How big a pond do you need to keep lotus? I remember years ago seeing some in Pittsburgh (where I was living at the time) and I think they were flowering in some not so big containers? The park near my house has a pond full of Nelumbo lutea and really there is nothing more beatiful when they are blooming.
Is there such a thing as a miniature lotus?
Lotus and Pond Size
Growing them in a container is suggested.....esp in our lower zones where they will have to be brought inside.
Dwarf lotus can be grown in a pot.... it's hardy to zone 4 (as long as the tuber can be kept from freezing).
Dwarf Lotus - Nelumbo 'Momo Botan' - Double Pink
Deep rosy red double flowers, lasting up to 6 days -
Suitable for small pond, tub, or pot
Grows to 2 feet high
Dwarf Lotus - Nelumbo 'Chawan Basu' - Single White
White flowers with pink tips, 5 inches across
Leaves to 15 inches across
A Japanese lotus, grows to 2 feet high
Good for containers, tubs, or pots
Little larger than the above is Nelumbo 'Charles Thomas'
it's one I'm growing and needs a little larger container (mine's 2 1/2 feet across).
There are some that grow to around 12 inches high.......I've seen the above two also listed to be at that height as well as some others.
This message was edited Aug 24, 2005 8:19 PM
Lotus cultivation
Lotus are generally grown from rhizomes planted in late May or early June. If a lotus is to be grown in a pond or pool, it should be planted in shallow water (15 to 50 cm below the surface), directly in the bottom or in a container 30 cm tall and 50 cm across. The water temperature must be at least 18°C during the growing season. The soil must be quite rich, i.e. one part loam, one part leaf mold, compost or well-aged manure and one part clay soil. Slow-dissolving fertilizer, such as bone meal, may also be added.
A lotus may also be grown in a pot, which should be 60 cm in both height and diameter. The advantage of this method is that the water will warm up faster and the plant flower earlier. Place a 25 to 30 cm thick layer of the appropriate soil mixture in the bottom of the pot. Plant the rhizome horizontally, on a slight angle, and cover all but the last 2.5 cm of the growing tip with soil.
Then cover the growing tip with 10 cm of water. Gradually raise the level of the water until it is about 20 to 25 cm deep, as the heat of the sun will encourage the foliage to emerge quickly. Blooms will appear earlier if the rhizome is placed in a container in a hothouse heated to 18 to 22°C.
Feuilles flottantes de lotus The lotus prefers a very sunny location. Cooler temperatures may cause the plant to go into dormancy, and it may be difficult to coax it to rebloom. For better growth and flowering, slow-release fertilizer tablets may be used once a month, and the first flowers should be removed as soon as they fade.
The lotus is normally propagated by rhizome division, with two or three eyes being kept on each section. It can also be propagated from seed. Lotus seeds have a highly effective dormancy mechanism and require a number of specific steps to encourage them to germinate. The surface of the seeds must first be scarified to break the outer coating. Then they should be placed in a container, a drinking glass for instance, filled with a few centimeters of water, which must be changed daily. Each plant should be pricked out once two leaves emerge, along with rootlets. Plants started from seed in March may flower the first year, in August and September, while rhizomes planted in containers will flower in July.
In our climate, it is best to lift the rhizomes in the fall. They should be stored in their original soil, covered with 5 to 20 cm of water and kept cool (5° to 10°C), safe from any risk of freezing. Plants grown in the bottom of pools or ponds should be protected with sheets of plywood and polystyrene to protect the rhizomes from freezing. Containers may also be moved to a deeper part of the pond where the water does not freeze.
Plants should be divided every three or four years.
http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jardin/en/info_verte/feuillet_lotus/feuillet_lotus.htm
Conversion table: http://www.europebynet.com/cminches.html
Temperature best grown at is above 70F.
This message was edited Aug 24, 2005 7:53 PM
Lots of good info. Thanks. I'm going to see if I can buy some seeds.
Here's another one with American measurements....I followed the above directions with mine and was really pleased with the growth mine showed this year.
DESCRIPTION:
This large group of beautiful, aquatic perennials is commonly known as Lotus. These plants are suited for growing over most parts of the United States. They need enough summer warmth (two or three months of 75º - 85º F. temps.) to cause them to bloom. Lotuses won't do as well in the Deep South and Southwestern regions because there is too much heat and humidity.
There are only two wild species of Lotuses; the rest are hybrids. N. lutea is native to the U.S. and N. nucifera is native to the Philippines, the Orient, northern Australia, Egypt, and the Volga River delta at the Caspian Sea.
Lotus flowers are open for 3 days and some change colors in that time. The height, foliage and blossom size differs between the varieties. They produce large, bluish-gray, peltate leaves, which stand above the water when full-grown; they range in width from 12 to 30 inches. The flowers can grow anywhere from 4 to 12 inches across. They may grow from 21/2 to 6 feet high. There are some dwarf varieties that produce 2- to 4-inch blossoms and grow 10 to 12 inches; these plants are great for planting in containers. The seeds heads of these plants are very attractive and are commonly dried and used in floral arrangements.
N. Chawan Basu is a beautiful variety with white petals edged and veined with dark pink. N. Angel Wings has white petals that roll inward at the edges. Its large leaves are deeply cupped and wavy looking. N. Perry Super Star is an interesting kind that begins as a rich pink color, changing almost completely to yellow by the second day, and turning cream tipped with pink by the third day. N. Pekinensis Rubra has lovely red petals that fade to dark pink after the first day. Other Lotuses will be mentioned in the varieties section with a brief description of their blossom's colors.
POTTING:
Lotuses need wide, round containers in which to grow because their roots spread. A square or corrugated-sided container shouldn't be used because the growing tip of the tuber, which is very brittle, will grow into the corners and break, most likely causing the plant to die. For standard-sized Lotuses, a container 3 to 4 feet in diameter and 10 to 12 inches deep will be fine; dwarf varieties may be planted in smaller containers. Since these containers are large and not so easily moved, Lotuses are often planted in containers that act as their "ponds".
Set six aquatic fertilizer tabs evenly on the bottom of a container and cover with several inches of dirt. Place the tuber on the surface of the soil with the cut edge of the tuber against the edge of the pot. Put a flat rock on top of the tuber and carefully fill the container so that 2 or 3 inches of water covers the rhizome. Keep the pot in a warm, sunny location and add water as it evaporates. When the plant raises 5 or 6 leaves above the water, a thin layer of gravel or soil may be placed over the tuber. Don't cover the growing tip. The container may then be placed in the pond just below the surface, if desired. The plant should be fertilized sparingly the first year as too much may cause the foliage to "burn". A plant that is established can be fed every 3 or 4 weeks during their growing season. Care must be taken when inserting fertilizer tabs, because the growing tip and new growth can be damaged. The tubers may be lifted after the plant has died back in the fall. Store them in a cool, frost-free location until late spring. To help prevent mildew and rotting, store them in living sphagnum peat moss.
PROPAGATION:
While they are still dormant, cut the tubers into pieces containing at least one growing eye each. These may then be planted.
Seeds may also be used to increase your plants. The seeds must first be scarified by rubbing them gently on medium-grade sandpaper until the creamy inner seed coat can be seen. Don't rub into this or you will kill the seed. Place the seeds into a glass of non-chlorinated, warm water. The seeds that float should be thrown away since they are probably not fertile and will only cloud up the water. Change the water every day while you are waiting for them to sprout. Once you see the root emerge, pot them in 4-inch pots filled with good garden loam; a depression should be made and one seed should be set in each pot. Cover the root gently with soil or gravel. If you waited too long and the leaves started to grow, keep them free of soil as you cover the root. The seed should be set in warm water up to 2 inches deep; no more that that. Provide with as much light as possible until the water in your garden warms up to at least 60º F. At this time, plant your Lotuses in larger containers without drainage holes. Lotuses started from seeds will probably not bloom the first year.
VARIETIES: N. alba striata (white unevenly edged w/ red); N. Chawan Basu (white edged w/ dark pink); Momo Botan (dark rosy-pink); N. Pekinensis Rubra (red fading to dark pink).
Of N. lutea - Yellow Bird (yellow); Carolina Queen (pink w/ creamy bases); Mrs. Perry D. Slocum (1. Pink tinged w/ yellow 2. pink & yellow 3. Cream tinged w/ pink); Nikki Gibson (creamy yellow tipped w/ pink); Patricia Garrett (pink w/ darker tips and peachy-yellow centers); Perry's Super Star (1. Dark pink 2. mostly yellow 3. mostly cream tipped w/ pink).
Of N. nucifera - capsicum (pinkish-red); rosea (rose-pink w/ yellow centers); Angel Wings (white); Baby Doll (white tinged w/ pink); Ben Gibson (light yellow petal bases w/ red veins, pink petal tips); Charles Thomas (lavender-pink); Debbie Gibson (cream); Glen Gibson (pink w/ yellowish-orange bases); Gregg Gibson (lavender-pink); Maggie Belle Slocum (dark lavender-pink); Perry's Giant Sunburst (creamy petals w/ outer pale green petals).
http://www.botany.com/nelumbo.html
This message was edited Aug 26, 2005 11:11 AM