A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 water lilly that do not bloom

Well, I am new to the site, but I have already found quite a lot of helpful stuff! Like many ponders this year, the string algea is driving me nuts, but I am working on it.

My question for all you ponders is this. I have 2 different lillies in my pond but for the last two seasons (and it looks like this may be the third) I have had only one bloom. Previously the same lillies did fine. My ph is 7 +/-, no nitrates, uv filtration plus a mechancal filter, clear water in spite of the string algea, happy, happy fish, sun until around 2 everyday. No one can tell me why I get no blooms. Yes I did fertlize, but a horticulturist suggested maybe I stop for a season and see what happens, that maybe they were just too happy to bloom. So far I don't see anything positive. I have split them as well. I think I have done everything except pitch them out and buy new ones. Thoughts anyone?

Only thing I can think of...has something changed where they don't get as much sun as they did before?

Is there any water spraying on them...like from a fountain?

Nothing has changed, same spot, no overspray. That is what is so frustrating about this. In fact last fall we even cut down a tree that did provide some earlier shade when the sun was low in the a.m., but now even that has been removed.

I had the same problem and once I re-potted and gave them Jobe spike fret. I was being cheap did not want to spend the bucks for pond plant fertilizers they started blooming again.

My only concern with the Jobes is the incompatibility with ponds. I think too much nitogen or phosphate in products not meant for ponds, and that will cause more string algae. But I will give the fertilizer another go. I went to my local pond store yesterday to talk about my string algae problem. They sold me a product that will kill it in about 10 days or so and not hurt my plants or fish. I also built one of Adams homemade filters to clean out the muck after it is killed off. I am using it as a prefilter before it gets into my pressure filter box. I will let everyone know how this stuff works out. I know there are a lot of problems this year with algae. Don't know why it is so bad when last year I had none. Thanks for the input.