Lotus help/advice

I purchased this lotus with many growing tips. I potted it up and left the tips exposed from the dirt and added water only up to the growing tips.
I was wondering since there is a little brown on some areas , if I should go ahead and sink the tub in water or wait awhile. I am not sure if the brown is from dead leaves or what. I think that is prob what they are but I am new at lotus lol. Have heard that if anything is brown or broken that the tuber would rot if placed underwater so that's why I'm asking. For now I put it in the shade.Thanks.

Also, I was wondering do you think this pot is too small for planting? I think there are actually about 3 tubers connected together and it will prob grow more lol.

Do you know which Lotus this is? There are a few small Lotus called bowl Lotus and some smaller cultivars that get about 2-1/2' to 3'. But by and large these things get huge. They need the biggest tub you can handle. If in doubt go big! I'd put it in the water just as soon as you have decided on the permanent pot.

Thanks Snapple. It is a Momo Batan (semi-dwarf I think). I went ahead and put it in a little larger container so it would have a little more grow room. I am planning on sinking the pot in a larger container (about half whiskey barrel size) hopefully that will be large enough. I found out the brown dead leaf stems are okay to leave on the plants if I submerge it and they will eventually just sink and become composted.

Momo Batan is nice! Sounds like you've got it under control. Post pics when it blooms.

ATB,
Where did you find the round container for planting? I have checked every store I can think of and no one carries a round container. All that I can find are square or oblong and I know you need a round container for lotus.
Thanks for any help.
Mike

I got that one at Walmart by the plastic dishes for outdoor/summer use. I think it is too small though. If you wanted a larger round tub to sink them into a pond with, I found something that works better. Those round plastic party tubs with two cut outs on each side at the top for handles would be really great if you had a pond. I found an old one in our garage from Halloween ( LOL! It has skulls on it and looks like you should be bobbing for apples ! :) I put mine in that until I got the big half barrel size pots ready.
If you had the dwarf lotus like Baby Doll etc. you could prob just use those tubs instead of sinking them, I bet.
There are plain colored tubs (without skulls etc) at Big Lots and some party stores have them too. I guess they are used to fill with ice and set your drinks in.

Thanks, I never thought to check stores like big lots, etc.

I don't have a pond, so I'm not looking for really huge containers. Just something I can plant in and then sink in my sit-on-the-ground water garden.

The lotus I purchased is called 'Sunflower', which I think is a somewhat smaller growing plant. I hope, anyway. (:o)
Thanks again,
Mike

Try your local dollar store for cheap plastic tubs. Every year I visit the odd lots and anything for a buck store for "gardening" supplies. Last year I bought a whole set of wooden handled butcher knives for $8. They make great garden tools and when you ding 'em up, or forget to put them away and they sit in the rain, you're not out much. They're great for dividing perennials or slicing sod to edge a flower bed.

I looked at a few dollars stores here but they only had the rectangular dishpan type tubs. I did get a few of those for water lilies. They even had some black ones. I will have to check around at a few more dollar stores.
The farm store has round heavy duty rubber tubs that are used for animal dishes etc. They aren't cheap though, but are extremely durable and come in diff sizes.

For the dwarf lotuses that I bought, I got some fairly big Urns and dh waterproofed them with silicone. I am putting the soil directly in the urns and then just adding water, so I won't need a dish for those.

Lotus in an urn, that sounds pretty!

Not my idea but I thought it sounded good lol.

okay, i will just leave the brown part on mine, too.

this is emerald day break from texas water lilies. it arrived yesterday and i am so excited to begin this journey. i look forward to learning from all the lotus growers here. first question. LOL is this the right way to plant my lotus?

thanks in advance.

detrick

In cold climates be sure if you don't have the pot in the ground or the pond that you want to take precautions in the winter.
My very first lotus was in a planter and I left it out in the winter, springtime was mush because it froze!

The big pots with the rope handles work great for lotus.

Detrick I have found that the easiest and best way of planting is not to plant, LOL. Either put a very small indentation in the soil or just rest the tuber on top using a rock so the tuber won't float. (Be sure not to put the rock over the growing tip.)

Good luck everyone!

thanks bonnie! i covered it with less than 1/8" of the growing medium. the tip and new shoot are exposed. now i sit and wait. LOL water temp is 80º. it's in here at one end.

In the automotive section at wally world or other places, there is a round plastic oil gathering pan. I took a electric saw and cut the top off. My lotus has been in there two years and it is coming back just fine.

Just a suggestion. I live in the country and no place to purachase a lotus pot, also heard you could take a trash can and cut off the bottom.

Treelover3 - Check out Mills Fleet Farm for the heavy rubber livestock tubs. They have several different sizes and they will last forever. I have several that have been in use for over ten years - still good as new!

I found 18gal muck type buckets at Home Depot for $5.98 in slate gray or sky blue.