Careful Please!

TREAT YOUR LOTUS LIKE YOUR GRANDMOTHERS BEST CHINA!

MYTHS: Lotus are very hard to grow

FACT: Lotus are not hard to grow.  Granted they are different than other plants but if you can read and follow directions, they are very easy to grow.

Finally, I would strongly suggest that your print this page or bookmark it so that you have it readily available when your lotus arrives.

If you are fortunate to live where it is warm in the winter months, the tuber must not sit in a hot mailbox.  Extreme heat will also damage a tuber.

You will need a large container that does not have holes in the bottom. This container is usually wide and shallow. Lotus pans are very expensive and you might find them at Lowe's or Home Depot or a local pond store. It is impossible for me to ship them because of their size and the flexibility of the pan.

Suggest container size is 18 inches across for a dwarf or semi dwarf.  For Medium to larger varieties a container that is 36 inches across is needed.

Other suggestions are large dish pans. You can start the lotus in these and they are ideal to use for starting them in the house because they are light enough to move around. Some Rubbermaid containers will work too if you can find a shallow one.

If you use a dish pan you can transplant them later into a larger container. It takes 2 pairs of hands. Do not try to do this by yourself. Work all 4 hands into and under the dirt and move the whole thing into a larger container that is already filled to the proper level of dirt. If you are very careful you should not disturb the plant at all.
 

Fill a large container that has no holes in the bottom with plain tap water that is tepid to the touch.  If you have city water be sure to add dechlorinator to the water.  OR better yet bring in pond water and let it warm to room temperature. Chlorine is deadly to the tubers.  This container should be large enough for the tuber to lay flat and allow water around the edges.  Keep the tuber in the water until it starts to grow roots. If you carefully monitor the lotus you many keep it in water for up to a couple of weeks. Once the water temperature in the container is around 70* it will take about 10 to 14 days for white roots to form. Once you see the white roots, it is time to move the tuber to dirt.

Change the water in the container if starts to smell or look bad.  The water must be clean at all times. If you keep the lotus in water it will grow roots and then leaves.  There is noting wrong with this. In fact, if you are new to growing lotus this may be an easier way to get the tuber started.

Starting tubers in water does make transplanting to dirt a bit more difficult because you must exercise great care then you do transplant to dirt so that you do not break the growing tips or damage the new roots. During this rooting time the container must never dry out or the tuber will shrivel up and die.

  The photo to the left shows how one customer started her lotus.  While she did place a rock on the tuber, it is not necessary.  The tuber needs enough water in the container to float.  I like this photo because you can see just how the 3 growing tips have started to elongate and grow.

"Bonnie, Just wanted you to see how my Lotus is growing that I got from
you a short time ago. My daughter-in-law also got one. It was her
great idea that we order them from you. I put it in water on 3/1 and
look at it now. (March 12th) Sure helps to keep it on a heating pad. So anxious
for it to get warm so we can put it outside and watch it bloom....oh
what color will it be???? Purple I hope!!!!
Thanks,
Santa Fe, NM "  (Thank you for permission to use the photo)

 (If you click to enlarge the photo you will see the white roots that have formed - Bonnie)

"Hi Bonnie,
Just had to share the most recent pictures of my Lotus that I got from
you and planted 3/1/07. I am just amazed at it's growth. I also have a
couple of questions...I do keep the water clean as you have suggested,
but I still get a scum on top of the water, even after 2 days of it
being changed. Is this normal, should I be worried about it and should
I change the water again when the scum appears? What causes it?

Many thanks again for such a wonderful plant. Looking forward to
putting Missy Lotus outside before too long.

Santa Fe, NM"
 

If you are going to grow your lotus in a pond, use garden dirt and or bagged top soil!

Once the air temperature is around 70, with no frost or freezing temperatures at night ( in the upper 60's at night) the lotus can be moved outside.  The water should be around 70* before placing the lotus in the pond.

Add a few inches of the dirt to the container. How much depends on the size of your container. Anywhere from a several inches to about 12 inches would be ideal. You can always add move dirt later as long as you do not cover the growing tips. 

Carefully lay the tuber on top of the dirt. The roots will actually pull the tuber down into the dirt as the roots form.  Be very careful of the growing tip, if you break it off, the plant probably will not bloom this year. 

Add just enough water so the soil is very wet.  Do not add too much water or the tuber will not make good contact with the soil. What you want is wet mud with no water standing on top of the dirt

The tuber must be kept warm if it is to root and grow. One trick is if you keep your house on the cool side is to set the lotus pan on a heating pad that is set to "low".

 This photo shows the tuber planted and how the growing tips are left uncovered by the dirt.

This diagram gives a better view of the planted tuber.

In the photo note that the growing tip is NOT covered with dirt or gravel.  Note: the whole growing tip is out the dirt and the water. If the lotus tends to float you have too much water or the dirt is too light weight and you can place a flat stone on the middle of the tuber to hold it in contact with the dirt.  Use a paper towel to absorb the extra water off the dirt.

NOTE: there is a sheath covering the growing tip.  This may appear gray or black in color.  As the tip grows, the sheath will fall off and you will see the green color of the growing tip.

     

The first few leaves will lie flat on the dirt or water.  As shown below.

The rest of the leaves after the first few will go aerial.  Then you can gradually start bringing the water level up.

I get lots of emails that their lotus does not grow.  If handled properly, planted properly and right growing temperatures, there is no reason why they should not grow.

• Growing tip is/was damaged.
• Too much water in the early stages of planting
• Too cold of an environment for rooting to take place
• And the biggest reason: NOT planted properly