What a messy lotus bog!

16 years ago

HI all,

This was my first year for my lotus bog. It is a 300 gallon Rubbermaid stocktank in the ground. It was filled with dirt with about 10" of water on top. I planted a lotus tuber in the spring, and I also put several potted plants in there of rushes, star grass, and water poppy. The rushes and poppies have jumped ship and are rooted in the soil. The poppies are completely covering the bog.

It was a great summer with beautiful lotus blossoms and greenery. But now....what the heck do I do?? I don't think I can let all those poppies just die and stay in the water. I've cut off and removed dead lotus stems and leaves, but I'm not sure what to do with all the other stuff.

In a natural swamp/bog, all these things can die in the water and it doesn't get putrid. I have the feeling if I left all that stuff, it would be pretty bad in the spring.

How do I let it be as natural as possible without getting putrid?

Anyone else out there have a similar set up (with soil and water) and how do you handle things in the fall?

Thanks!

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Comments (5)

brazen
16 years ago
Catherine,

I don't know if this is much help but where I live we have some natural bog areas and they *are* putrid! The decaying stuff sinks and the water stays clear on the top though and doesn't smell unless you get in there and mix things up.

-John
catherinet
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks John,
Maybe I shouldn't be touching it at all! hahaha
I figured maybe a larger bog or a more natural bog has a few features that my artifical bog doesn't have. Hmmmm.....maybe I really shouldn't do much to it now, except maybe remove those huge dead lotus leaves, and see what happens next spring? I could always clean it up then.......if it doesn't come alive before that and eat my house and family.. :)
I sure wouldn't want an open septic pit next to my deck! Its definitely a learning experience.
Here's a pic I took yesterday of a pot of hosta that I had sitting in the bog. You can see a lotus leaf coming out of the pot and a big runner out the side!
Those lotus ARE soooooooo aggressive!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:233113}}
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brazen
16 years ago
*GULP*

I left some of the lotus in the ground where it had burrowed under the river rock and made a run for the border. Now you have me thinking maybe I should revisit that idea before it is too late and it cannot be stopped!!!

-John
catherinet
Original Author
16 years ago
You can always pull it out in the spring, when it shows signs of life.
Hmmm.....are we talking ourselves out of having these plants? hahaha I suppose they are like unruly children and pets. You just have to be firm and disciplined and can't let them run all over the place. Then you can really enjoy them. :)
realsis
12 years ago
I just left my lotus alone. Finally the dead leafs disapeared. I heard you can actually drown the tubbers if you cut off the dead portions of the plant wrong. Well the next spring she came back beautifully and she's now flowering for me. I decided to just dedicate the whole bog to the lotus and I gave her free run this year! No pots just let her go in the loam. She's beautiful and now its just a lotus bog. :)

What a messy lotus bog!

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What a messy lotus bog!

Comments (5)

brazen

catherinetOriginal Author

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catherinetOriginal Author

realsis

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