Author Topic: Big Mayla leaves (Read 3190 times)

turtlemike · « **on:** June 18, 2009, 06:08:36 PM »

The ruler is 16 inches long, marked to 15 inches with a half in. unmarked on each end.
This plant is growing in about 8 ft. deep water.
My date stamp says I took this pic tomorow. I'll have to fix that.

sooks · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2009, 06:18:51 PM »

wow cool

PondmaninAL · « **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2009, 06:58:13 PM »

Mike, do you think the depth had anything to do with the size of the pads? That is really a nice size pad for a hardy.

turtlemike · « **Reply #3 on:** June 18, 2009, 07:27:49 PM »

I don't know . It sure is finding something it likes down there. The leaves have been getting bigger as it's been growing into deeper water.

Missy · « **Reply #4 on:** June 18, 2009, 07:33:46 PM »

Holy Moly! Are you sure you don't grow those things in nuclear plant runoff????

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #5 on:** June 18, 2009, 07:50:44 PM »

Quote from: Missy on June 18, 2009, 07:33:46 PM

Holy Moly! Are you sure you don't grow those things in nuclear plant runoff????

It looks like Mayla sure like's the mud in that pond ...LOL
Huge leaves

bonnie

Kabuki · « **Reply #6 on:** June 18, 2009, 08:10:22 PM »

Just so you know, most of the pots my water lilies in are 16 inches or so. The size of one of your pads. If I was a man I think I'd go buy a big truck!

matherfish · « **Reply #7 on:** June 18, 2009, 09:12:05 PM »

8 feet deep? I didn't think lilies would grow in water that deep! That is one happy lily! Terrific!

tinkster · « **Reply #8 on:** June 19, 2009, 06:37:09 AM »

wow. I wonder what the mayla that is in my small mud button pond will do. hmmm wouldnd that be pretty if she got that big for me.

tink

Joyce · « **Reply #9 on:** June 19, 2009, 06:43:21 AM »

Mine are that big too in the mud bottom pond.
Mine is only about 30" deep, if that.

I think it's the endless nutrients in a mud bottom pond that make a lily grow to its biggest potential 'native' size.
(Native Growing Conditions)

People need to understand that growing lilies in little pots (YES, growing a lily in ANY size pot is 'little' to lilies, lotus any aquatic plant)
you are virtually bonsai-ing them by limiting their nutrients and root root...just like regular bonsai plants.

Lilies don't grow in pots in their native habitats.

jw · « **Reply #10 on:** June 19, 2009, 10:17:33 AM »

SUPREME

What if you just covered the bottom of your pond w/ mud about a foot deep and let the lilies grow in that? Not good eh?

KatFish · « **Reply #11 on:** June 19, 2009, 02:20:47 PM »

Wow! Imagine the frogs that could sit on that.... hmmmm, you breeding superfrogs for that? Seriously, tho - are the flowers bigger too?

PondmaninAL · « **Reply #12 on:** June 19, 2009, 05:49:25 PM »

Folks, one point of interest here. A mud bottom pond is not practical for everyone. The soil is to sandy here, so a liner is cheaper than bentonite clay. The way the economy is now, not many can afford clay and some can't even afford liner.

Joyce · « **Reply #13 on:** June 19, 2009, 07:13:49 PM »

Absolutely no interest here.

No one is forcing anybody to build a pond of any kind.
Just sharing growing info on a particular lily.

JW...lilies would be in heaven if you did that.
But unless you are ready to allow it to go 'au natural' and not ever be able to clean it out....
Don't do that.

Julles · « **Reply #14 on:** June 20, 2009, 03:30:09 AM »

Very impressive.

Can you give us a shot from farther away?

turtlemike · « **Reply #15 on:** June 20, 2009, 05:27:54 PM »

Katfish, the leaf in the left foreground of the first pic here is as big as the leaf with the ruler. compare the size of the flower. That's a big mayla flower, probably 9 + in. is my guess. I didn't measure it.
And a couple of shots from farther away.

Jerry · « **Reply #16 on:** June 21, 2009, 10:04:17 AM »

We need to cross that bugger with my unique lemon. Think of the possibilities!

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #17 on:** June 21, 2009, 10:38:40 AM »

Super leaves! First thing I thought of seeing those huge leaves are all the food I could wrap in them to steam or smoke! Unfortunately my pads couldn't wrap a thimble properly.

maryvonne · « **Reply #18 on:** June 21, 2009, 10:40:39 AM »

Wonderful! I am getting rid of A.J. and planning to drop Mayla to the bottom of the pond which is 4' deep. Now I know it should do fine there.

Maryvonne

maryvonne · « **Reply #19 on:** June 21, 2009, 10:43:11 AM »

Annette it never occurred to me that you could use lily pads that way. I will have to try with my Alba and A.J. pads. They are huge too. My banana leaves are ready for that use yet.

Maryvonne

landey1230 · « **Reply #20 on:** June 21, 2009, 05:34:48 PM »

HUGE! My favorite hardy at its finest. Well done.

jw · « **Reply #21 on:** June 21, 2009, 06:04:23 PM »

Quote from: Joyce on June 19, 2009, 07:13:49 PM

Absolutely no interest here.
No one is forcing anybody to build a pond of any kind.
Just sharing growing info on a particular lily.

JW...lilies would be in heaven if you did that.
But unless you are ready to allow it to go 'au natural' and not ever be able to clean it out....
Don't do that.

So you are saying that one could actually add dirt to the bottom of a lined pond and plant lilies on the bottom? What kind of dirt would one use and how deep would the dirt have to be? Now you would still have to drain some water out now and then and add clean water but would you still run a filter? Also there would be fish in there. I'm just wondering what the procedure would be in taking care of a pond like this? What about fertilizer? Has anybody done anything like this here on this forum? Not saying I'm going to do this but hey I might if it sounds like it could work w/o too much trouble. Thanks.

turtlemike · « **Reply #22 on:** June 21, 2009, 06:43:42 PM »

I'm no liner pond person but I think every thing would be fine as long as you don't have any fish that like to dig and stir up mud. As far as changing water is concerned if you use very low nutrient soil, subsoil actually. You will be adding almost no nutrients to the system, just inert minerals like clay, sand, etc. so they're should be no more need for water changes than without it.
I can imagine that come lily thining time the water would become muddy for a few days from the digging of plants etc. Also you would HAVE to get in the water to do the work. Which is what I do all of the time, but others might not like that.

I know a person who says that he has a 4.500 gal pond with waterfall, stream,etc. He has small rocks and gravel covering the bottom of the pond on top of the liner with no soil. He plants his lilies under the rocks and gravel and he says that his lilies do great with just the mulm he lets accumulate in the gravel and rocks. He says this while standing next to my pond full of lilies so I know that he knows what " doing great " means.

jw · « **Reply #23 on:** June 22, 2009, 10:32:07 AM »

Oh so I would still have to get in there and thin them? That is what I was trying to avoid $:-\$ . My pond is 3 & 1/2 feet deep so I would have to go diving or lower the water level to do this so I think I may have to stay with the pots. I need to move somewhere where I can have a big huge natural pond and plant the lilies so I don't have to do anything but watch them grow. Actually the gravel and rock bottom sounds interesting but wouldn't you have to clean the yucky mulm out once in awhile or it would putrate? And that seems like it would be hard to do with all the rocks.

Joyce · « **Reply #24 on:** June 22, 2009, 11:31:51 AM »

I really don't ever 'thin' mine out, just climb in and rip out divisions for friends.

Kittyzee · « **Reply #25 on:** June 22, 2009, 01:28:04 PM »

I have never vacuumed my pond out like most people do. It has a layer of 'mud' on the bottom from leaves, fish poo, etc. Lilies grow prolifically in that stuff. When you do have to pull up plants of any kind, remember--it stinks! I have a small pond with a liner (about 1000 gallons, 3 ft. deep), no rocks on the bottom, except for the occasional one that drops off the side into the pond.

I occasionally pull out plants, take out the 'mud' and in a couple of hours the stuff has settled down and the water clears up. My fish are healthy. My plants are healthy. So if you are into enjoying the pond without all the work, just go for it.

jw · « **Reply #26 on:** June 22, 2009, 03:40:15 PM »

Quote from: Kittyzee on June 22, 2009, 01:28:04 PM

I have never vacuumed my pond out like most people do. It has a layer of 'mud' on the bottom from leaves, fish poo, etc. Lilies grow prolifically in that stuff. When you do have to pull up plants of any kind, remember--it stinks! I have a small pond with a liner (about 1000 gallons, 3 ft. deep), no rocks on the bottom, except for the occasional one that drops off the side into the pond.

I occasionally pull out plants, take out the 'mud' and in a couple of hours the stuff has settled down and the water clears up. My fish are healthy. My plants are healthy. So if you are into enjoying the pond without all the work, just go for it.

So are you saying that you just let your lilies grow in the muck on the floor of the pond freely? Or are they in pots?

turtlemike · « **Reply #27 on:** June 22, 2009, 06:27:40 PM »

I have beds of plants that have been growing without being thined for many years. some like Pink Grapefruit Are hardly affected, others like fire opal and Colorado have completely stopped blooming. I would say that you could plant a plant like Pink Grapefruit or James brydon free range in a pond for many years with out thinning or loss of bloom.
My pg and jb beds are 8 years old and bloom like crazy.

jw · « **Reply #28 on:** June 22, 2009, 06:42:39 PM »

Ok I'm taking notes on these two and I especially love the color of the Pink Grapefruit in case I ever have a mud bottom pond

What a beautiful site to see everyday in blooms

Kittyzee · « **Reply #29 on:** June 22, 2009, 07:13:37 PM »

jw-the lilies I have had in my pond have been in pots. I'm not good about repotting, so they frequently jump their pots and stick roots into the mud in the bottom. I currently don't have any lilies since I gave mine away to a friend. I do have plants that are rooted in the 'mud', hornwort and anachris and pondweed. When they get too thick, I yank them and give them away, or just toss them in the compost pile.