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Post by snowowl on Jul 12, 2007 14:05:08 GMT
sorry if this has been asked before but i have 2 water lillies in my wildlife pond that are 4 to 5 years old .One has never flowerd but grows plenty of leaves the other flowerd last year for the first time but no buds this year.
I went to B&Q this year and bought a new one and that is flowering.
Can anyone tell me how to get them to flower?
Thanks.
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Post by madonplants on Jul 12, 2007 15:26:09 GMT
Planting too deep or not enough sun is normally the reasons for them not to flower. Lilies that are 4/5 years old could do with splitting, which may encourage them to flower if planted at the right depth and has a sunny site. Which varieties are they and how deep is your water?
Keith
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Post by snowowl on Jul 12, 2007 16:52:51 GMT
Hi madonplants i cant remember the names as i have had them a while.
The one thats never flowerd is a small leaf one and the one that flowerd last year is a larger leaf that sits at the bottom of the pond which is a shop bought plastic one.
I would say the water depth is about two and a half feet. the pond is in full sun with no water disturbance as i read that water lillies dont like that.
When would be a good time to split them if i am to do that would you say?
There are no fish in the pond its just for wildlife if that any help.
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Post by madonplants on Jul 12, 2007 17:36:06 GMT
Hi madonplants i cant remember the names as i have had them a while. The one thats never flowerd is a small leaf one and the one that flowerd last year is a larger leaf that sits at the bottom of the pond which is a shop bought plastic one. I would say the water depth is about two and a half feet. the pond is in full sun with no water disturbance as i read that water lillies dont like that. When would be a good time to split them if i am to do that would you say? There are no fish in the pond its just for wildlife if that any help. March/April is the best time and that is when I normally do it, but did it once in August, with not too many problems, but spring is best. What depth is the one with small leaves at? On either of them, are the leaves growing 'out' of the water, as this is a sure sign they need splitting? Yes lilies don't like disturbance, especially being splashed on. Keith |
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Post by snowowl on Jul 12, 2007 19:49:16 GMT
Hi Kieth the smaller leaf one is sitting on one of the shelves so the depth would be about 10".
None of the leaves on any are growing out of the water just floating flat on the surface.
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Post by dirtyboots on Jul 13, 2007 7:29:40 GMT
Good morning snowowl, Just wondering if you have any pics of your pond?
The water lilies that I put in in the spring are doing ok, 5 in all. 2 Col Welch,1 Escarboucle and 2 cheap pink ones (not sure of the names!) 1 of the pinks is flowering and the Escarboucle. ;D
I read later that Col Welch is a bit of a thug but he is still well behaved at the moment ;D
None of them have many leaves showing, I thought I'd get loads of green before the flowers.
When you say that one is sitting on the bottom of the pond do you mean in a basket?
I have looked in my pond book and it says big water lillies are best allowed to roam free on the pond floor! (what if like me you have a plastic liner?)
Mine are all in baskets in aquatic compost, how about yours?
db
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Post by madonplants on Jul 13, 2007 8:48:59 GMT
Hi Kieth the smaller leaf one is sitting on one of the shelves so the depth would be about 10". None of the leaves on any are growing out of the water just floating flat on the surface. Sounds like they are either too deep or not getting enough light, as mentioned before. Could you raise the bigger one off the bottom a bit. Maybe on engineering bricks or an upturned pot? Are (if you have any) the irises flowering OK? If the lilies are in pots, you could try, as a last resort, pushing in a 'lily' fertiliser sachet, into the pot, near the lily corm? I have never used them, but I know some do. Don't used a liquid feed, as that will just feed any algae present as well. DB, lilies throw up small leaves to start with, to start the photosynthesis, then the flowers and bigger leaves come afterwards. Did you lower them down as the books will say or do like me, just put them straight down and let them get on with it? If you did like me it will take a while longer, but in my view less hassle!! As long as they are in the right depth of water, they will be fine! I have two lilies in my fish pond and one brought up the big leaves before it started flowering, but the other one flowered after only a few leaves were brought up. Keith Keith |
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Post by dirtyboots on Jul 13, 2007 9:27:18 GMT
Thanks Keith, I just put them straight in and let them get on with it .
Just noticed this morning that the water hawthorn is showing signs of life !
db
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Post by madonplants on Jul 13, 2007 9:47:38 GMT
Thanks Keith, I just put them straight in and let them get on with it . Just noticed this morning that the water hawthorn is showing signs of life !db Great, soon be time for more photos. It will be nice to see all those lilies blooming on your lake! ;D I'm cracking up I think. Put Keith twice in my last post!!! Keith |
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Post by dirtyboots on Jul 13, 2007 12:23:18 GMT
At least you know who you are Keith ;D
db
Will try to take some pics today
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Post by snowowl on Jul 14, 2007 17:16:26 GMT
Hi DB and Keith this is a pic of my pond the best i can do it is only a puddle compared to yours DB. B  ut you can see the water lillies in question. |
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Post by madonplants on Jul 14, 2007 22:19:41 GMT
They don't look 100% happy, do they? Have you ever used an algae/blanketweed killer in the pond or weedkiller nearby on the garden? Longshot, but have to ask! Have you ever done a water change?
Keith
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Post by snowowl on Jul 15, 2007 10:44:03 GMT
Hi Kieth no i havent used any blanket weed or any other killer in the pond or used any chemicals near the pond i try to be as wildlife freindly as i can.
As for water change no i havent don that either the pond is only 12 months old how often should i be doing this? thanks.
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Post by madonplants on Jul 15, 2007 21:25:22 GMT
Hi Kieth no i havent used any blanket weed or any other killer in the pond or used any chemicals near the pond i try to be as wildlife freindly as i can. As for water change no i havent don that either the pond is only 12 months old how often should i be doing this? thanks. You say the pond is only 12 months old, but the lilies are 4/5 years old, where were they before? Have they been put back at the same depth and were they off shoots from a larger lily? I wouldn't think you need a water change yet! As I thought you had the pond going for 4/5 years, you might have needed a little change and the silt cleaned up a bit. Do you know, it's taken me 90 minutes to write this! I got to 'I wouldn't think' when eldest son, wanted to look for a moth he saw at school the other day and was wanting to find it before going to bed, then my mum phoned and then I remembered I had to respray a wasps nest for hopefully the last time!! The thing is, my sons both have computers linked to the internet, but he chose to pressgang his Dads just before bedtime, typical!!  Keith |
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Post by snowowl on Jul 16, 2007 11:16:56 GMT
Hi Keith thank goodness my kids are past that age both are moved out and have their own computers. I had the water lillies in a large platic pot i bought from the garden centre they never flowerd in their so we saw this bargain in GC on this small pond. I didnt realy want any fish i have enough of them indoors i just wanted it to atract wildlife. I would say they are planted in baskets at a slightly deeper depth now. I bought a new one this year from B&Q which as 1 bud on it so what is wrong with the other 2 i dont know perhaps they were never ment to flower  |
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Post by madonplants on Jul 16, 2007 12:20:12 GMT
TBH, I would give them until next year and if they haven't flowered by then replace them. The wildlife won't mind them not flowering!!!  How much sun do they get, on average and which way does the pond face? I know I have never used them, but maybe try some fertiliser tablets to see if that helps. I hate chucking out anything, ask the wife, and if it does the trick well why not!! ;D I have only ever had trouble with one lily and it was a bare rooted Attraction. Twice I bought one and twice they rotted off!! I found in a magazine that Attraction hates being sold bare rooted, as it mustn't dry out even for a second. I thought I brought it home quicker enough, but eventually the aquatic dealer, agreed with the article and sold me another one, different variety, in a pot (for the same price as a bare rooted one ;D) and that one romped away! I have had Attraction since, but as a potted one, and had no problems. Even split it and the baby flowered no problem! Hope I have helped and let me know how this goes! Keith |
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Post by snowowl on Jul 16, 2007 14:34:39 GMT
Thanks Keith you have helped me a lot .
I will maybe repot them after they die down im like you i cant throw anything away that still has a scrap of life in it.
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Post by madonplants on Jul 16, 2007 14:51:35 GMT
If you repot, do it in the spring, March/ April time, hopefully before any frogs spawn, but that is not as easy as it sounds with our climate!! When you do this in spring, put a fertiliser tablet in, just to be on the safe side. I have one somewhere, but never used it, it came free with a lily once!! G*d knows where it is though, probably had it now anyway!! ;D If it doesn't work, you know you have tried your best! Glad I have helped. Keep us informed about progress? Keith |
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Post by madonplants on Jul 17, 2007 16:33:07 GMT
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Post by snowowl on Jul 19, 2007 13:38:37 GMT
Thanks Keith it gets dafter the new one i bought from B&Q this year has flowerd. It had a red lillie on the box thats why i bought it and the flower is white  Still i suppose i shouldnt complain at least its flowerd. |
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Post by madonplants on Jul 19, 2007 14:48:03 GMT
Thanks Keith it gets dafter the new one i bought from B&Q this year has flowerd. It had a red lillie on the box thats why i bought it and the flower is white Still i suppose i shouldnt complain at least its flowerd. If you really wanted a red one, you could take it back and ask for a change to one that is red!! But then you have flowers like you say, so can't be a bad thing! Do you like the white? Anything different happening with the others, yet, like any buds forming? There is still time so don't give up, just yet!! I bought a Governor Lupin once and it flowered yellow!! It was in a blue border as well, so most upset! I think some kids must have gone around changing labels, as it was a fairly good little nursery and never had problems with them before!! Keith Keith |
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Post by snowowl on Jul 19, 2007 15:21:21 GMT
Hi Keith i will keep this one seeing has its in flower yes i do like the white ones all colours realy.
Seeing this one in flower is so nice it makes me all the more depressed that the others arnt.
There is no sign of buds on them but lots of new leaves.
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Post by dirtyboots on Jul 21, 2007 12:25:33 GMT
Just tried to get a pic of my nice pink one but its all closed up  |
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Post by snowowl on Jul 21, 2007 14:22:26 GMT
Please do so when it opens again DB i love water lillies.
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Post by madonplants on Jul 21, 2007 17:47:53 GMT
Here you are snowowl, just for you, one of mine about a month ago I think... Keith This one is N. Marliacea Rosea   I have pictures of my other one in the pond, but haven't downloaded onto PB yet!! Just checked, they must still be on my camera!!  |
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Post by dirtyboots on Jul 22, 2007 5:11:06 GMT
Oh I like that Keith, do you have the netting on because of herons?
Must try for a photo of the lillies today.
db
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Post by snowowl on Jul 22, 2007 15:25:58 GMT
They are lovely Keith thank you.How deep are yours planted would you say?How old are the one in the photo?
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Post by snowowl on Jul 22, 2007 15:48:16 GMT
This is the one that should have been red but its still pretty.  But while i was out there i took this of the leaves of the others they look like they are dying  Could there be something in the rain water they dont like? They are certainly not very happy. |
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Post by madonplants on Jul 22, 2007 17:12:35 GMT
Oh I like that Keith, do you have the netting on because of herons? Must try for a photo of the lillies today. db When we moved here last year in April, a neighbour told us we are on a heron's flightpath, as he had lost a few fish to one. We live close to the river Great Ouse! I do have a wiring system to go in, when I finish the surrounding area, so the netting was a temporary measure, but the frogs didn't mind, as I had about 6 in there this year spawning away! Whether I will be happy to be netless, I don't know!! Also whether the frogs will either.....  We will see next year, but hopefully I will have done the small wildlife pond by then!! I dug the pond to just over 31 inches and butyl lined with a high grade underlay underneath. So the depth is about 2.5ft minus the basket! The two lilies were bought last year and both flowered last year and this! Must download the other pictures of the other lily, it's still on the camera!! Keith |
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Post by madonplants on Jul 22, 2007 17:49:19 GMT
Snowowl, I wouldn't have thought it was the rain. The only way you can prove either way is to build a transparent cover over the pond! This would at least prove one way or the other, if it was the amount or type of rain causing the problem! Quite a bit of work, though, especially when the other plants look not bad! Have you brought them up to see if they are rotting? If not, I would suggest a fertiliser, specifically for lilies that you push into the soil, not just poured into the pond. I know, as mentioned before, I have never used them, but think maybe we are getting to the last resort stage! I found mine in a box of oddments, when clearing out the study, yesterday!! What it was doing there I don't know!! If you haven't solved it by next weekend, we are hopefully coming up to Nottingham to visit a SIL, next Friday for the weekend and if you want to give me your address, via PM, I could pop in and have a look, if you are not too far from where my SIL lives, that is!! It would be weird if you lived just around the corner from her, wouldn't it? ;D First though, check the lilies are not going black in the pot and if they look OK, try the fertiliser! Maybe do a little water change at the same time. Don't worry if you have to use tap water for this! Keith Edit. I forgot to put a bad picture of my other lily up.... It's called the Conqueror and when it sends up another, I will get a better picture. It obviously focused on the netting and not the flower this time!!  |
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How much sun do they get, on average and which way does the pond face? I know I have never used them, but maybe try some fertiliser tablets to see if that helps. I hate chucking out anything, ask the wife, and if it does the trick well why not!! ;D I have only ever had trouble with one lily and it was a bare rooted Attraction. Twice I bought one and twice they rotted off!! I found in a magazine that Attraction hates being sold bare rooted, as it mustn't dry out even for a second. I thought I brought it home quicker enough, but eventually the aquatic dealer, agreed with the article and sold me another one, different variety, in a pot (for the same price as a bare rooted one ;D) and that one romped away! I have had Attraction since, but as a potted one, and had no problems. Even split it and the baby flowered no problem!
