When I started entertaining the idea of growing lotus I asked a "professional" who was speaking on water gardening how often he divided his. He replied, "3 to 5 years."
Today is St. Patrick's day March 17, 2009. The weather has been in the 70's today here in Claremore, Oklahoma. This is how I divided a pot of 'Empress' lotus.
The first thing I did was pull the pot out of the pond.
The next thing I did was turn the pot over.
I've got the nozzle of my hose set on full and I start to rinse the soil away from the tubers.
As more soil is rinsed away, you start to see the old dead "mother" tubers as well as the good tubers to replant.
The darker shriveled tuber is dead.
Here is a future growing tip on the tuber. These tips are fragile, so take your time as you unravel the the lotus.
I keep spraying the water off an on as I unravel the tubers.
*This is how I keep track of my lotus info. I use a plastic slat from discarded window blinds. I write the name and date planted with a permanent black marker (I like Sharpie brand markers). Then I put the slat across the bottom of the pot in which I'm planting the lotus.
In this photo you can start to see the green color of the slat I used 3 years ago showing through.
As you separate the lotus out you'll notice the tubers will thin down to runners. It's in the runners where I will make a cut to separate things out.
This is how many tubers I got 3 years later from one tuber.
The weather is warm tonight no danger of frost. I have the tubers floating in a container and tomorrow I'll pot some up.
I use the plastic marker to identify them while they float. If I divide a different lotus, and have it in another tub the markers help keep them identified.
I can keep the lotus floating for awhile; however, if a freeze is predicted I can move them into the garage to keep them from being destroyed by a freeze. The average last frost date is April 15th where I am.
As far as trying to use other things in nature as an indicator of when to divide your lotus,I noticed my Forsythias (the big yellow bushes) seems to be in full bloom today.
You can see them off in the distance in this photo.
Thank you Deb, this is great! Much better series of pictures than I found anywhere else on the internet. Of course, I don't have any to divide, but I have some growing so hopefully I will in the future.
I took this picture several years back to show the variation in size in lotus tubers all from one pot that I divided.
Great Picture story! So, what did ya do with all EXTRAS . . . (tubers . . .). Are any available for postage???
I belong to a Water Garden Society so they will probably get first dibs on the 'Empress'; however, if you want to trade something I have some very nice lotus tubers that I'm unsure of the color. If interested send me a D-mail.
This about a week later from floating the lotus.
You'll see the leaves starting to come out a bit. There is a close-up picture of a leaf in this stage in the frame below.
Here is the beginning of the leaf.
If someone wants me to do a thread on how I pot up lotus, just ask.
Always appreciate any information. I've got a great tangle of lotus in a bath tub out side which will need "repotting" (not re-bathing"). I've neglected it for far too long and I'm sure it'll appreciate some TLC for a change.
Please don't stop Deb, your knowledge and how-to photos are a great help to those of us with lotus to divide and re-pot! I got brave more than a week ago and divided a pot of 5 yr. old lotus. I have them in a tub of water, under lights. The weather has been nasty..cold & rainy ever since, with no sign of clearing up for the next few days. How long do you think they can be held this way?
Thanks.....Jean
Tropicbreeze -What zone are you in? I do hope you can take some photos.
JJsgarden -I don't know about how long they can float inside under lights.
I've always had mine floating outside. We are suppose to get snow tonight, so I've moved most of mine into the garage. What has worked for me in the past is to divide them and repot immediately and submerge. I'm sending you a D-mail.
I have to work tomorrow; however, I have all my repotting photos. I'll try to post them tomorrow on a new thread.
Deb, our zones scale is different and runs off your scale. If you extended the US system my zone would be around 12 - 13.
I grew the lotus from seeds from the wild. When they were a bit big for the small container I pulled out an old cast iron enamelled bath tub, plugged it with silastic and threw in some dirt.
The small plants had become entangled which was a nightmare to separate. Then I just lay them in the tub. They grew quickly but I left them to their own devices.
Last year I had some small ornamental colocasias I threw in since there was no where else to put them. They rapidly took over the tub, multiplying madly. Then later I noticed grasshoppers devastating the lotus leaves. I killed off as many grasshoppers as possible over the next few months, cleaned up around the tub so they (grasshoppers) wouldn't have any close by hiding spots.
A few weeks ago I pulled out the ornamental taros and threw them in with some common ones. Now the lotus have recovered a bit. The soil was very poor when I put them in years back so I need to change that. Not sure when to lift the lotus, they don't go dormant here. But I'd like to do it right this time. I can put in some well rotted manure with a layer of clay soil on top. The lotus will think they've died and gone to heaven. Especially after what their life was like, in depleted, course, lateritic soil/gravel, LOL.
tropicbreeze - I do hope you take some photos. If you approach it like you are going to untangle a rope, cord or Christmas lights, you'll do fine.
I got home late tonight we've had SNOW which caused high water on one of the routes I use to get home. Soooooooooo, the thread on repotting will have to wait a while. I gotta sleep and go to work tomorrow.
Taking up the point of "the leaves die back during the winter" (on Dinu's post) this is where I find myself unsure of when I should lift and replant the tubers. It's actually our "winter", the dry season, when our lotuses flower. Since we'll be going into the dry season soon, just wondering whether I should perhaps do it now. Otherwise, leave it to our summer/wet season which will start in October.
Is there anyone around you that you can ask who grows water plants where you are in Australia?
Dinu thought that maybe the tropical area of Florida in U.S. was similiar to where he is in India. My husband knows someone in Florida who grows lotus maybe he can contact her if you get stuck for an answer.
Deb, we're a bit remote here and I don't know of anyone who specialises in water plants. Yesterday I did discuss it at the gardening centre I usually go to. They have some lotus in a display pond but don't sell them. The lady suggested just continuing fertilising them the way I'd been doing - putting a monsoon tablet under the root system.
We have large areas of flood plain here with lots of lotus. They grow all year but in some years there's a die back of all the leaves (not consistent across the region) and then they all come up again. Haven't been able to work out a reason, or rhythm for that behaviour.
I might just 'bite the bullet' and lift them anyway. I can cut the leaves off to minimise risk of damage to growing tips. If it turns out for the worst, I'll just go and collect more seed. Flowering season is coming up soon.
Caution: The way they get rid of unwanted lotus in these parts is to cut the leaves below the water level. The leaves are hallow and the water goes down to the tuber and makes it rot.
I'll look through some of my resource stuff and see if I can get an answer for you.
I would love to see the lotus in your area in bloom! Please share pictures if you can.
Okay, I'll start another thread with lotus blooms.
Deb, I've more or less decided to leave the lotus as they are for now. Since removing the Colocasia they've started improving. Will put in some matured manure wrapped in paper under the roots, in the bath tub they're easy to lift up. Don't have any time for anything else at present as I'm going trekking and will be away for a few weeks. The lotus will probably be well grown by then (hopefully). I'll leave the repotting/soil change to when they show reduced signs of growth, perhaps later in the year. Thanks for all your advice and comments.
Quick question: I purchased a lotus via mail order and the first section of the root with the growth tip is rotten. The section directly behind this is OK and there is a place that looks like a bud could form. Will it be possible for this root to grow or is it dead due to the growing point being gone?
Thanks!
Sometimes they look dark or rotten and it's just a covering over a leaf that will emerge. If you have another portion of the plant that looks good, it will probably grow okay.
In this photo you can see how the back tip is dark. That is a pretty normal from my experience of dividing them.
You might want to take a picture of the tuber and e-mail it to whomever you purchased it from and ask the seller what they think.
darlindeb,
Thanks for the info. The root was soft and mushy (and hollow) so I know it was rotten. The portion of the root behind the rotten part was OK and looked like your pic above. I planted the root so I guess I'll have to wait and see??? (:o)
Thanks again for the help.
Mike
