Lotus plants are a beautiful addition to a backyard pond
Question: My husband built us a good-sized backyard pond a few years ago. We have some fish in it and a few plants. I'm interested in adding some lotus plants to the pond. Will they survive the winter here? How do I care for them?
Answer: Aquatic lotus plants ( Nelumbo nucifera) are striking additions to a backyard pond. These Asian perennials grow much taller than water lilies, with flowering stems and leaves that eventually extend several feet above the waterline. Even dwarf varieties grow to a height of 3 or 4 feet.
Lotus flowers are typically pink or white, though yellow and magenta cultivars exist. The flowers are fragrant and bloom in July, August and September. Each flower can be up to a foot across.
Because of the plant's large stature, make sure you have plenty of room before including lotus plants in your pond. Also, lotus can become invasive if allowed to spread to natural waterways. Be sure your lotus is confined to your pond, and never plant tubers in the wild.
Preferring full sun, lotus plants will gladly take over the pond if not contained. To control the spread of lotus, plant the long tuberous roots in a large and wide, but shallow, container without holes. A 24- to 36-inch diameter black plastic tub works great. Fill the pot with about 6 to 8 inches of garden soil or topsoil (do not use peat-based potting soil as it's too light and will float away) and plant the tubers into the soil. They should not be planted deeply.
Set the container into the pond so the top of the soil is 6 to 10 inches below the water's surface. You can put the container on top of rocks or bricks to raise it up off the bottom of the pond, if necessary.
The plants may take a year or two to produce their first blooms, but the wait is worth it. Lotus flowers are spectacular.
Lotus plants are fairly hardy and typically don't have a problem overwintering in Pennsylvania. However, to give them some added protection, you can lower the pot into deeper water for the winter and then raise it back up again when spring arrives.
Lotus go dormant in the winter, and the stems and leaves will turn brown and die back every autumn. Because of this, early each spring, you'll have to cut back the dead growth to an inch or two above the waterline. The seed pods are quite decorative and can be used in dried flower arrangements.
Every few years, your lotus will need to be divided and repotted. This is best done in the spring. Simply lift out the pot, pull the tubers out, and cut them apart. Replant some of them in the same pot, using new garden soil. You can use the remaining tubers to start new pots or share with friends.
The flowers, tubers and young leaves and stems of lotus plants are edible and are often used in various ethnic cuisines.
Horticulturist Jessica Walliser co-hosts “The Organic Gardeners” at 7 a.m. Sundays on KDKA Radio with Doug Oster. She is the author of several gardening books, including “Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden: A Natural Approach to Pest Control” and “Good Bug, Bad Bug.” Her website is jessicawalliser.com.
Send your gardening or landscaping questions to tribliving@tribweb.com or The Good Earth, 503 Martindale St., Third Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.
