface to get more sun .

 

[milhousebarks]

While the gentle motion of water caused by the air stone probably wasn't an issue, the air stone will create an upward current that will pull cooler water from the bottom of the pond upward. That could have kept them a bit cooler and slowed them down as well.