Helen051
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue May 29, 2018 7:31 am

Help! Water lily dying?

Hi!

I just established a water garden in a planter (ca 1.5 week ago), bought a water lily plant. For the first few days the plant's leaves were green, now they turn brown and mushy and fall into pieces when I touch it. Looks like it rots. I haven't used fertilizer,I don't have fish nor any visible pests... A few days ago I installed a pond pump, but the water lily was already dark by then. What's wrong? :(

Thank you so much!
20180529_132105.jpg
20180529_132113.jpg
20180529_133632.jpg

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

When you bought the waterlily, was it kept in a tub outside with no overhead awning/shade? or was it in a green house? Or even indoors? In my area, most garden centers have their pond plants in the green house.

So if it had been in a protected area, even waterlilies need to be hardened off — gradually acclimated and toughened to sustained direct sunlight — full direct Sunlight would sunburn/scald the leaves.

If this is what happened to your plant, then it should be OK — new leaves will grow and they will be used to the sunny location. It just got set back a little.

You should probably cut those damaged leaves off — cut Where the stem is still firm if possible — and skim them out to avoid overstraining the filter/pump with the disintegrating leaves... unless you have fish in there that will eat the detritus.

PaulF
Greener Thumb
Posts: 910
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:34 pm
Location: Brownville, Ne

My wife says to put a couple of Job Tomato Spikes in the soil in the pot. They are fairly heavy feeders and the spikes release nutrition slowly and should help.

Helen051
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue May 29, 2018 7:31 am

Thank you, applestar and PaulF!

Yes, in the store it was kept in the green house. But on my terrace it's in shade most of the day (I live in Spain and the sun can get very intense here in summer), it only gets morning sun for 3-4 hours. And the leaves didn't turn first yellow and then brown like it were sunburn, they just rot, even the stems and little new sprouts underwater... I don't know, maybe the sunburn looks like that in case of water lilies. Here's the "before" photo, taken exactly 7 days before (although I cut 2 brown leaves before taking the photo then as well):
20180523_183901.jpg
I took the plant out of water now, cut the leaves and all and replaced the whole water - I recalled that I added bio algae-blocker into the water about a week ago, according to instructions on the bottle etc. Maybe it was the case? :roll: That's what the plant looks like now.
uss3.jpg
uss2.jpg
20180529_142421.jpg
I'll try the Job Tomato Spikes and hold fingers crossed that the new sprouts grow into nice green new leaves. Will keep you updated. Thanks again!

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13962
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Be careful with the water. You want to avoid heavy chlorinated water. If the pond is new it needs to be filled and set for a few days to off gas the chlorine. Guppies will control mosquitoes. Algae eaters can help control some of the algae. Water plants still need fertilizer, but I think your plant just needed some acclimating and maybe you had too much algaecide.

Helen051
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue May 29, 2018 7:31 am

Thanks again for your advice! My water lily has 4 beautiful leaves and one new on the way, no rotting whatsoever any more. :) :) I even had enough courage to add 2 small fish, and they are thriving as well.
20180624_113441.jpg
20180624_115424 (2).jpg
Last edited by Helen051 on Sun Jun 24, 2018 6:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

:clap: Image



Return to “Water Gardening”