First water lily is blooming but pond cleanup awaits
Despite a cool spring, an early-bird ‘Colorado’ water lily has already opened in the stock-tank pond, pale but undaunted. Future lilies will blush a deeper peachy pink as the days grow warmer.
Before it decides to bloom in earnest, I really need to muck out a year’s worth of leaves and haul out and divide the water lilies. It’s a muddy, back-straining chore but satisfying to have a clean, refreshed pond again. Right now, I’ll admit, it’s not a thing of beauty!
Mr. Screech Owl is giving me that look, like, What’s taking you so long? Get to it!
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How is your tank holding up? I just replaced the 160 gallon one in my backyard. Both my stock tanks have now rusted to failure. This one at least I knew was coming – the hole was on the side I can see easily. The last one was a surprise.
I’m moving to less aesthetic/ less ecological black plastic stock tanks. I like my fish to not have to worry about sidewall blowouts!
I need to take a close look to say for sure, but I haven’t noticed any rusting yet. I know it will happen eventually, but I’m hoping to get many more years out of it. I’m sorry to hear your tanks rusted out. How long did they last? —Pam
My tank has developed a reddish fuzzy crud on the everything. Could it be from terra cotta pots? (I have a couple as functioning as stands in there). Should I muck it all out?
I’ve never seen that before, Kim. I’ve used upturned terracotta in my pond to elevate marginal plants but have not encountered any problems with it. But yes, a spring cleanup is always a good idea, in my opinion. Are you in Austin? If farther north you should wait for consistently warm weather before dividing water plants. —Pam
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dawson5pix/16906292011/
Here’s a picture. In Houston, but my water’s still pretty cool from all the rain we have had.
Hmm, maybe it’s a type of algae? I’d check with a local pond nursery about it, Kim. —Pam
Thanks! They looked at me like I was crazy when I told them I was using a stock tank the last time I was there, lol, but I will try again.
What?! Stock-tank ponds are everywhere these days. They need to get with it. 🙂 —Pam
Oh dear, add pond cleanup to my spring gardening chores list! It’s getting longer, not shorter. That’s so odd you had such an early bloomer.
That’s the way of spring chores! As for the early water lily, it’s unusual but not unheard of. In mild winters ‘Colorado’ will bloom occasionally throughout the winter. But ‘Helvola’, my dwarf yellow, never does. —Pam
That owl is quite a task master. That lily is gorgeous. It looks like a fake it is so pretty. I didn’t even notice your pond being mucky until you mentioned it. Get busy girl. 😉
I’m going, I’m going! —Pam
That lily is astoundingly beautiful – it clearly doesn’t mind growing in mucky tank. As tough overlords go, Mr. Screech Owl is quite handsome.
The water lily would grow through mud. Nothing can stop it! —Pam
Pam are you able to use The Muck as fertilizer or compost booster? It seems it would be quite nutrient rich in its own way.
And am I the only one who is hearing a slightly rewritten version of “I went to the county fair” running while reading this? (…The elephant sneezed, and dropped to his knees, and what became of the muck…the muck the muck the muck..)
Yes, I use some of it in my beds. But a lot of it is just leathery live oak leaves that never seem to decompose. I don’t know the county fair song (poem?). I’ll have to look it up. —Pam
I have a similar task facing me, but I will try to wait for the water to warm just a bit so it won’t be such a shock when I get wet, and I am sure I will get wet.
It would be hard not to! I need to get on this task soon, as the water plants are all putting on new growth. —Pam