feeding the lilies

While I'm at it I have another question. Has anyone developed a system to put food pellets into the root systems of water lilies? My arms aren't long enough to get down there without dunking myself in the water.

There must be a way to use a stick of some kind to push the pellets down into the pots without making a mess. I was thinking of finding a pvc pipe of the inside diameter of a pellet and having a smaller push stick inside the larger. Then push them down into the muck and pushing the smaller pipe to release the pellet. Anybody ever do anything like that? Or is there a better way?

Fred

PS my lilies are hungry.

Sounds like a good idea to me.If you wrap the fertilizer pellets in a small amount of toilet paper or other paper that will pretty much disinigrate in water the pellets would not fall out prematurely.

I usually end up with the falling in head first method, or the slippery bottom wading in which usually results with me getting the slippery wet bottom. Seriously I remove my plants to fertilize (most of them are in pots).

I have a friend that has a pretty good system. He went to Lowes and bought a metal pipe that is just a little wider than the pond tabs he uses. The pipe is several feet long. He takes the pipe and shoves it into the pot with the water lily in it. He drops the pondtab into the pipe. It goes down the pipe and into the mucky pot. Then he pulls the pipe out and the muck covers the tab. Voila!

Rylaff what a great idea and so simple!

great idea, sure beats getting wet when the water is still chilly. Thanks for the info.

This year when I repotted my plants I put them in their pot with the plastic netting on top and then on the 4 corners I tied some heavy fishing line, 112# test that my DH uses to catch paddlefish, you can't tell it is there after a few weeks because algae grows over it and I use his old time fish gig with the 12' handle to catch the string and I can take the lilies out and feed or trim dead leaves all by myself. I don't have to wait for someone to be around to baby sit me when I get in the pond, they usually don't like to wait while I fuss with the plants, trimming leaves and all that. I agree I don't like to get in the pond when it is cold either. This year I didn't have to get in the pond at all. My friend got me a swimming pool net with the oblong net on it and it works great for fishing out leaves and such. I did vacuum one time this year but that was it. I have seen the same net at WM, it will scoop lots of leaves out at one time. A few times I got so many I couldn't hardly lift it out of the water, but you don't have to worry about losing half of what is on your net like with the flat skimmer nets.

rylaff,
when your friend pushes the pipe into the pot doesn't the muck get into the pipe and stay there? I thought about doing just that but figured that the pellets would come right back up behind the mud in the pipe. That's why I thought two pipes are necessary, on to fit inside the other. Haven't done anything yet except to go into the pond to pick up and cut dead lily leaves. I also took out one of my inlet pipes to clean the algae off it. Every little bit helps to cut the waterflow down. Otherwise the pond is fine and the fish look good.

I was thinking he just used one pipe. However, let me run over there and look. Possibly I wasnt paying good attention.

Fred you have some pretty fish. A nice color selection also. Mine are getting big and some have changed color since I bought them as babies.

Silly question here. Why are you cutting the waterflow down or did I misunderstand that?

Yes,
I cleaned the input pipe as the algae was reducing the waterflow. I use a power washer. The input pipe has holes and slots in it cut by a saw. The holes stay open but the slits close up after a while from algae and cleaning them helps with the waterflow.

I thought I may have said that a bit convoluted last night, but it was late.
Fred

Now I understand completely.

Went over to my neighbors. He uses a rod that is hollow and then has a small narrow long stick. He pushes the rod into the pot, drops the tab down the rod, and then uses the stick to shove the tab further into the pot. Then he pulls the whole thing out. I am gonna do that too.

I will also give it a try sometime. I kinda like my method also because I like to pick off the dead leaves and tidy up the plant some.