Winter Dormancy: When to Repot Lotus, Water Lily, Mosaic and Carnivorous Plants?

We get a lot of people coming into the nursery here in Kilauea at the end of summer and into fall, asking:

What is wrong with my Lotus?

During the winter months many aquatic plants enter dormancy.  As the lower arc of the sun shortens daylight hours and lowers temperatures, lotus plants generally stop blooming.  By the end of summer, blooms will be spent, and no new leaves will sprout after October.  On the surface the plant may appear dead; it is not! Trim leave stalks above the high-water level and allow them to sleep until spring.  Wait until the leaves turn brown and lower your lotus pot to the bottom of your water garden or move to the shade and top with water over the winter. Be sure not to fertilize your lotus while they are dormant, as this can shock the plant. Lotus plants typically start to come out of dormancy in February or March, which is the perfect time for its annual re-pot to give the plant new nutrients for a full and vibrant summer bloom. Wait for three standing (aerial) leaves before fertilizing every two weeks for the spring/summer growing season. If you would like to learn more about this, keep an eye out for our annual Lotus class hosted every spring at Garden Ponds Nursery in Kilauea.

When to Repot Water Lilies?

Water lilies, however, can be repotted up until mid-December. Repotting from late December into January may be too stressful for the plant.  Some lily varieties stop growing or slow their growth significantly during these winter months and may not recover well from the shock of repotting. Most tropical water lilies will continue to flower all year-round. Hardy water lilies go dormant in the winter, however, and most will keep sending new leaves. If your lily is still growing and blooming over the winter months, continue to fertilize it.  Do not fertilize hardy water lilies, lotus, or dormant tropical water lilies over the winter.  Fertilizing a plant that is not in a growth phase may push it into shock or kill it.  Let them sleep, and they will awake in the spring.  Upon awakening, you can repot, and continue fertilizing monthly.

Never fertilize carnivorous plants, as they get their nutrition from eating insects (and we don’t want to discourage that!).

Luckily, we can continue to enjoy our beautiful water gardens here on Kauai (frost free) throughout the winter.  As we move into the next phase of our season, we can let dormant plants rest and allow water lilies that bloom year-round to take center stage.  We recommend lowering your lotus, dormant lilies and mosaic plants to the bottom of your water garden and adding a year-round bloomer on top.  Some lilies that bloom continually throughout the year include Terri Dunn, Ruby, Madame G Walska, Innocence, Tina, Star of Siam, Lindsay Woods, Dauben, Purple Joy (shown), Islamorada, White Delight, Charles Thomas, and more. Come see what we have here at our nursery in Kilauea and welcome the joy of water lily blooms all winter long.

What About the Mosaic Plant?

The mesmerizing, geometric mosaic plant also shows signs of dormancy in the winter here in Hawai’i.  Mosaics are a tropical plant, and our sub-tropical climate does not supply them with the amount of sunlight they prefer.  They do, however receive enough sun to live through the winter and bounce back in summer.  Mosaic plant dormancy is evident by reduced size of new growth, and less vibrant leaf colors. Mosaic plants do not require winter-repotting.  These beautiful plants will stay green year-round in Hawai’i and provide color on the surface of your water garden and shade for the ecosystem below. Six or more hours of full sun a day is ideal to keep this plant going over the winter.

What is Wrong with my Carnivorous Plant?

Carnivorous plants often go dormant in the winter months.  Cut back any dead growth and let them rest until spring.  Divide and repot carnivorous plants in November and December while they are dormant. We use a soil mix of perlite, peat moss and vermiculite for our carnivorous plants.  Never fertilize carnivorous plants, as they get their nutrition from eating insects (and we don’t want to discourage that!).

Keep an eye out for our Annual Lotus Class in the spring or sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date with class announcements!

We are located in Kilauea, next to the Kauai Mini Golf and are open Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Give us a call at 808-828-6400 or visit us at gardenpondskauai.com to find out more. Register for classes via Eventbrite HER