A park near me has a 30 or so acre pond with (a ton) lotus growing in it. I think it may be the kind native to America. What would be the best way to harvest some to bring to my pond?
harvesting wild lotus?
ask if you can go in and get a piece - make sure you gets roots. Some times they will let you if you ask them for a little piece. The other option is to wait untill they have seed pods above the water and dry - then you can harvest a few and try that way.
Make sure you get growing tips. It is not the best time of the year to get lotus, spring or fall is better. Not to discourage you but here is what I discovered trying to harvest some. The tubers are huge as you can imagine. You have to reach down into the muck and pull it out. You might try a three fork gardening tool or even a metal rake. Then you don't have to go in too deep. In fact you might can stay on the edge of the pond. Watch out for snakes, they love lotus ponds.
We decided to pot up some wild lotus one year. After it being in the pond for one year we cleaned out the pond and discovered the scariest root system you ever saw. It had burst through the big plastic nursery pot and had huge alien roots snaking all over. Creeps me out to think of it. Needless to say we got rid of it. Our pond is in the shade so it never did bloom well. I would recommend sticking with the store bought variety. Around here it is really aggressive and tries to take over one of our local lakes. And don't get me started on the snakes in it. Sorry that I'm a downer but that is our experience. SheVerne
That is the truth Verne. It takes a large pond to grow them. Some people like to hybridize with them but other than that I don't know anyone that grows them for fun.
even then it may not be worth it - water lilies give you a lot more for a lot less.
Would anyone have Nelumbo lutea/Yellow Lotus seeds to share?
Evert-I could probably get you some this summer if you don't mind waiting until they mature. There is a nature center in Memphis and the lakes there are loaded with lutea. In fact about every three years they have to drain and dredge out the lakes or the lotus would smother out everything else growing in them. Are you wanting to do some hybridizing? I know someone that took seeds to Asia so an horticulturist there could use them in a breeding program. LMK
Loretta
Evert
I have seeds and can send you.
Kaleem
I grow this one in my pond. Mine is in one of those big plastic tubs with the rope handles. I have only had it a few years and get 3-4 blooms per year. It really stands out with those huge leaves floating on air then the flowers are like rays of moonlight against all the green foliage. Good luck!
Hi Seed, I got some lotus seeds last year and just put slices in them and put them in pond mud and water and in a container! That was a few weeks ago, now the first seed I cut has 3 small green pads and I see other seeds that have lil green feelers comming to the top of the container! I forge the name right now, SOMEONE SPILLED COFFEE ON THE NAME SHEET :( Anyway I know I have to wait until next year for them to get larger and bloom, so how do you over winter yours? Oh, and please pm me Emily keeps asking me for your darling daughters addy so she can write :)
Thanks