Geese destroyed my lotus

[Heruga]

I’m ready to kill these things. They intrude and poop on my yard everyday and my dog loves to eat them, and today they decide to dig up my 2 pots of divided lotus, yes I spent 2 hours dividing and potting them, and many of its tips were broken off. Part of the tubers were also chewed on as well. Since the growth shoot was broken, it’s definitely a goner right?
Also is there any way to repel these stupid birds out of my yard? If not I think I have no choice but to give up on growing lotus and stick to my yellow floating hearts as my submerged aquatic plant…

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Oh, I'm sorry. That really sucks.... Is there anyway you could fence off a portion of your yard (including the pond/lotus area) that will keep them away? As they say.... 'good fences make good neighbors' (and the local wildlife always needs to be considered as our 'neighbors', now don't they?)

 

[Heruga]

Our giant yard is completely enclosed by a 6ft fence but geese fly and come whenever they feel like it and quack loudly(sometimes on top of my house) as if they own the land. I really despise these arrogant birds.

It is official now. Lotus are now out of my plant list, all shoots were damaged so all are as good as dead. I still have a couple of extra small tubers in a pot of water but they are small and I am not going to wait for years for it to bloom, or if it even does, only for geese to destroy it again. Not worth the frustration and stress that you have to go through with this fragile and fussy plant.

 

[Tula]

Could you put the lotus in a completely enclosed area....like a screened in pergola? I've had to adjust my expectations of what I can grow in the pond as my koi eat and damage, many plants.

 

[bagsmom]

I have heard of a device (I think called a Scarecrow?). It is a motion triggered sprinkler. When something gets near the pond, it starts spraying. I don't know if that might help? I know other folks have done an interesting grid of heavy duty fishing line over the pond. It would take some effort -- but it might help?
I'm sorry for your stress. I am building a pond in the backyard and just the other day, we were worrying about geese!

 

[Lisak1]

Nothing will keep geese away... except for a swan. That's why you will often see swans on private ponds and golf courses. So I suggest a swan! (Unfortunately lotus root is delicious to all water fowl, so you may still have a lotus issue.)

A friend of ours got a pair of swans to keep the geese off his big pond. Worked great. However the swans were also aggressive toward humans. He came home from work one day and found the swans had treed his kids when they got off the bus.

In all seriousness, I do feel your pain. They are dirty, noisy, destructive birds. And probably protected outside of the hunting season, which doesn't help either. The geese on our natural ponds don't even leave for winter anymore. Unfortunately we have a few nutball neighbors who feed them all winter long and that encourages them to stay.

 

[rubyduby]

I’m ready to kill these things. They intrude and poop on my yard everyday and my dog loves to eat them, and today they decide to dig up my 2 pots of divided lotus, yes I spent 2 hours dividing and potting them, and many of its tips were broken off. Part of the tubers were also chewed on as well. Since the growth shoot was broken, it’s definitely a goner right?
Also is there any way to repel these stupid birds out of my yard? If not I think I have no choice but to give up on growing lotus and stick to my yellow floating hearts as my submerged aquatic plant…

A Border Collie will deter geese…are you up for a pup?

 

[Heruga]

I too am going to adjust my expectations and stop growing lotus. The pain is too much to bear. I probably will get a deterrent for the geese anyway but no more lotus as every water fowl goes for them. I already have a golden retriever/jindo hybrid that chases anything that moves in his sight so he does a good job but unfortunately I am not going to wake up every morning at 5 to release him in the yard nor can I let him stay outside all day without any supervision. Looks like I just have to move on I guess….

 

[Heruga]

Just updating, I guess some survived and even growing even though some of the shoots from the same tuber were broken off. I thought if shoots get broken off the tuber is an absolute goner due to rot?

 

[mrsclem]

As long as there are still growing tips, it should survive. Most lotus cuttings just have one grow tip. Mine are just now starting up and pretty sure a lot of mine froze or got dried out over winter. Just don't rush to start fertilizing.

 

[addy1]

I have leaves touching surface.

 

[Jhn]

Geese are a pita, have to deal with them on my job sites. Keeping them away from newly planted native marsh grasses, on our wetland creations/living shorelines. We keep them out of the newly created wetlands, by driving stakes in the ground and putting up rows of twine between the stakes to keep them out. They are clumsy fliers, so usually need a large open area for take off and landing.

Hopefully your lotus will recover and you can figure out away to keep them away from it.

 

[Heruga]

Just an update: Somehow my lotus survived and is actually thriving after taking a supposedly fatal damage of its shoots being destroyed! So I put some more sand on the surface and put them back in my pond. Hopefully it lives. The entire plant is completely submerged under 2.5 ft of water, will the leaves reach for sunlight and grow above the pond? Or will it be too dark for them and eventually kill the lotus?