Dividing lotus and lilies

[EricV]

Thinking ahead a bit, obviously, since there is about 6" of ice on my pond.

My pond has been up and running about 1 1/2 seasons, so my lilies definitely have to be divided this year. It seems I can do this any time I like, right? Right now they are just a bit to deep in the pond to pull out and stay dry with my chest waders on, so I'd like to wait until the water warms up to where I'm not freezing.

I also put in a lotus in about May of last year. Looking at the pattern of the stalks, it looks like it made its way all around the pot (24" maybe) but it didn't fill in the center. Does this need to be divided each year or can I wait a year or two still? When I do get around to dividing the lotus, can I put two tubers in the pot so it's not so sparse?

 

[Lisak1]

I can advise on lilies - divide them any time. Divide them hard. Be firm with them or they will rule your life! haha! You need one good tuber with a growing tip in a pot - maybe two if it's a large pot - and you'll have another hardy and hale plant growing in no time. When you re-pot, add some good fertilizer to the mix and you'll be all set. Some swear by kitty litter, others use heavy garden soil - your choice. The standard pots they come in from the nursery are generally not the right kind of growing pot for the pond - too deep and not wide enough. I switched to standard oil pans like you'd use to change the oil in your car - got that tip from @addy1 ! I also have one big lily growing in a dishpan - but it's a bit bigger than I like as it gets REALLY HEAVY.

Lotuses are not my area of expertise - my daughter handles all the lotus separating and planting and fertilizing and growing. I know they are much pickier about how they are handled than lilies are. And you don't fertilize until you have aerial pads. And I believe she generally keeps more than one tuber in the pot.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Divide them hard. Be firm with them or they will rule your life!

Indeed they will. I divided mine last year after 3 seasons and it was an insane feat. I cut them down to almost nothing, but they grew back pretty fast. I should probably not let them go 3 years again, but in reality, I probably will. They did look amazing during the third season.

 

[Lisak1]

Indeed they will. I divided mine last year after 3 seasons and it was an insane feat. I cut them down to almost nothing, but they grew back pretty fast. I should probably not let them go 3 years again, but in reality, I probably will. They did look amazing during the third season.

They should put a warning label on those things - DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK ON ME! haha! They are well adapted to the pond life.

 

[adavisus]

Lotus trot around the outside surface of the tub,in circles. After two growing seasons there will be a gnarly mess of old dead tubers, which is a pain to separate, the old from new delicate sprouts

 

[addy1]

I just let my lotus grow, they seem to do just fine. I have not divided since I planted them around 6 years or so. They are in their own pond, a 300 gallon stock tank.

 

[bagsmom]

I have a similar question. I have a cluster of water hawthorn, lilies, and parrot's feather growing on the same side of the pond. The parrot's feather is putting out new growth already. But when things warm up, should I just hack it all back? Right now, the old stuff is ugly, but it is providing shelter. I know the water hawthorn is supposed to like the cool spring temps, so it might start doing something in the next month or so.

 

[CountryEscape]

My water lilies didn't bloom well last year at all, but I had not divided them for 3 seasons. I finally divided them late summer, and although they all came back, I got few flowers. My plan is to divide them every year, at least every 2 years, and then fertilize them at the same time. I think others on here suggested osmocote in the bottom of the pan. I've also used a small paper towel, if I want to fertilize the lilies while they are submerged, and put the osmocote in that, twist it shut, and after pushing a hole large enough for the case into the mud, shove it in there and then cover it up. It will dissolve and release to the roots.
I want to know more about lotus! I sooooo want to have one or two of them, but have never had luck. I can't find them as plants in my area, and growing them from seeds was easy, but getting them going in the pond after that turned difficult, they all died. Maybe I put them out too early, the water was too cold? Some say they need moving water, others say no movement and in a pot. Some say the water can freeze above them in the winter, as long as the tuber in the pot doesn't freeze, others say theirs freezes solid some years and comes back. I have room in my ponds, or would maybe put a few in my pasture pond, if I thought I could keep them alive there better! The sides are very steep on all sides but where the horses go in to drink, so could fence off a small area there. Thoughts? I know they can be invasive in the wild, I've seen them growing in large lakes and along the edge of rivers where the water is more calm! But, I eventually want some in my backyard ponds.

 

[addy1]

Some say the water can freeze above them in the winter, as long as the tuber in the pot doesn't freeze, others say theirs freezes solid some years and comes back.

Mine are in their own tub, 300 gallons, they get fed a slow flow of dirty water from the big pond. I don't divide, the kitty litter they are growing in STINKS!
I don't fertilize them. They are, depending on the where the tuber is, 1 foot to 2.5 feet below the water surface. I don't think any have frozen solid. If they do I would think the tuber would be mush, like potatoes etc. This was our coldest winter, will wait and see if they come back this summer, most likely they will.
I, at one time, was going to groom them and offer up some tubers, but digging in that smelly stuff, was not on my list. So I just let them grow. They have been in the container for around 5ish years. They started out in pots in the pond but always blew over, so gave up, 1/2 filled the stock tank with kitty litter and turned them loose.

 

[Lisak1]

I have a similar question. I have a cluster of water hawthorn, lilies, and parrot's feather growing on the same side of the pond. The parrot's feather is putting out new growth already. But when things warm up, should I just hack it all back? Right now, the old stuff is ugly, but it is providing shelter. I know the water hawthorn is supposed to like the cool spring temps, so it might start doing something in the next month or so.

Yup - cut the old stuff back. Once pond plants get established, you can be pretty firm with them. They're tough to kill!

 

[Lisak1]

Some say they need moving water, others say no movement and in a pot. Some say the water can freeze above them in the winter, as long as the tuber in the pot doesn't freeze, others say theirs freezes solid some years and comes back.

Ours are all in pots - some in the pond, some outside of the pond. The ones in the pond we just make sure the pots are below the ice and they come back every year. They are a bit more temperamental than lilies - you have to be more careful when you divide them and when you fertilize them, but once they get going they are so pretty!

 

[Patfish]

last spring I got 10 lotus seeds from ebay (China)
I planted 5 and all sprouted, planted all into one pot.
I think only one or two survived the overcrowding.
I'm hoping when I repot in the spring the tubers are healthy.
did get lots of ariel leaves but no blooms yet.

 

[EricV]

I think I'm going to leave my lotus this year and hope it comes back. When I do divide it, I will try to offer up tubers here.

 

[JamieB]

I hope my lilly makes it. I’ve only got one ( so far!) and it was a cutting from a lady, no flowers last year, I dropped it in the deep end of the pool to over winter. I dread having to fish it out in spring to move it closer to the surface. No clue what kind it is, or what color it will be.

 

[addy1]

I bought the lotus tubers I started with, have not added any since. Tried a few seeds never had much luck, just don't have the time to mess with them right now.