Building a Lotus Bog questions...

[tinkster]

I have an area on the upper side of the pond that I want to make into a lotus pond/bog.  The area is probably 7 ft x 3 ft in most but some places 2 ft wide.

Is this a big enough area for lotus?  Also how deep do I need to dig the bog.  I gots all this extra roofing liner I am so anxious to use


Also how much water can be on top of a lotus.. I find it kind of difficult to keep it watered with just two inches.. would going deeper and having more water on top keep me from having to water so much.

And last question.  I have 5 pots of lotus.  3 are in the ground.  Although two are on the bank with the "front" end of the pots elevated above ground and hidden with rocks.  Am not sure they will winter over there as the front side is more like a pot than a inground container.  If I get the bog ready now, when these go dormant can I go ahead and move them to the bog or do they need to be established first?

Thanks in advance!

tinkster

[Teresa]

Ok - lotus bog . . . . . they don't care what shape it is or how wide at the narrowest point and that sounds plenty big to me.  Just dig down about 18" (or however deep you want), line it, fill it with dirt and plant those tubers.  The water above the crown can be much deeper than 2" . . . . in the wild they grow as far as 3' underwater . . . . and I bet Joyce has some growing deeper than that in her pond at work.  I always grew mine with at least 8" of water over the crown because then I could forget to water for quite a while before the dirt got dry.  (Would have gone deeper but they only make pots soooo deep.)

I don't know what zone you are in, but my guess is that the lotus in pots even halfway in the ground will be just fine.  As long as the tuber doesn't freeze solid, they should be ok.