Fertilizer question

[Amy]

So Savio sent our new skimmer box, pump, liner and seam kit along with a DIFFERENT uv sterilizer which they said they have never had an issue with.....why they still sell one that has caught on fire many times is beyond me .........but anyway! We got the new pump and skimmer up and running and are ready to get the plants back in the pond. None of my plants look very good...especially after looking at pictures you all post of your beautiful lush, full, green plants that appear to be thriving. Mine seem to be just existing, not really growing much and just look bad. My lilli pads are real small and only produce 1 flower at a time. My water lettuce does produce "babies" but it all is kinda yellow looking, doesn't grow much and my hyacints have browned and pretty much died off. The pond was just installed in the early spring this year and I have never fertilized any of the plants. The bottom and sides of the pond are all rocks so i had all the plants planted directly in the rock, no pots or soil. My question is, is there some kind of fertilizer you can get that you just pour in the pond since I don't really have any pots to stick anything in? The pond is about 1000 gallons and there are 4 small koi and about 10 smaller goldfish in it. Doesn't plant fertilizer hurt the fish??? I don't think my pond has enough nutrients for my plants and am hoping I can do something to make them look better!

[Kat]

IMO, you should really pot up the plants.  They will do much better in dirt with fertilizer.  I use Osmocote 14-14-14 (Green cap) when potting my plants & it will last all season.  Good luck.

[JoshS]

I agree...especially if your pond is new.  There is no muck in there for the plants to grow into and feed from.

You might float your floaters in a bucket of Miracle-Gro for a few days.  That will green them up and give them a boost.

[LeeAnne151]

Your UV sterilizer will reduce the nutrients in the pond.

Waterlilies should be potted in dirt and fertilized regularly.

You can grow parrot's feather, forget me nots, various rushes, equiseteum, marsh marigold, water celery in the rocks. I do. However, I don't have a UV and I don't clean out my pond.   

[Missa]

Your UV sterilizer will reduce the nutrients in the pond.

Waterlilies should be potted in dirt and fertilized regularly.

You can grow parrot's feather, forget me nots, various rushes, equiseteum, marsh marigold, water celery in the rocks. I do. However, I don't have a UV and I don't clean out my pond.   

Do you have a bottom drain?

[Kris]

I use the Osmocote for my lilies.  They are the only plants that I have potted in dirt.  I've found all my other plants do much better planted directly in the pond.  I don't fertilize those plants that I put directly in the pond (I don't care for "green" water).  I do have a UV sterilizer as well.  My first year my plants did OK - pretty much just existed like you describe.  Second year they took off!  I was amazed & very happy.  I'd pot up the lilies, put the water lettuce & hyacinths in a bucket of miracle grow for a day once a month & then as long as the other plants are existing & are perennial in your area I'd let them aclimate themselves to the pond & form they're root systems with as little disturbance as I could.  My Marsh Marigolds did not really take off until I bought one of those floating islands from Freedom (I got mine at Dr. Fosters & Smith) & now they bloom almost non-stop from spring until fall - I've never seen them do that before!