The Wonders of Water Lilies

They help to keep algae growth and water temperatures down by blocking out a lot of direct sunlight with their floating leaves. These leaves also provide shelter and hiding spaces for fish and water creatures alike. Water lilies can also help keep your pond clean and clear since they absorb nutrients from the water that would typically go towards feeding undesirable algae.

Water lilies are a good choice for beginners as they are dependable and easy to plant. The flowers blossom from spring to fall and go dormant in the winter. If you’d love to try growing water lilies but don’t have your own pond (yet!), well good news–water lilies can also thrive in decorative aquatic planters which you can display anywhere in your yard.

Planting Instructions

The planting steps are the same whether you are planting in an aquatic container or directly into a pond. You must first properly plant the rhizome–the water lily “seed”–in an aquatic planter roughly 14” x 7” in size. We recommend using a fabric or burlap planter as they are flexible and porous. Look for options with rope handles to assist with lowering the plant into your pond or container.

Once you have your planter, pour in a generous amount of proper aquatic potting media. This type of soil is heavier than fluffy potting soil which would float out of the container once submerged. Clean up the rhizome before adding it to the soil by removing old leaves and thick, fleshy roots. This will allow the water lily to focus its energy on growing new roots, stems, and blooms.

Make sure to place the rhizome at a 45º angle towards the center of the planter when adding it into the soil. The cut end should be placed at the edge of the pot and deeper into the soil. The growing tip should be exposed above the soil about three quarters of an inch.

To help keep the soil from escaping the planter once submerged, add a layer of gravel or small pebbles on top, about half an inch thick. Use a darker colored gravel if you don’t want the planter to be visible from above the water.

With the gravel in place, you can now lower the aquatic planter into either your decorative container or pond. If using a decorative container, it should be filled with water before you begin lowering the planter. It is important that you lower the planter at an angle to allow air to escape. Set the base of the planter 12”-18” deep under the water’s surface. If you are placing the planter into a pond that is deeper than 18”, utilize a planting ledge or rock support to keep the planter at the correct depth.

Final Notes

Congratulations! You are now on your way to growing your very own water lilies. These aquatic plants have a ferocious appetite and will perform best if well fed, so be sure to fertilize them! You can place aquatic fertilizer pellets directly into the soil.

Water lilies will also thrive in an area that receives at least 8-10 hours of direct sun per day. If your garden does not receive this amount of sun, consider growing a shade-tolerant water lily variety. They can tolerate as little as 4 hours.

If you are new to water lilies or have limited space, start with container growing only. Water lilies will grow to be the size of the container they are in. It may become overwhelming to manage an entire pond of water lilies if you are new to the practice.  Contact us to build a beauty pond to place all those flowers!

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Steps for Pond Algae Removal

Physically Remove String Pond Algae by cutting it

This is your best method for removing string algae. Though it may seem dirty, it is essential to do before treating so you can reduce the amount of decay. Don’t remove it by hand as you don’t want to fragment it. Cutting it is a neater way to get the algae out one bit at a time.  FNC can handle this project for you as well.

Treat Water and Kill Off Remaining Pond Algae

Some sources suggest using a pond algaecide for Pond Algae Removal, but we never recommend unnatural chemicals even if the labels state they are safe for fish and plants. We stick to natural solutions for algae control and recommend a combination of Aquascape products with bacteria/enzymes to speed up the process. Normal green hair-like or carpet/blanket algae which grows on pond walls and some rocks is best left untouched and completely acceptable. Aquascape Algaecide is a product we highly recommend.

Find the Cause of the Pond Algae Growth

Look for potential causes of string algae by testing your water quality. If algae is growing at a problematic level than it is time to look beyond the algae and mat and deeper into the pond chemistry

. High pH and Phosphorous levels are the leading cause of string algae. Examples of what can cause high pH are the clearing of algae blooms, excessive plant growth, overstocking of fish, and the introduction of foreign materials (untreated concrete, rocks containing limestone or calcium/granite).

The most common cause of high phosphorous is from fertilizers that have leaked into the pond water. Iron is also a major contributor as well as grass clippings that find their way into the pond after mowing the lawn. Scoop green grass blades out immediately.

Add Extra Plants and Remove Decay

A lot of times, algae can be helped by having the proper amount of plants in your pond.  Place quick growing and reproducing plants in your pond to increase oxygen content. Make sure you take out the decaying plants first, as they will not help your fight against algae. Choose plants that will grow larger, consume a lot of nutrients, and will not require a lot of upkeep.

We recommend Water Lettuce, Irises, and Cattails for the spring and summer. You can solve many problems as a pond owner by placing plants to out-compete algae and suspend algae for excess nutrients. Just be careful to not add in any plants that already have string algae attached!

Feed Koi & Fish Less to Reduce Excess Nutrients

One of the most common errors by fish pond owners is to overfeed their fish, thus adding excess nutrient to the water. If there is any food left in the pond uneaten, you’ve fed your fish too much. By feeding less you also increase the fishes’ appetite for other substances in the pond. Like algae!

Install a dosing system or UV light.

A dosing system is like an IV for your pond– it can put algae control in your pond on a regular basis.  A UV light kills string algae.

If you can’t (or don’t want to) take care of your Pond Algae we certainly can. FNC Ponds specializes in pond algae removal as well as all other water features items in the Dallas, TX area.  Contact us to see how we can help you.

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