Opinions on waterlily pad problems please......**Added pics**

[joeyb5980]

Hi guys.... I just want to see what your opinions are about a problem I am having recently.  I bought two large planters over the winter to use to hold waterlilies.  They are just large enough to each hold one small lily- about 18" tall, flower pot shaped- probably hold about 5 gallons maybe?  Anyway, I put them both behind the pond where they receive almost full sun.  I put a Chromatella in one and a Commanche in one for now.  They were doing great, but the last week or so, the pads have started looking strange.  Not like the typical aged pad that yellows, but they are turning dark brown at the edges and kind of crinkling up- kind of like what plastic does when it gets really hot.  The pads are all doing this rather quickly, but at the same time they are sending up new pads and buds.  I just haven't seen any do that before... I am thinking one of two things:  A) The water temp is getting too hot for them?  or B) Ick meds has affeced them?  I put a small feeder goldfish in each one, and they developed ick, so I had been putting in Ick-away to clear that up.  I have never had any meds affect lilies though, but maybe in such a small volume of water it did?  And I don't know that it has been hot enough here yet for the problem to be water temp (or even if that is a realistic threat), but I know those small pots of water do heat up quickly.  Maybe it was a combination of both?   I am pretty sure it isn't fertilizer burn, as I fertilized them the same way I always have, and it wouldn't have accidentally burned both of them.  The two pots and lilies are independent of each other, but both are showing the same symptoms... I should have posted a pic with this, but my camera batteries are dead    As of last night, I dumped them and refilled with new fresh water (btw, the feeders died anyway- probably because of the drastic temp fluctuation in those pots), and switched out different lilies in them- put the chromatella and commanche in the pond for rehab.  I will have to see if the two I put in there now show the same problem....Just curious if anyone knows what this could be (again, sorry for no pic)....Thank you!!

[Marilyn C]

Those pots are kinda small for Chromatella and Comanche...and my first thought is that the pads are crowded and that is why they are burning on the edges.  If they are tipped up out of the water, that will cause them to dry out on the edges like that.   If they can't all lay flat on the water, they may start to burn like that, but otherwise, it shouldn't be too hot for them.  Not sure where you live, but here in southeast Texas, it wouldn't be too hot for them.

If they aren't crowded, then I would think it is a fungus...waterlilies are prone to fungus, and the only thing I have ever done for that is keep the affected pads picked off.

[Timgod]

Hard to say for sure without a pic but it definitely could be heat related. Are the pads all laying flat in the water or are they bunching up so that they are not laying down flat? If they are not supported by the water they usually start to dry out and singe along the edge as they dry out.
Are the pads burning where they touch the pot? You did not say what they were composed of. Really warm water usually doesn't bother lilies but a hot surface touching them would definitely be detrimental.

As to the chemical I do not know. Did it have any warnings about plants on it?

Hope this helps.

Tim

[Timgod]

Looks like Marilyn C. and I were thinking along the same lines. She types faster though. LOL

Tim

[joeyb5980]

Thanks for your replies Tim and Marilyn!  I happened to think that the only time I have seen pads look similar to that are when they are left out of water in the sun.  These pads are not crowded at all though, and are all flat on the water.  They are just starting to get going here in WV.  I had planned on moving them to more roomy spots in a couple of weeks once they got going, but for now they had plenty of room in the planters.  I have heard of the fungus problem, I just would doubt that there would be such a coincidence as both of them having it, and none of my other many lilies having it.  It seems whatever is affecting them has to do with their environment, since they are the only two in that particular environment, and the only two showing these symptoms.  I am not saying that it couldn't be fungus though.  The pots are made of a heavy resin or something- pretty heavy, but not as heavy as concrete.  They are a light sandy brown color.  I don't think the ick med said anything on it about plants, but I have used it in other larger tubs with plants without any effect.  I am thinking maybe the heat combined with the meds just jolted them a bit?  Thanks for your thoughts!

[Marilyn C]

Another thought.  Do you have sprinklers or a fountain or anything that is getting the pads wet?

I doubt the water being too hot is the problem because I live in a hotter climate than you and have both of those lilies.

Fungus is a reaction to humidity, too much rain, and pads staying wet on top.   Waterlilies do not like the tops of their pads getting wet.

I don't know about the meds, but seems like if it was going to burn them, would do it before they got to the top of the water.   Unless...was it PP that you used?   I have seen  too much of that literally dissolve plants left in it too long.

I wouldn't think regular Ich cure would hurt them.

[Marilyn C]

One last thing.   Fertilizer burn.   I have never had it happen with one of my waterlilies, but maybe fertilizer too strong or too much or too near the top of the pot.   I always put it in the bottom third of the soil.

Anyway...those are my guesses.

[joeyb5980]

Nope nothing splashing the pads or disturbing the water....  It seems like they are fine now that they have been moved.  I picked off the affected pads, and all new pads coming up and all new pads that have been up since I moved them seem to look fine.  I think it must have had something to do with the ich meds?  Weird....  Anyway, I got my camera batteries charged up and got some pics of the pads... Here they are healthy/normal:



And here is what the problem pads looked like:





And just for kicks, here is a pic of the planters they were in.... The lilies I have in them now seem to be doing just fine    Thanks for all of your suggestions... Hopefully they will be fine from here on out 

[Marilyn C]

I'm glad, Joey.   Picking off the pads is my remedy for anything from China Mark Moth larvae to fungus.

Maybe the meds got on top of the pads and burned them.   I've seen pads like that but can't remember now from what.
(The joys of getting older.)