I recently bought lotus seeds on E-bay, followed the growing directions, and lo and behold, they are sprouting!!! My question - once the leaves start, can I put this in pea gravel in the pond?? All my other plants are in pea gravel and seem to do fine. IF it can, how do I put it in - just make an indentation and cover it a bit with gravel?
Thanks for your help.
Glenda
Planting Lotus in Pea Gravel??
Glenda...my Lotus...I put in their own pots ... and remember they only like water 2" just over the small starts...
the adults only want 6" of water over the roots.
Keep them so you can watch and keep them safe.
Stephanie
http://www.waterpondfarm.com
Hi Glenda
I'm glad to find a fellow Canadian-maybe we can trade
pond plants-between my father and I we have 30 different
varieties of water lilies! We got the waterbug bad!!!
Another good site for lotuses is:
http://www.botany.com/nelumbo.html
This message was edited Thursday, Jul 24th 2:15 AM
Hi Lilypon. Nice to meet you. I have a few lilies in my pond, but have no idea of their varieties or names. I have only been ponding a short time. We have an 1800 gallon cement pond that we inherited with our house. But we have fun with it. Have many goldfish that have survived for three years now. I have just been doing some trades here with someone who has given me tons of parrots feather, fairy moss,frog bit, and water iris. I am going there agina today to get more. She must have a very prolific pond as it just keeps growing!!!!! My lotus seeds are doing well. The first sprout is out. Do you think it will do ok just in pea gravel??? And should I put it in a small pot first, and then move ti to a larger one as it grows??
Keep in touch.
Glenda
Hi Glenda
Funny you should say it was a cement pond that started it-
that's just what happened to me.
As far as lotuses go-mine was started from a piece of
tuber-I haven't started one by seed. I did read that
garden dirt was good to grow them in so that is what I
planted mine in. Mine is Charles Thomas, a smaller lotus,
and we have him growing in a two foot round tub about 6
inches high. It has travelled so quickly around that tub
that I'm sure it would be a good size for a seedling-even
of a larger lotus-but you would have to pot yours up. I
didn't use gravel in my pot-I'm leary of the growing tip
being damaged so I just made sure the tuber was buried in
the muck with the growing tip sitting above the soil line.
We will have to keep in touch-good luck with your baby!
Lilypon
Love your name! I live 4 miles from Lilypons in Maryland. Have not started any water gardens yet, but look forward to it in the future. Welcome to DG!
Hi Dea
I do too-I had to celebrate my finding a N.Lilypons
somehow. In Canada it is difficult to find some of
the more exotic hardys-N.Wow was another great find
this summer. When you decide to start ponding you
won't regret it-some of the most beautiful flowers
I have ever seen reside in my pond-just make sure you
buy from a supplier that sells water lilies guaranteed
to be true to name!
umm I dont know how true it is, but I read that goldfish LOVE to nibble the soft new shoots of lotus and you should protect them or they will mow em down-----if your on the cheap side as I am ---- you might want to stop by a florist and pick up a lotus pod--I think I paid 50 cents for two and they sprout even if they are old as dirt. someone here might be able to hyper link you to a site on how to start them. I used a grinder, and soaked them in a glass of water they sprouted after about ten days. worth a shot.
Mine did good in pea gravel last year - kind of stayed small tho.....This year I put them in soil (added fertilizer)and topped it off with the pea gravel and now they are doing better than last year, so large now.....