Water Gardening: does anyone use aquatic plant fertilizer?, 1 by darlindeb

darlindeb wrote:
I use the plant tabs starting in March and stop at the end of July. I also deadhead the old blooms. I also pick off any leaves that look blemished. This photo was taken this past weekend June 24th of 2006.

I also have found if you don't divide your lilies you can just about forget about getting any real blooms. Once the pots become over grown it's impossible to push in the tabs. I also see a big difference in lotus that are fertilized.

I do have some very rubbery livestock feeding dishes that I use to plant water lilies in. If they get pot bound I can cheat and lift the plant up and throw the tabs underneath. I also like the livestock dishes because the plants dont break them. The plants just grow up and out
instead of popping the pot.

I have been using some Aquascape Designs' Aquatic Plant Fertilizer Tabs they are10-14-8. I don't know what they cost because someone donated them to the school pond.

My experience is divide the lilies regularly and fertilize every month from March to July in my zone 6b or 7.

The pond pictured is shallow 10 to 16 inches.