If the lotus flowers and seed pods grow well, will the lotus root yield be affected?

Entering summer, the thing I most love to look at is the lotus. The lotus leaves, lotus flowers and seed pods in the lotus pond are very beautiful. Especially after rain, wave after wave of lotus fragrance greets you, very pleasant. But when I picked lotus leaves as a child, there really were old people who stopped me, saying that if you pick the lotus leaves the lotus root will die. Today Xiaonong will chat with everyone about some little facts regarding lotus root.

Now let's talk about the issue of lotus flowers and seed pods. Many people really love lotus flowers. The lotus flower, as the flower bud of the lotus root, actually consumes a large amount of nutrients during the growing period. Growers generally choose to bend the lotus flower over in time, which can prevent nutrient loss, and when bending it is best not to break it off, otherwise rainwater will enter the rhizome through the stomata and cause the lotus root to rot.

The lotus seed pod, as the fruit of the lotus root, has both edible value and medicinal value. As for the question of whether picking the seed pods affects the lotus root, the effect does actually exist, although by the time the seed pods mature it is already late summer, and after picking at this time the lotus stalks wither quickly, so rainwater rarely enters the roots. The lotus root will not be damaged too seriously.

However, during the growing period the seed pod consumes a large amount of nutrients. Picking the seed pods can reduce the nutrients supplied to the fruit, conserving nutrients to supply the rhizome and promoting the growth and swelling of the lotus root. From this view, picking the lotus flowers and seed pods in time is actually somewhat beneficial to the growth of the lotus root. But if it is an ornamental lotus, it is still better not to pick them, since the beautiful scenery belongs to everyone.

Finally, let's mention the issue of lotus leaves. Lotus leaves are the main site of photosynthesis for the lotus root and play an important role in its growth. Ordinarily, if we pick one or two lotus leaves, it does not have much effect on the growth of the lotus root. But if we pick lotus leaves in large quantities, then it does affect the growth of the lotus root. Think about it: the lotus root grows underwater, its respiration is relatively weak, and it mainly relies on the lotus leaves for photosynthesis, so without the lotus leaves the lotus root naturally will not grow well. Moreover, the stems of the lotus leaves are hollow, and when picking the leaves you may bring sewage and rainwater into the stems, causing damage to the growth of the lotus root at the bottom. So many farmers who grow lotus root are quite resentful of people who pick the lotus leaves.

The above is original from Science Xingnong.