Topic: Water Lillies (Help)

[Anthony]

I'm having serious problems with these here water lillies I bought from B&Q again!!

Stuck them in the planting basket a couple of weeks ago at the specified depth (60 cm)......and they haven't so much as thought about sending up a pad never mind a flower. :(

I've now taken them out of the pond and put them into a tub of pond water at a planting depth of 30cm and still nothing!!  Is there anything else I could/should be doing?  Plant food, more/less sunlight, playing them music, ritual sacrifices etc etc?

Thanks

Tony

[dibberxxx]

hi Anthony , i feel quite sorry for u with your Lillie's , i used to be the same just wanted my Lillie's to grow , found the more i wanted them to grow the less they would ,i cant see u are doing any thing wrong , the only thing i can suggest is to put them in full sun in a shallow tub in pond water so the water gets nice and hot to get the Lillie's to start sending up pads and give them a good feed, if that fails if u pm me with your address i will send u one of my Lillie's out of my pond which has pads on and my even have flowers on lets me know how u get on and good luck

[Margaret]

Hi Tony.Did anyone ever tell you when you were a child, that patience is a virtue ? Us fish keepers have to learn this very quickly ,though it is not easy in practice.I have potted up lilies for years,with fresh compost in nice large pots,and placed them at the correct depth,just like you.Then stood back and waited? and waited? ::)

 Nothing.Maybe a small leaf or two, attempting to get to the top,but that is all.Each year the situation improved but usually i only got leaves,rarely flowers.This went on for several years,with the lily baskets on shelves and buckets etc.Each winter i put them on to the bottom of the pond.Then 2 years ago,by accident i left one on the bottom come the spring.Result? It shot up to the top with lots of leaves. ???

By now most of the pots were all lily,no soil and the pot misshapen.So that got me thinking.I put the majority of the lilies on the bottom also,and they went mad.Last year they were better and this year i am having to make room for the fish to swim in between the leaves.Already i have at least one flower out or forming on every single lily.So take heart.It will take quite some time for them to grow,fill out and finally flower but i would most definitely put them on the bottom of the pond now,and then just totally forget about them. :D

[Deleted]

Thanks for this - I'm also needing advice on Lilies, same as you Anthony. It's been 2 years now and mine are pathetic specimens. After nothing much happening this time last year I did put mine right down the bottom. Result? Some very tiny pads, and but stalks on them like spagehetti gone beserk - like I'd chucked 10 ft balls of string in the water that just happened to have 2inch leaves at the end. Roughly, pond is in shade start and end of the day and sun middle of the day.

[WASSISNAME]

My advice for what it is worth, Forget B&Q. go to a Water Garden Centre for your plants, there should be some near you in Manchester, the nearest I can think of is Stapeley's at Nantwich, I was there last weekend and they have some good plants for sale ( no I don't work for them ) If you go there and want an overnight stop PM me for a decent place to stay

[WASSISNAME]

Anthony,
Further to my last, I have been doing a bit of digging and find that you have a World of Water Centre in Manchester. It is a good company and they have centres throughout the U.K.
The address is
Thorley Lane, Nr. Timperley
Altrinham, Cheshire. WA15 7DS
Tel: 0161 903 9944

[Margaret]

You wait till they get like this Tony.Though they look nice i am having to pull out any leaf the minute it starts going yellow,and the flowers when they fade or the fish won't have a spare inch of water to see/swim through.



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[Deleted]

Envious. Mine are still teeny leaves, and no flowers. 

[tricia]

Hey Margaret!  :)when I saw your lily photo for a moment I thought it was a photo I had taken! ;D Mine was a gift from a contributor to another forum. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell me it's name. Do you, by any chance, know the name of yours Margaret? because I'm certain it's the same as mine.  Very pale pink out side leaves paling to a creamy white with a large yellow centre. The leaves vary in size considerably. Before the flood disaster the leaves were bigger than dinner plates, but the new leaves are smaller than tea plates! It is flowering well though, so with all the new oxygenating plants and a new floating plant which is in the mail to me as I write - a primrose willow - my eleven fish should feel quite happy with the cosseting they get  ;D

You can see my water lily here among other photos of my little garden:

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/thumbnails.html?c_album=1511559

I now have only 4 fry as the tinest one got caught in the filter. :( I'm feeding them every day and am watching the ammonia levels every few days. They are so cute. I'll probably keep them indoors till next Spring when they will have a better chance of survival among the bigger fish.

Tricia

[Margaret]

Hi Tricia.It is called Nymphaea Marliacea Rosea.As the plant matures the pink is more pronounced,and deeper in colour.Not a plant for a small pond! I can vouch for that!

I am glad to hear that you and your fish are recovering from that awful experience.And that the little tank ones are ok.They will give you much pleasure through till next spring.

Love your photos,they are very nice.You must have worked hard.

[barrowbob]

Margaret,  I have one of these,  its about 5-6 years old and has done really well until this year and it seemed to be doing nothing so I re-potted it and its back to its former glory.  I wondered if I could take a piece of the root - its looks a bit like a rhizome - and pot it up to propagate a new one.   ???

[Deleted]

barrowbob

my mum supplied half the nighbourhoosd with water lillies like this - just cutting of sections of rhizome and potting up.

Dawn

[barrowbob]

Thanks Dawn, my fear wasn't so much not being able to propagate, but damaging the original plant. So nothing ventured.  :)

[Margaret]

Blimey,I wish half my neighbourhood wanted the fish,never mind the water lilies.I can't give them away................. anyone live in South Lincolnshire want some freebies.....???

[pdmdave]

I dont know if it's any use but I have three lillies in my pond and all  have thrown up many leaves large and small and all have flowered too.
I am very surprised to say the least.
The plants were bought online at a cost of £4.50 the lot!
one white
one pale pink
one red(nice ruby red)
the pond is alongside a hig h wall and has bamboo growing next to it at one end. Its in its second year and i have yet to clean it out. I do clear the fallen leaves regularly though. Its sods law I reckon. Often I find to break all the rules pays. Its my first attempt at growing lillies too. They are lovely flowers and the leaf form is just perfect in a pond

The pond is almost fully shaded all day except for shafts of sunlight am and pm.
The fish are common golfish in their second year and are growing very well indeed. They cost £4.00 for ten at the local petshop. Nothing special by any means but they do give a nice dash of colour.
 I dont spoil any of my plants and the garden is a treat to see, especially since I got rid of the lawn. ( another story) I prune at the wrong times , feed late,  but i have been a keen gardener for over 40 years now. Maybe its just instinct
but i generally do things when i can and not to any calendar. Chuck them to the bottom of the pond and forget about them.

one day you might get a nice surprise
I hope you do ...
regards
dave

[Anthony]

Cheers Dave,

I guess Margaret hit the nail on the head when she said about me being impatient!!!  However, I am pleased to say that since my initial post one of the Lillies has sent up a few leaves and is looking fairly healthy.  - I still haven't had any flowers yet but after bad experience in my previous 2 years with lillies I'm happy with what I've got at present.