Must Lotus pots and pond water be cleaned each year

[Mpig]

Hi all
I am wondering if it is safe to grow lotus in pots and small pond areas without filtration or cleaning out the old water every year. There are no fish involved. ( I do hear/see signs of frogs/toads.) In past years, I would remove the tubers from their containers in the fall, protected them over winter, and start them in a fresh set up in the Spring. I used Bt Dunks against mosquitos and fertilized with Osmocote wrapped in newspapers. I never used any filtration or circulating system and only added water as needed. There were no problems with smell

This past fall (2022), however, I just let the lotus die back and left everything "as is" in their containers out in the yard with no special protection. Now, this spring, there are new leaves beginning to poke through the layers of dried and rotting old leaves. I am wondering if I can just add water as needed to keep the water level up and skip cleaning out the plant debris for a couple of years.

Is this safe? My main concerns are if this will promote some dangerous bacteria growth and/or if there will be an awful, far reaching smell come summer. I don't care how the water looks. Thanks for any help

I live in Maryland Zone 7a

The first photo demonstrates how things looked in prior springs after tubers were brought out of storage and planted in new soil and water. The second photo is how things look this spring after the whole lotus plants were left in their containers over winter.

 

[Tula]

I don't have experience growing lotus, but imagine you could pick our the dead debris, add planting media if needed, fertilize and add water. I don't groom my water lilies every year.

Others with experience growing lotus @addy1 and @Lisak1 to name a couple, will know more

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I don't do lotus, but I'd personally pick out all that random debris.

 

[j.w]

I agree, get rid of all that dead rubbish!

 

[mrsclem]

I'm in your area and have several pots of lotus. Some dried out last fall and most got covered with leaves. I was sure that since we're completely dry and we had freezing Temps they would all be dead. Leaves coming up on every one! I hate cleaning out all the nasty muck so pull out most and then flood the containers.

 

[addy1]

I leave the muck in my lotus tub. 300 gallon. I have not cleaned it ever. The plants bloom beautifully.

 

[Mpig]

Thank you to all for your input. I did try to remove some of the debris from the very top, but I probably waited to long.to do so. Just like mrsclem, I have new leaves popping up everywhere and I couldn't clean around them that well. I am very encouraged by Addy1 's success with a "let it be" approach and hope I have the same results. Thanks again everyone for your help.

 

[addy1]

by Addy1 's success with a "let it be" approach and hope I have the same results. Thanks again everyone for your help.

That is the way I take care of a lot of plants. They do fine without my intervention. I do groom and feed the pond lilies. Once a year.
The lotus get dirty pond water, any plant that grows and dies in the tub adds to the nutrients. They are in their own 300 gallon tub, in the ponds water flow loop

This picture a few weeks ago.