Any reason to not use recycling bin to plant a lotus?

[Linda W]

I‘m about to plant my first mini-lotus. (Yaaay!) The shelf in my pond is about 18” deep. I happen to have this blue plastic recycling container which never held anything worse than wine bottles, tomato cans, and newspapers. It‘s solid, with no holes. Dimensions are 14”x19”x13”. That's just an inch or so wider than the shelf. The top would be about 4” deep. I’m planning to put in a few rocks for stability, add kitty litter, the lotus, and some fertilizer tabs, and top with small river rocks. The white “we recycle” printing is only on one side, so I can face it against the pond wall and still laugh to know it is there.

Does anything about this plan make you think “Oh no! Don’t do it!” ? I was looking at special lotus tubs, but they are so shallow that I’d have to put a support under it.

 

[addy1]

i would think it would work just fine!

 

[mrsclem]

Nope- lotus need round containers. The tubers cannot spread in a container with corners.

 

[addy1]

Nope- lotus need round containers. The tubers cannot spread in a container with corners.

Never knew that all of my lotus containers have been round. Same with the lilies, round.

Guess they run in to a corner and get stuck

 

[Linda W]

Nope- lotus need round containers. The tubers cannot spread in a container with corners.

Thanks! At first I thought you were just teasing the newbie, but The Pond Digger agrees: “Furthermore, because of their fragility, it is best to plant [lotus] in large, round containers with plenty of room so they don’t get wedged or jammed in any corners, in turn stunting their grown or worse – killing them. Use the largest, roundest container that will fit in the desired space.”

My dilemma now is that the shelf is only 18” wide. I could use a smaller, round container or put rocks in the corners of the recycling bin to round it out somewhat. Another option would be to heap the kitty litter along the shelf for three or so feet and just let it run free. The pond is 8’x12’ and 3‘ deep, with a waterfall on either end of the long axis.

 

[poconojoe]

Nope- lotus need round containers. The tubers cannot spread in a container with corners.

Wow!
I too thought you were joking at first.

 

[mrsclem]

You can always put it in a container next to the pond. The whiskey barrel planters are a good size. I don't have any of mine in the pond, all in containers in front yard .

 

[Linda W]

You can always put it in a container next to the pond...

Good idea but LOL! Reminds me of the time I remodeled the kitchen because the stove wouldn’t cook rice well, then while I was at it did that whole half of the house. Then I found out a rice cooker would have solved my problem.

 

[brokensword]

Good idea but LOL! Reminds me of the time I remodeled the kitchen because the stove wouldn’t cook rice well, then while I was at it did that whole half of the house. Then I found out a rice cooker would have solved my problem.

but, was the stove square edged or round? Maybe that might have made a difference too!

j/k

 

[brokensword]

Nope- lotus need round containers. The tubers cannot spread in a container with corners.

@mrsclem ; how did you find this out? Experience? It does boggle the mind that any plant would be bound by a corner, though. Almost makes me want to try the experiment...almost!

 

[mrsclem]

I spent a lot of money on my 1st lotus plant and it died in less than 6 months so I started reading. William Tricker had a lot of info on growing lotus and of course Google. If you have every grown one and repotted it, the roots and tubers grow in a circular pattern. Similar to having a shark in a tank, they need a circular or oval tank or they just bump into the walls.

 

[addy1]

Another option would be to heap the kitty litter along the shelf for three or so feet and just let it run free.

No you will regret that. I had a dwarf lotus jump its pot, it took over the small pond it was in really quick.
Either I read that when I planted the lotus or just lucked out (been many years now) they have always been in round containers.