Winterizing lotus

[milhousebarks]

Hi,
I have a lotus (Momo Botan) that currently sprawls across 2 14" pots after jumping out of one and into the other mid summer. I'm in VA, just outside Washington DC and we may get some night time temps in the 20s a few nights this week and I want to get everything to the bottom of the pond before I can't stand putting my hands in... okay maybe it is already too late for that.

Because the lotus is in big pots and I have a small pond, I want to get those down first. Besides the 2 lilies in the pond, I also have another 6 in containers I need to move to the pond so it will be very cramped.

Almost all the leaves on the lotus are dead, but there are still a couple that have some green standing over the water. So my question is is it okay to cut those leaves and drop the pot to the bottom or does that risk drowning or otherwise killing the lotus. I know it is no problem to trim up the lilies, but I'm a bit worried about the lotus.

Any advice?

 

[addy1]

I have read that, but have also cut come while green (an oppppss lol) they tubers have done fine. So I am not sure.

This is from the web in caring for lotus:

In late fall, the yellowed foliage should be cut off and the plant lowered to the deepest part of the pond.

Care: Remove spent flowers and old brown leaves. Do not cut the stems below the waterline as they are hollow and you can drown the plant.

Lotus are heavy feeders and perform best when grown in a rich soil. When growing in a large bowl or pond, only fertilise once standing leaves emerge in spring. This does not mean floating leaves but leaves that actually stand up above the waterline. In Melbourne’s cooler climate it will be typically in late spring. Push 1 or 2 of our pond plant fertiliser tablets into the soil near the plant. Do this every month until the end of summer. Do not fertilise in Autumn or Winter. We don’t do it in Autumn because the plant should not be fed in the six weeks before dormancy.

 

[milhousebarks]

Thanks addy1. So it sounds like I'll probably have a reasonable chance of keeping it alive if I have to cut a few green leaves/stems. The good news (or bad news for me I guess) is that I got so tied up with raking leaves and taking down a small black cherry tree that I didn't get to the pond. So it has one more week to go fully brown on top. But man is that water going to be cold by next weekend.

I'm also hoping cutting the runner between the 2 pots won't create a problem, but there isn't much choice with that one since I can't keep them together while lowering them.

 

[addy1]

I have cut the runners will out killing the tuber, that should be fine.