>>What do yall do when your not sure if your lotus are gonna make it?
Everyone has to wait and see what breaks dormancy.
Usually, if you know they have been dormant frost free and there is no trace of nasty yucky decomposition coming from their tub, you can be confident of lotus starting up. Patience can be quite a virtue with lotus
You can usually see blackish water and irridescent 'slicks' in from positions where lotus tubers have rotted
Frank Matherley (Matherfish) lists some humdingers on ebay through the season, he has a good eye for nice varieties, there are many stunning varieties trickling in from China at a very good price, the next few years... lotus seed is always a low cost option all year round if you don't mind taking pot luck on how a lotus turns out
Regards, andy
http://www.members.aol.com/abdavisnc/swglist.html