Lotus question

[bagsmom]

That was one of the varieties I considered getting. It's LOVELY!
I know they don't like to be disturbed once they are growing. I will probably just evaluate how they do -- and keep track of where the most sun is -- then move them in the winter.

 

[tbendl]

If we are both lucky, maybe we can swap some tubers someday. Hehe

 

[bagsmom]

If we are both lucky, maybe we can swap some tubers someday. Hehe

I hope so!

 

[addy1]

Mine are in that 300 gallon stock tank and growing together, not ever going to try and remove any. I would have to muck out that stinky tank dig way down to find the tubers. I let them do what they want to do.

 

[tbendl]

If mine survives and thrives, I'm going to try it in my stock tank that's in a little shade. Then it can do what it wants there as well!

 

[cas]

Please post updates on your lotus @bagsmom , @tbendl and @Tula . I have always been tempted to plant a lotus but wasn't sure I could keep it alive.

 

[addy1]

Please post updates on your lotus @bagsmom , @tbendl and @Tula . I have always been tempted to plant a lotus but wasn't sure I could keep it alive.

Get a tuber weigh it down with a rock on top of kitty litter, dirt what ever, let it grow...................That is all I did to start 6-7 years ago, then I tossed them all out of their containers, with the muck into a 300 gallon tub, tossed kitty litter on top they are doing great. They are fragile when growing.

 

[bagsmom]

Please post updates on your lotus @bagsmom , @tbendl and @Tula . I have always been tempted to plant a lotus but wasn't sure I could keep it alive.

The jury is still out on mine. Since this is a first time experiment, I'm not sure what to expect. I bought two tubers from two different places and got a couple pass-alongs from a fellow ponder. Two are in containers in the main pond and two are in a separate designated pool. All have sent up leaves that are floating on the water surface. All of those leaves look kind of yucky. Crunchy "burned" looking on the edges. I don't know if these will rise up and out of the water eventually, or if the floating leaves are a precursor to the leaves that will be above the water? Right now, our temps are a mixed bag. We've been in the upper 70s / lower 80s for a good while. But we've had some low 50s in the mornings and Saturday morning is predicted to be mid 40s. I'm hoping that more summery temps will make the lotus happier. I've also noted that I over-estimated the amount of sun the area gets. I might need to thin out some branches to open up and get a little more sun.
I will try to get some current pix.

 

[Lisak1]

I don't know about your crunchy brown leaves @bagsmom but I do know that the aerial leaves are different than the floaters. Your lotuses (loti? haha!) will end up with both types. I might venture a guess that it's the cooler temps that are causing the damage you're seeing - lotuses definitely prefer the warm, sunny days. Just like me!

 

[addy1]

First you get floating leaves, then the above water leaves come up. Once I wander outside I will take you a picture of what mine look like right now.

Ok walked out to the deck and took a long distance shot for you, see the floaters, then look at the long stick looking things to the right of the picture, those are the out of water tall leaves and stems coming up.

The green floaty stuff is the hornwort and anacharis taking off. I found three fish in the tank, eggs or fry that survived the wild ride though a plumbing, pump, garden hose, waterfall to live in the tank. Oh and through the first pond to the second pond down another small waterfall.

 

[Lisak1]

haha! Come enjoy @addy1 's amusement park for fish!

 

[cas]

@addy1 did you always have the lotus in a container that was circulated with pond water? If I try one I will probably have it separate from the pond.

 

[addy1]

@addy1 did you always have the lotus in a container that was circulated with pond water? If I try one I will probably have it separate from the pond.

I started with them in the pond in some big containers, they constantly blew over, mine are 4-5 feet tall when grown.

I then put them in individual big rope handle containers from Walmart, 5 containers in a 300 gallon stock tank. Then a few years later, tossed them all out of those containers and let them co-mingle in the 300 gallon tank. I have not added fertilizer for years now, do not clean the tank, it stinks if you stir it up.

The water comes unfiltered from the big pond, a hose T off the line feeding the bog, into a garden hose that waterfalls into the first small pond, the second one is the 300 gallon lotus stock tank.

follow the red line from the right to the small ponds............that is the garden hose path, then you can see the arrows showing the water flow into the smaller ponds, back into the big pond.

This is last years flowers

 

[tbendl]

Oh my goodness they are so cool looking!! I'm hoping my medium sized one won't still be too large for my pond. If it is, I'm moving it to a small stock tank and hope it gets enough sun to survive.
So you plant it like a lily then Addy? I thought I had to wait and keep it shallow until it sent up leaves, then gradually lower it to the bottom>

 

[addy1]

I planted mine around 18 inches down, on kitty litter, but just hold the tuber down with a rock, do not bury it.