Water Gardening
Q
. My lily pads are turning yellow then dying off. What’s wrong?A.
Probably nothing. It’s very normal during the growth season for lilies to constantly lose old leaves and grow new ones. The old ones turn yellow as they die back. It’s best to cut them off and allow the plant’s energy to focus on the new growth and blooms. As the season plays out you’ll notice more pads dying back and less pads growing back.Q
. My hyacinths look “moth-eaten” with dark spots and holes. How can I stop this?A.
Sounds like a bug problem. Pull the hyacinths and any other plants with tiny holes on the leaves and place them in a “plant hospital” far away from the pond. Sprinkle with seven dust and let stand for a couple of days. Rinse well before placing the plants back into the pond.Q
. How do I stop the fish from eating my plants?A.
You don’t. If they are hyacinths it may not be too expensive to simply restock as the season progresses. If it’s a more expensive water lily or bog plant try keeping 2 sets of plants that are rotated when the fish do a number on the ones in the pond. Keep the “recuperating” plants in a separate smaller pond or holding tank.Q
. The leaves of my bog plants are starting to turn brown at the tips. What can I do?A.
Again, this may be something that is related to the season. If it’s not an iron deficiency or simply needing fertilizer you may be experiencing natural “dying back” for the season. I try to keep the brown ends snipped off.Q
. Should I re-pot my umbrella palm? It’s splitting the pot.A.
By all means! If you desire one larger plant cut off the existing pot then place in a larger pot. If you would like to split the plant it can be done easily on most marginals by cutting the roots in half and separating them into smaller plants. You would divide them just as you would land plants.Q
. What type of soil should I use on water plants?A.
Use a mixture of heavy clay and sand. If you have a lake or stream nearby borrow some soil from the bottom. Do not use potting soil because it floats.Q
. Do I have to use soil in my clean pond?A.
Absolutely not. Potting media, such as coconut shell, is available and contains no soil. Small rocks and gravel can be used except it will make the pot very heavy.Q
. Why is my anacharis falling apart instead of growing?A.
Anacharis does not like still waters. It loves to be in an underwater current. Try placing it where the pump or bottom drain can pull water through it or in the waterfall area.Q
. The pads and flowers on my water lily are much smaller than when I purchased them at your store? What’s wrong?A.
It could be a couple of things. How deep is the lily? Hardy waterlilies do their best in deeper water. If the lily is on a plant shelf, lower it! It may also be that the lily needs fertilizer. We like to use 2 Pondtabbs per lily per month during growing season.Q
. Can I place my lotus deeper than 2 feet?A.
Last year I would have said, “no”. This year I say “yes” with hesitation. One of my lotuses in the waterlily pond fell down to the 5-feet section of the pond and I was unable to reach it to pull it back up. Tiny leaves reached the surface of the pond within a week or two and now it is growing and blooming quite well. It did, however, take longer for the plant to start producing blooms and it fell into 5 feet of clear water where the sun could get to it while it was underwater.Q
. Can I winter hyacinths and water lettuce inside the house?A.
Not really. They don’t make good house plants. The water gets stale and icky. Plus the plants get spindly and unattractive during the winter months. Unless you have a greenhouse I would not go to the trouble. If you do have a greenhouse I would think twice about using that space for a plant that is as inexpensive as water hyacinths and water lettuce. The space would much better be utilized by a beautiful tropical waterlilyFrom the Pond-A-Thon Edition of What's Up, Doc?, July / Aug / Sept 2001 / © 2001, The Pond Doc's Water Garden Center. All rights Reserved. Reproduction of this article prohibited without prior consent of The Pond Doc.
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