Trouble Shooting

Text Box: Lotus Lotus leaves that look curled or brown on the edges could be caused by dry wind or not enough humidity in the air. You can try to put the lotus in semi shade and if possible try using a sprinkler close by where the lotus is planted. This will help the plant to absorb some moisture through the bottom of the leaves if the surrounding area has some moisture to create humidity. The top of lotus leaves repel moisture so spraying the top of the lotus won’t help.

Text Box: Algae Even though some amounts of algae is a common sight, to much is something that every water gardener dislikes having in their pond. The causes mostly likely are, too much sun, lots of nutrients and not enough competition for those nutrients and sometimes certain types of fertilizers and incorrect use of these fertilizers seems to encourage way too much of this unsightly plant. Sometime the algae seem to appear and multiply in the blink of an eye. I believe what is helpful in the control of the algae is covering at least 60 percent of the pond with shade from water lilies, floating and oxygenating plants, and be sure the fertilizers you are using isn’t helping to create more algae. Because algae is a living organism, like your plants and fish, I would think twice before putting any chemicals to take care of the algae because everything living in the pond could be negatively affected by chemicals.

Text Box: Aphids If you’re seeing little black or brown pin size bugs on the leaves of your water plants, then you more than likely are infested with aphids. The aphids come from the trees and shrubs surrounding your pond and they usually appear during the hottest time of the summer. About the only safe solution to rid your plants is to spray the leaves off with the garden hose, if you have a sprayer use the stream setting, be careful not to use too strong of a setting cause you don’t want to puncture holes in the leaves. Your fish will love eating the little pests as a treat. Insecticides are definitely not suggested, especially if you have fish.

Text Box: Cut Worm or Sandwich Bug Even though this pest that is one of the greatest problems for water lilies, it is only a temporary one. Normally these whitish caterpillars will show up the first part of spring or when they are migrating in their moth form they will appear in the heat of the summer. The moths are very active at night making their little sandwiches, you don’t normally see them during the day, which the case with most moths. In the light of day you will see these caterpillars sandwiched in between two leaves; they cut these small pieces of the leaves from the edges of the plant. One of the best ways to rid your pond of these pests is to use a pair of tweezers and remove them from in between the leaves or off the leaves. There is also a product called Dipel, be sure to follow the instructions if you decide to use this product. They will usually continue their migration as the season progresses you can cut any unsightly leaves from the base of the stem.

Text Box: . Water Hyacinth and Water Lettuce Check your water temperatures at night as well as your day time temperatures. These two types of floating plants need temperatures of at least 70 degrees, these are tropical plants. Many people tell us when the plants arrived they were green and happy, then the leaves started to turn yellow or black and when we ask them to check the temperature of the water, they are many times surprised to find the water is too cold for these plants. These plants also love a little shade, they can live in direct sun, but they will be a lot happier if you have just a little shade for them, to much shade and they won’t bloom.

Text Box: Lilies Yellowish color towards the center of the pads or deformed pads is usually a sign of over fertilizing. Lilies that aren’t blooming, this could be caused by the water being to cold, lack of sunshine or perhaps not enough nutrition. Check your water temperatures at least 6 inches below the surface of the water; be sure to check the night temperatures as well. There are some varieties of lilies that can get along with less than 4-6 hours of sun, but the majority need at least that much. During the growing season most lilies need lots of food so be sure your giving them enough.