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| Hi C and J!
I got the idea from you to sink a 35 gallon tub into the ground, next to my watergarden, to grow a lotus in. The lotus was in a 7 gallon pot, so I could easily remove it from the bigger pot, to thin it. Unfortunately, it died. But now I have marginals in it (pickerill rush, thalia, etc.). Question is......do you leave your lotus in there all winter? Is your lotus in soil in the big pot, rather than in another pot, like mine was?
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Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by cliff_and_joann z7 L.I.,NY (My Page) on Sat, Nov 7, 09 at 18:44
| Hi Catherine. We live on zone 7. In the late fall after we rake our leaves into big leaf bags we save several bags...we then cut down the leaves in the pots. We cover the pots with a couple of the leaf filled bags. This insulates them and keeps them warm all winter. Our lotus are in soil and water and remain like that all winter. We have been doing this for several years |
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- Posted by catherinet z5 (My Page) on Sat, Nov 7, 09 at 19:15
| Thanks Cliff and Joann, I think your winters might be alot warmer than mine......but I think I'll try your method anyhow. I wouldn't mind a little ice on top, but don't want the whole thing to freeze. I'm willing to try this, 'cause I'm tired of burying things for the winter! Thanks! |
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- Posted by cliff_and_joann z7 L.I.,NY (My Page) on Sat, Nov 7, 09 at 21:08
| Catherine, to be more specific, our pots are already buried in the ground. The tops of the pots are level with the ground. We did that so -- buried right up to the pond, the pots are not noticeable... You know what I mean? lotus next to pond, behind garden fairy. They eventually end up getting about 5 to 6 ft high. |
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- Posted by catherinet z5 (My Page) on Sun, Nov 8, 09 at 7:45
| Yes, I understood. That's how I have mine too. Your pond is lovely. This is the second American lotus I've killed. I've grown Egyptian and Mrs. Perry D. Slocum and they did well. You'd think a native lotus would do better, but so far, they've all died. I think I'll try once more. I have a 500 gallon Rubbermaid tank sunk in the ground, filled with dirt and water, and that's where the Egyptian lotus lives, and is doing well. Just don't know why the American lotus doesn't like me! Thanks for your help! |
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- Posted by eyecndiggit (My Page) on Sun, Nov 8, 09 at 19:57
| You shouldn't have problems with the american lotus at all unless the problem is being in a pot to begin with. American lotus is fine down to zone 4 and is happy in Alaskan waters. They are much happier if they live in a pond than in a container. |
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- Posted by catherinet z5 (My Page) on Mon, Nov 9, 09 at 10:07
| I haven't had problems with any other lotus, and this is my second one to die. Maybe it was a couple not-so-health tubers that I got from 2 different places. ?? The first year it made 1 blossom. The second year none. The third year only a couple floaters, and then they died. I feel like I know enough about growing lotus and how to do things right........so this is an enigma to me. I'll give it one more try next year. Three times a charm, right? |
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- Posted by jennyb5149 z3b WI (My Page) on Mon, Nov 9, 09 at 12:33
| Thanks Catherine for starting this thread. As a newbie to the pond addiction, I'm learning so much from everyone on the forum! Burying rubbermaid tubs next to the pond for marginals. Genius! I wanted to put marginals in my pond but didn't have any spot the was shallow enough for them. All the experience on this forum is worth its weight in gold! |
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- Posted by catherinet z5 (My Page) on Mon, Nov 9, 09 at 15:09
| Hi Jenny, I use the big Rubbermaid stocktanks for some things (lotus/water lilies/marginals), but for something smaller next to the pond, I use "Tuff Stuff" containers. They come in 30/35/40 gallon sizes and a couple different shapes. You can leave these on top of the ground, or sink them. I buy them at Tractor Supply. This past year I had a 40 gallon Tuff Stuff container behind my lotus bog and it was big enough for Thalia/pickerill rush/gamecock iris/penny wort/umbrella palm and a couple others. Its a great way to have more "pond" space, without the pond. I'd be lost without containers! but you do have to find warm homes for them in the winter. I've had good luck with burying them in soil next to the house. |
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- Posted by mrshkoiluver (My Page) on Mon, Nov 9, 09 at 17:08
| This is off topic but Joan I so admire your pond. It is just lovely! |
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- Posted by jennyb5149 Z3b WI (My Page) on Tue, Nov 10, 09 at 1:26
| Thanks Catherine for the info! Could you answer a couple questions for me? When you bury your plants next to the house for the winter, how far down do you bury them? Just cover the tops? Couple inches down? I have a really nice protected sunny corner on the south side of the house (with the dryer vent nearby for extra periodic warming) that would probably be a really nice cozy spot to tuck the plants in for the winter. Do the plants need to have any foliage above ground? Will I kill them off completely if I cut them back & bury them underground? Thank you in advance for all your patience with my questions. I'm new to all this water gardening stuff. If you have questions about roses, hostas, peonies, hydrangeas, day & asiatic lilies, etc., I've become the go to gal in the neighborhood. But when it comes to pond plants, I'm clueless! I'm so glad I have a bunch of great "go to" gals & guys in my online neighborhood to help me out! Thanks! Jenny |
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- Posted by catherinet z5 (My Page) on Tue, Nov 10, 09 at 7:41
| Hi Jenny, Don't feel bad about not knowing everything to start with. We were all at that point at some time. I still don't know that much! I bury my plants so that the tops of the pots are just under the soil level. Then I cover them with lots of leaves. Its important to remember to water them occasionally after you bury them, especially if you don't have much snow that melts during the winter. I cut all the leaves/stems off before I bury them, since they would just rot. I've done this with hardy water lilies, lotus, marginals. I bury mine on the north and west sides of the house. Those are the most protected sides for me. Just remember if you bury them in sunny areas, where they might heat up in the daytime and cool off at night.......that might not be the best thing for the plants. (I'm just guessing here). The mulch/leaves are very important to protecting them. I usually put at least a foot of leaves on top of them. Sometimes I put a tarp on top of that, but then they wouldn't get any moisture from rain/snow, so just remember to water them. I buried an extra hardy lily several years ago, and never dug it up, and its still putting up leaves!! Good luck jenny. I'm glad you've added water gardening to your list of interests! After you have a water garden, you can't imagine life without one. |
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- Posted by nancym1956 Tulsa (My Page) on Sun, Nov 15, 09 at 21:31
| Interesting thread, and also a timely one. I keep my lotus in a pot also, and I've been dragging it into the shed each winter to keep it above freezing. I never thought about simply insulating them with leaf bags. So they do all right without light, under the leaf bags? |
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