Overwintering Lotus - 3 Options to for successfully overwinter Lotus plants

Below are Multiple Methods for overwintering lotus plants

(City/State) Location matters, also in the ground, in the pond, or above ground matters.

Once you have had a successful lotus season, and by this, I mean growing your lotus from tubers and having them flower throughout the summer season, you will want to know how to over winter your lotus.

Once cooler weather has arrived, it is time for you to begin to ready your lotus for winter. Lotus are hardy and go dormant in cooler weather with less sunlight. If your pond does not freeze solid, your lotus will go dormant and will be fine left where they are. If you are in a more moderate climate,your lotus will also go dormant and you can leave your lotus where they are, making sure to keep water in their container over the winter months.

In most areas, if your lotus are in the pond, they will overwinter successfully where they were grown all summer, lotus tubers develop at or near the bottom of the pot. Lotus tubers do not like to be disturbed and very likely won't freeze solid, except for the very coldest climates where winters drop below 0F for an extended period of time. In Ohio we have dropped to -15F and even -22 in 1994, 1996, 2013, 2014 and all of our lotus survived outside in the ponds. 

 

The Outdoor Method (In a Pond) overwintering Lotus

To overwinter, wait until lotus leaves are shriveled and stems are brown, begin this process by removing all spent flowers and seed heads from your lotus plants and cut the stems down to about 10" above the water. The reason for this is that the lotus stems are hollow and if you should cut down the stems beneath the water level, you will drown the plant. (If you have smaller lotus, leave about 5" of the stem above the water)

Your lotus will survive the winter with no problem and begin growing again in the spring when the weather and water warm up again. New tubers will send up new plants and you may eventually have to divide your lotus.

The indoors method to overwintering Lotus 

• Bring the container into a garage or basement where it is cool but unlikely to freeze. 
• Be sure the container has some water in it as the tubers should not be allowed to dry out. 
• A dark area is great as you do not want the lotus to sprout early. Optimal temperature would be 35 to 50 degrees. If it is warm and sunny the tubers will sprout early expending all the stored energy and weakening the plant. 
• Place outside in full sun again well after the last chance of a hard freeze. 

 

 

Harvest Tubers and Store Indoor Method

• If you would like to harvest your tubers and store them indoors over the winter, start by gently turning your lotus pot upside down and hose off the roots and tubers until the soil is washed away. 
• Sort through the roots and tubers and choose tubers with at least two growing tips. 
• Mix one gallon of water with one tablespoon of bleach and soak the new tubers for about an hour. 
• Remove from bleach water and store cool and dry.

*Lotus tubers can be stored in the crisper of your refrigerator for a number of months, but do be sure to check on them and provide an additional dip if any mold or mildew begins to grow