Asked By: Lucinda of Angier, NC
A: Those lily pads may provide much-needed shade and protection to your pond's underwater inhabitants, but if the plants lack those beautiful pink, peach, yellow and white flowers, that could be a sign that something's amiss.
Here, we've outlined some possible causes of your lilies' missing flowers:
- Not Enough Nutrients: Curling or yellowing of the leaves or flowers can be signs of nitrogen, iron and magnesium deficiency. Have you fertilized your lilies lately? If not, if may be time to give them a little plant food. Thrive Aquatic Plant Fertilizer Tablets slowly release nutrients for up to one month, providing your plants with what they need to flourish.
- Insufficient Light: Are your lilies getting six to eight hours of partial to full sun a day? Without that sunshine, the plant will appear weak and frail. If they're under a canopy or in a shadier part of your pond, move them to a sunnier location.
- Overcrowded Plants: Plants – terrestrial and aquatic – need room to stretch out their roots and grow. If they're placed in a tiny planter or there are too many packed in one area, this can stunt their development. Take some time to pull out those plant baskets or bags from your pond and divide the lilies into separate pots. Here are step-by-step instructions for dividing water lilies, though we recommend waiting until the spring.
- Poor pH Levels: Water lilies do best in water that's in the 6.2 to 7.4 pH range. Check pH levels frequently with a pH Test Kit to ensure the measurements are within that range and correct them accordingly.
Like your roses or other plants in your flower garden, your water lilies will benefit from some regular trimming and dead-heading. Prune or trim any flowers or leaves that have turned yellow or brown. This will encourage new growth – and hopefully some new blooms!
Last Updated: February 2, 2023