Albert Greenberg water lilies
pond before tidying up
pond after tidying up
On Wednesday I went to tidy up the plants in a clients pond, remember the pond where I installed water lilies at the end of January this year? I started at 0725 am and finished at 12.00 noon. It was hot work. I had fertilized them a month ago and I was amazed at the size of the flowers and leaves. I took out 8 medium sized garbage bags of spent plant material. These plants will need fertilizing in another 2 to 3 weeks or so hopefully longer for my back's sake LOL.you may like to visit this page
Oh, that pond is gorgeous! I so wish that I could get the named water lilies over here in Yucatan that you grow on the island. My pond has turned pure green in the heat and sun and nothing seems to get it clear. I have 3 lilies that are surviving but not doing well. sigh.
ReplyDeleteI was told not to bother with lotus that it didn't do well in the tropics but I see a gorgeous one in that pond. What do you say about them? Is there a type that is better suited for the tropics?
Jonna you may have a pH problem if your pond is made out of concrete. Yes the heat does bring along more problems like algae however if the pH is out of whack your lilies will not do well. Lotus is a tropical plant and they need heat to thrive in so they will do well where you are unless you are on the beach. How deep is your pond? A depth of 18 to 24 inches is great for water lilies. Lotus need shallow water to thrive. Water lilies as well as lotus need to be fertilized every 4 to 6 weeks with specially made tablets that are pushed down into the pot. Water lilies need to be planted in clay soil while lotus can grow in sandy loam. They all need to be planted in full sun to thrive. Please let know some more about your pond conditions like depth and material it is made out of.
ReplyDeleteHelen, I had no idea a pond was such hard work!!
ReplyDeleteI love to see them but with small kids I think it's not for me, the lilies are beautiful.
Yes, the PH is pretty high, around 9 the last time I tested it. My test doesn't go much higher so it could be even be worse. It is a concrete pond, about 2 feet deep. I tried to cure it a little when it was new. I put muriatic acid in it until the PH came down to 5 or 6 and then kept adding more every day to keep it there for a week or two. Then I emptied it, rinsed it and refilled it. The water from the well is around 8 so everything here on this limestone peninsula has a high ph. We are not on the ocean, about 30 km inland.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that when it cools off and the sun moves closer to the horizon (and behind a tree more) I will get a handle on all the algae. It's a new pond, I put the fish and plants in it in Feb.
I'm driving to the US next week for a month and I may try and bring some more water lilies back, even a lotus if I can find a tuber that will survive the trip.
Jonna, you may need to empty the pond let it thoroughly dry out and seal it with an acrylic pool paint. Why acrylic? I have done this before and have used rubberized paint as well. The problem with the rubberized paint is that the concrete never thoroughly dries out, thus leaving damp areas. When rubberized paint is applied, there are bubbles where the damp areas are. With acrylic I have not noticed this as much. That is the only solution for sealing a concrete pond that has had water where the pH will not stabilize. I have also used sodium bisulfate to lower the pH, Muriatic acid does not have buffers so it does not keep the pH down for a long period. The sodium bisulfate has buffers however that can also affect the lilies giving them a reddish tint to the leaves. Also try not to scrub/clean a concrete pond of algae this will disturb the concrete surface thus encouraging more leaching. Sometimes the algae on the sides of a pond creates a natural protection for the concrete and the pond water. find some Large garden tub planter without holes to store the water lilies and fish in if you decide to empty the pond. I have a similar job to do with an existing clients pond. I have tried every thing to lower the pH but nothing is working. So the next step is sealing the concrete of a very old pond. Hope this is helpful to you. If you need some names of where you can order lilies in the USA send me an email.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful water lilies and waterfall, you client is so lucky to have you working on their garden.
ReplyDeleteHelen hi,
ReplyDeleteI saw you mentioned acrylic pool paint for a concrete pond, I recently bought some concrete plant pots, and realised that they soak in all the water from the soil that's in it and leaves the plant very dry in no time, do you recommend that I use a similar treatment on the pots?
Thanks! Raquel
Raquel, If the pots are already planted up and not already painted on the outside you can try painting them with the acrylic pool paint. That will surely stop any water loss however you must have adequate drain holes. If they empty you prefer the unpainted look I would use Thompsons water sealer both inside and outside. You can then go on to paint the outside with a wash, it will still allow the pot to breathe. I also use the Thompsons to seal some of my clay pots to prevent them from drying out too much and if am using them for a water feature.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Helen, actually I have just one of five planted, so I will go ahead and get the Thompson;s water sealer and treat both in and out.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rest of your weekend!
That pond is so beautiful and peaceful looking. I would love to make a ceramic impression of some of the leaves in that pond garden. Your landscape art is really beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you Karrita, you garden art is exceptional and you make me want to restart my pottery classes.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous pond and although your job sounds strenuous, what a beautiful place to HAVE to work!
ReplyDeleteThats simply gorgeous, Helen! You make me want a lily pond right now!
ReplyDeleteJean it is a beautiful place to work good thing am ding this once a month until the landscaper hand over the gardens to his client.
ReplyDeleteSunita lily ponds are beautiful and they can be a lot of work or headache when the balance is not right. Am very happy to have you drop by.