Preparing Lotus for planting

[greatbarrierreef]

I overwintered my lotus, which started up from a seed last year, and I kept it in a plastic bin indoors with a thick towel covering the top to prevent freezing. I hadn't checked up on it for about a month until yesterday and I noticed some colorless stems (I don't know if this is normal) sprouted. The weather is finally warming up over here and I wanted to harvest the tuber so I could replant it, but now I'm not sure if I should leave it alone or if it is fine to go ahead and remove the tuber. Any thoughts or advice?

 

[mrsclem]

The colorless stems are leaves, pale because the plant hasn't got enough sunlight. Is that just one seedling? The plant may not have formed much of a tuber yet and since it is actively growing, I would not attempt to repot it. Best to repot them before they send up new leaves.

 

[greatbarrierreef]

The colorless stems are leaves, pale because the plant hasn't got enough sunlight. Is that just one seedling? The plant may not have formed much of a tuber yet and since it is actively growing, I would not attempt to repot it. Best to repot them before they send up new leaves.

Yea, this is just from one seedling from last year. Will the pale stems still form healthy leaves with sunlight or do you think they will die off?

 

[addy1]

My lotus have been planted for years, this time of year the stems and leaves are all pale. Until they start hitting the surface, open up and get going for the season.

 

[greatbarrierreef]

The colorless stems are leaves, pale because the plant hasn't got enough sunlight. Is that just one seedling? The plant may not have formed much of a tuber yet and since it is actively growing, I would not attempt to repot it. Best to repot them before they send up new leaves.

My lotus have been planted for years, this time of year the stems and leaves are all pale. Until they start hitting the surface, open up and get going for the season.

This is what the tuber looks like. Best picture I could take right now

 

[mrsclem]

Since you have it out of the pot, I would go ahead and divide it. Watch some of the videos on YouTube. Just be careful not to damage the grow tips. Looks like you are going to need several pots!

 

[greatbarrierreef]

Since you have it out of the pot, I would go ahead and divide it. Watch some of the videos on YouTube. Just be careful not to damage the grow tips. Looks like you are going to need several pots!

I think I’m looking to only do one pot since I don’t have much space. I mainly want to divide it so I can get rid of the nest of roots and make it look cleaner when I replant

 

[addy1]

Be gentle, it has growth tips, the tubers are fragile at this point. And the lotus does not care if it is not pretty root wise.

 

[brokensword]

what addy said in spades; lotus if bruised/broken will not do well for you and could die. Were it mine and since it's already growing, I'd wait until next year when it's dormant.

 

[greatbarrierreef]

what addy said in spades; lotus if bruised/broken will not do well for you and could die. Were it mine and since it's already growing, I'd wait until next year when it's dormant.

Be gentle, it has growth tips, the tubers are fragile at this point. And the lotus does not care if it is not pretty root wise.

I suppose you're right, if I were to divide it then I should have done it sooner, around late-March. I'll leave it as is this year since it has begun sprouting. Will it matter if it becomes more crowded? Because it is already snug in the current pot it is in, but I don't have space for a larger one

 

[mrsclem]

It will grow outside the pot! If you can put the pot in a larger container with water that will give it growing room.