Are these tubers or runners?
I bought them on ebay
the 2 small ones are Momo Botan
the bigger one is called
Birthdays peach
They were not wicked expensive but not sure if they were worth it
When I opened the 2 littles ones my heart just dropped
I know its a dwarf but they look like a runner to me
But
I have had really rotten luck with lotus
so I really am expecting the worse....LOL
The first two are runners and the third is a tuber, it looks a little small but it's a nice one. I see two growing tips!
The first runner should grow for you as long as that's a growing tip that I think I see. The second one looks dead. That whitish color is good, that's how they are supposed to look.
Be very carefull not to break the tips off, if you do, it kills the tuber. I found the best way to grow lotus here in zone 5 is to put it into it's own mini bog. Dig a hole a minimum of 2 ft. deep (it's a frost line thing) and 3 ft. wide (because they need lots of room). Put liner in it and put most of the dirt back in. Fill the bog with water so that you have 2 to 4 inches of standing water. Put your tuber on top of the dirt with the growing tip pointing up. You can weigh it down with a rock or brick to keep in from floating up. Do not fertilize it until you have at least one standing leaf. If all goes well you should have blooms from the tuber this summer.
It's still kinda cold out so if you plant it in a bog now, cover it with plastic at night and when it's cold out. If you start it in a big pot, be very careful when placing it in your bog. The tuber will send runners that will wind around the bottom of a pot like a wreath and you can reach down and carefully lift the whole thing and just place it on top of the bog.
Lotus love cold winters, they need that dormant period. I have not had success over wintering them in pots because they freeze solid and stay frozen for ever and that kills the tubers. You have to be able to keep the pots at winter temps without them freezing solid, I can't do that. I also killed the ones that I had potted in the bottom of my pond. It's like they drowned, needed more dirt and less water. In the bog they grow down and deep fast and the tubers do not freeze like they do it pots. They like it warm to grow and don't do much until the nights are on the warm side, then they take off like crazy.
Yes, I agree the one on the right is a tuber the others are runners.
will runners grow and bloom?
Yes, it should bloom the second year for sure, maybe even this year if you have a lot of sunshine and warm nights throughout the summer.
This message was edited Mar 27, 2005 12:57 PM
Yes, I think runners become tubers in time and bloom-probably not this year. When I divided my Chawan Basu I had a small mass of runners that I couldnt trade or sell so I put them in a pot of their own and maybe they will be tubers by next year :)
thats encouraging
But I now feel like I was ripped off
What a surprize!
Dont feel ripped off. The one in the middle is kinda pititful to me but I am not familiar with that lotus so I'm not a good judge.
Even with the smaller lotus, I think you have to have a definate swelling for it to be considered a tuber. Some folks are out to make a quick buck and some just dont know any better.
Your runners will probably do well if you care for them-you just may have to wait longer for them to bloom.
OK
They are being potted up and put in the GH
You are going to have to give us lotus updates so we know how your new babies do.
If you bid on tubers and not runners, I would definately let the seller know that you received such and such a number of runners and such and such of tubers. If they advertised tubers and sent those exact plants, I would be upset too. If you saw the pic of those exact pics and bid anyway...I am betting you didn't know exactly what you would get.
Yes, I do agree with Badseed.
I think you have a right to be displeased with the 2 runners and I personally would tell the seller just that. The 2 on the left are runners not tubers.
I just meant that all hope is not lost as they may still grow-if I had purchased those runners I would complain .
Hey Charlotte! Since I keep seeing you here, I have to tell you, my Perry Slocum is taking off in the greenhouse!!
Thank goodness, I am so glad. I love lotus-they are edible but who could afford to eat them !!! I traded for a new Grand Slam tuber and it is doing well also !
This is how it was worded
This is a beautiful Double Rose dwarf lotus. This is a well developed tuber, not a runner. It will flower this season if fertilized and grown in full sun. The Momo Botan is a small to medium sized lotus which will accomadate almost any size pond. It grows 2-4 ft. tall and can be grown in any pot 10 in. dia. Or larger. Buyer pays $4.95 for s&h via priority mail. For combined shipping, add $1 for each additional plant.
I paid 15.55 plus shipping
Do you think I should say something?
Well, I would. In my opinion that is way too much money for a runner !
