lotus tuber

brandonsdad02

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My lotus tuber is starting to get sprouts. What is the best way to plant this in my pond?
 

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addy1

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They like to be under 10 inches more or less of water, if any leaves are present have the plant high enough to float on the surface of the water. I use kitty clay for mine and in a pot
 

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Sorry, Brandonsdad, but you'll wait a LONGGGG time to get a lotus from that. It's a winter bulb from an arrowhead plant.
John
 

addy1

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Sorry, Brandonsdad, but you'll wait a LONGGGG time to get a lotus from that. It's a winter bulb from an arrowhead plant.
John

lol didn't even notice it was not a tuber or a lotus seed, good call haro
 

brandonsdad02

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Sorry, Brandonsdad, but you'll wait a LONGGGG time to get a lotus from that. It's a winter bulb from an arrowhead plant.
John

Dude...talk about deputy downer... :sad: Bummer but at least I can hope it will turn into a lotus....The lady we got this from said it was in her lotus tub, but her pond was badly overgrown with lilies, dwarf cattails and arrowhead plants.

My wife wants a lotus really bad but from what I'm reading they are hard to get started.
 

taherrmann4

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Here is another thread that has some good documentation on how to get a lotus started from seed. I bought the dried lotus flowers from Hobby Lobby and have tried them several times in several different ways. I almost always got a leaf to sprout but then it either died or something dug it out. This year I even tried starting them in my aquarium, got one really long stem with a leaf and then it died. Then once it got warm enough I put some in a pot in my yard filled with water and just let it go and it has developed three leaves so far, one of them fell off but there are currently two with another one starting so I have high hopes. It has been very challenging to get these to grow, but it has been fun trying.

Here is the link to the other thread.
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/topic/6984-michaels-dry-lotus-flower-seeds/
 
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I read on a previous thread about starting Lotus from Lotus seeds harvested from the dried Lotus pods you can purchase from the floral design department 2 yoru local craft store. I purchased some pods from Michaels and pried the seed out of the pids. I then tried everything I could to get through the hard shell of the nut w/o removing a finger. I finally used a pair of nail clippers (large ones) and chipped through the shell until I saw the cram of the nut. I then put them in a tall class (used one of the red lobster lighthouse glasses) w hot tap water and changed the water every day or sometime 2X/day. Here is what grew for me: I then bought the plastic mesh waste basker from $Tree and added a split pool noodle to the outer edge, put in a coconut liner at the very bottom, added cat clay and burried the sprouts in the clay. I then floated the mesh planter in the pond. The pic you see here is the one I put in a pool noodled planter but the sprouts were not deep enough so I planted the whole shebang in the mesh wastebasket planter. I will have to go out and take a pic of how they have grown. The mest wastebasker "planter" is also used to float my hyacinth in. It is deep enough to allow the roots to grow and not get munched on by my GF and couple Koi. :goldfish: I just bought a few more and these were white in color and only $1.00 each. The coconut liners were $1, as was a 7# bag of cat clay and the pool noodles. I look for the pool noodles that are grooved down the length. I then slice them 3 "bumps" and 2 "bumps"...the floral type noodles have 5 grooves down the length. I then zip tie a 3 "bump" length to heavy pots or things are heavy to float and 2 bumps or 1 bump things that are lighter. I have done this for the past 3 years and they work Gr8. After 2 years though, you need to replace the noodles as they get"tires" from the sun. They are very colorful in my pond/pool. :)
 

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cool i have something to look forward to as well... i am raising from seeds as well and so far after transplanting one to a container and putting in pond it is still alive...
 

taherrmann4

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A fairly easy way to get through the outer shell on the seed is to use a hacksaw. I put the hacksaw upside down in my vice then take the seed between my fingers and rub it against the blade, as i break through the outer shell I rotate it until I have cut through it all the way around. Then I take a small screwdriver and put it in the cut then twist, this will pop the end off. I can do one seed in about 2 minutes.
 
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Thought of the hacksaw, but worried I would lose a finger in the process. :sad: Tried a file and no go then I thought of the nail clippers...small one too small, large one just right. Worked for me! ;) And I did not have to borrow DH's hacksaw nor lose a finger. My largest lotus leave is now about the size of a nice sized silver dollar pancake. I forgot to grab the camera last evening but have it in the ready today so I can snap a pic once it gets close to the side. :goldfish:
 
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:goldfish: I just remembered to snap a pic of my Lotus Sprouts. I think I cracked the nut(s) in late MArch or early April ^_^ I believe I floated them in early May but they did not do much until I transplanted floating them around the middle of May. That was when I used the mesh basket float so the nut would be quite low in the kitty litter in the water and the leaf floated to the top. Since we have had such warm weather, they have really grown from nickel size to the larger one about the size of a good sized silver dollar pancake...possibly 2 1/2 - 3" across. They like the warmer water and the sunshine! ;) I may have to divide them soon as they are outgrowing the floating baskets...may have to put one in each basket to allow for them to continue to grow. I am pretty proud of them, though :luxlove: :goldfish:
 

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LOL You would ask that question I would say possiby 6 but :dunno: . I started a couple for a friend, but she canceled and I just put hers in with mine. I have found, if you remove the hard shell casing completely, the plant fails to sprout. Not sure why. I had a couple that cracked so good while soaking them, I removed the hard casing and dropped the cream center into the water and they softened, one got a small sprout but it died as the cream part got softer and softer. Maybe they need to stay encased in the nut until the sprouts survive and start to leaf. This is my first experience sprouting them and I am kinda of pumped that, so far, I have been successful. I also kind of marvel I was able to do so with lotus pods from the floral design department of Michaels! :LOL:


:goldfish:
 
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great.. i too am excited and going outside to pond to see how much if any it has grown.. i did 2 seeds and one i put in planter in pond the other is still in a glass of water.. i had a heck of a time sanding down the outside enough to go from brown to a light color and my seed pods took a long time before something started.. i did get mine online from somewhere in the midwest though
 

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