Water lily problem

[bonox]

I have six hardy lily pots in my pond in the upper Blue Mtns NSW, all were doing well (very few flowers, but nice pad growth which I want for fish), but now one is not producing any more new pads on stems, instead there is one tight cluster of stemless dark reddish leaves at one edge of the surface of the pot.

I first thought it must have been a weed or some other aquatic plant, but when I pulled a leaf off the cluster it looks exactly like a lily pad, so I don’t know what’s going on.

The plant has only three pads on stems, and when they cark it, I’ll just have this submerged ‘shrub’, anyone know what’s going on there?

 

[addy1]

Mine sort of do that when growing a new tuber. The tuber grows out and at the growth tip is a small amount of growth, stems, tiny reddish leaves. Then it takes off.

 

[Lisak1]

Have you divided your plants lately?

 

[bonox]

Thanks for your replies guys,

addy, that would make sense and be good news, I haven't experienced the new tuber process yet and have only seen pads appear and then head up quickly, I didn't even realise a new tuber might appear, I thought they had to be manually divided. This one I've had for a year and I purchased it already potted, so I don't know what actually lurks beneath.

lisak1, as a pond newby I haven't divided a plant yet, looks like I may have to start with this one, either divide or separate. My other lilies I planted as tubers only about 6mths ago.

cheers.

 

[Lisak1]

Yup - if it's headed out of the pot, it's probably time to divide and conquer! Good luck!