Pixydish: Your guess was right. Sweetflag is a marginal.
5.00 Waterlilies
Pixydish, My Sweetflag is still not growing. I have it in very shallow water. I went back to walmart at another location and bought the arc en ceil and the colorado. The roots sure did not look very good on them. The others that I bought at the other walmart had leave that were very strong on them already. The ones that I just bought had not leaves and look very little. I will have to wait and see how they do.
Pinky, I open every single box and examine the plant before I buy at Walmart, or any other 'big box' store. I've had too many disappointments buying things bareroot only to find there is NtO root! When I bought the waterlilies, I opened each one and took the one with the best tuber. The sales people look at me a little strangely, but they ask no questions. Maybe they know!
My little guy is in the plant 'hospital'. I've put him in a water tray on the heated seed bed, and under lights. Let's keep each other up-to-date. At least you didn't try to drown yours! what was I thinking?
Pixy
Pixydish, I will give you an update. That is a very good idea to take a look before I buy anything like that again. As far as to deep of water, it would not have hurt mine. I do not think it is alive. :( I will keep them outside for another week. If no sprouts they will be going back to walmart.
I'm with you, Pinky! let us know what happens. I got a SWEET deal this weekend at a local nursery that specializes in Bonsai. They have a large pond, but only for landscaping purposes. They sold me three bags of water plants, including two waterlilies (cultivar unknown, but likely a dwarf), some 'rain lily', a bunch of differents kinds of floaters and oxygenators for 10$. I felt like a kid at Christmas! Plus I got the fun of mucking around with my sleeves rolled up in the pond and the pond tanks to take what I wanted. I have no idea what most of it is because it's just leafing out, but it was extremely satisfying!
Pixydish, I bet you are very happy with your find. What a great deal! I can not wait to see all of the pictures of the beautiful ponds filled with plants. :) I hope that one of them is mine. LOL
For those of you in zone 5, are you going to leave the lilies in the pond over winter or pull them and bring them in? I bought the box with lilies, sweetflag, and what-not in it for my Dad's little pond (it was his birthday present). He put one lily in his 55-gal aquarium, so we'll see how that one does. We have sweetflag out back in the bog near our creek, so I know that is hardy here, anyway.
Thanks,
Cedar
By the way, it says to add fertilizer on the box. What do you use?
This message was edited Apr 13, 2005 6:16 PM
Cedar, I live in zone 5 and I leave my waterlilies in the pond all winter in the deepest area. I leave my one an only iris right on the ledge where it is just barely under water, also the mini cattails. Tomorrow I am going to the nearest WalMart, 30 miles to see if they have gotten any water things. It is a Super WM. DonnaS
Pixydish, Yes walmart will get them back if they do not grow. :) I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Linnea, Here in MI I sink my hardy pond lilies to the bottom of my deepest pond. I think that one is 3-1/2 foot deep. I have never lost a hardy lily that way. My lotus's do not live though. They have to come in during the winter.
Rutholive,
I'm not sure which walmart is closest to Tonasket, but I've been to the one in Lacey and they had alot of stuff. I also went to the one in Vancouver and they had some stuff, but not really that much.
HOpe this helps a bit.
M
PS, I'm on my way down that way again tomorrow. Going to Oregon. I 'd be willing to stop by a Walmart that's on the way and give you a call as to what they have, unless you are going for stuff other than water plants.
Thank you rutholive and pinky. Dad's pond is only a foot deep, and it does freeze solid. The fish live through it but I suspect the plants will not, so we will plan on bringing them in. Thanks for your advice, though!
It's been 2 weeks since I put my lilies in the pond. Arc en ciel and colorado......the colorado has one pad, but the arc en ciel has nothing. Should they be growing yet? It's been in the 60's and 70's here. Jenny
Pixydish,
My sweet flag is now growing. I am so happy. We took the last two lilies back to walmart. They never grew any roots or anything. Walmart exchanged them with no problem. When I got the new ones home and opend the green bags I was amazed to see that they both had leaves that grew inside the bags and nice fresh roots that were sprouting. So we picked some good roots this time. :)
Jenny, if you remove the root from the pot and it has no new roots started on them or any leaves. I would just take them back if it has been a few weeks.
Pinky,
Glad to hear it! I guess it just took awhile to get started. So far all the lilies I bought at Walmart are growing, although some are slower than others. My Arc en Ciel has some leaves but I think it isn't getting enough sun. I had lined a pot with water and planted it in clay, but the water never cleared up. I have a little swimming pool outside with all the water plants in it, and an aquarium pump putting in oxygen. That water is perfectly clear, so I think I'll move it out there. Same with the Colorade. I can feel leaves down under the water, but I think it needs more sun.
Here's my little pool. Oh how I wish I could spend all my time working on this pond until it's done! A couple of hours here and there doesn't make for quick progress!
