Author Topic: I should know this, but how deep is ideal for Lotus? (Read 1791 times)

Jerry · « **on:** March 23, 2008, 09:22:49 AM »

I have some at 24 inches, a few at about 15 inches. all seem to do well.
Ready to put 3 tubs into pond.

Joyce · « **Reply #1 on:** March 23, 2008, 10:21:14 AM »

I only keep about 6" of water above the soil of my potted lotus.
The bowl lotus only get about 1-2" over the soil.

I believe shallowly planted lotus get the benefit of the warmer water near the top.
This gets them growing faster than lotus planted deeper.
They get more sunlight to the crown, which I believe stimulates more growth also.
(this is especially true with murky, cloudy green water conditions.)

Of course, the mud pond lotus are a whole different story, not potted and running wild,
so you can't compare the growing conditions.

Johns · « **Reply #2 on:** March 23, 2008, 02:54:50 PM »

Jerry,

Joyce is 100 percent correct. In my experience lotus much prefer just enough water to keep covered. Most mud bottom lotus ponds I have seen have the healthiest plants around the edges. A word of warning: there is no plant as invasive in a mud bottom pond than lotus. Once the lotus is established, even the fish will have difficulty occupying the pond.

Jerry · « **Reply #3 on:** March 23, 2008, 03:19:47 PM »

Makes abundant sense! I was trying to avoid taking small cinder blocks to the pond.
I did it on a cart and will get them in the water tomorrow.
Thanks you two!

Joyce · « **Reply #4 on:** March 23, 2008, 04:49:59 PM »

These types of tables work great to raise lilies and lotus up about 18".

http://outdoor-living.hardwarestore.com/59-236-tables/tan-side-table-135012.aspx
At stores like WalMart, KMart, Target and even Big Lots you can find them dark colors,
or simply use the new spray paints (Kryon?) made to bond with plastics,
spray them black so they disappear. :cool3:

Another great thing about these tables, is that koi can not get stuck in them like they can with milk crates.
They create hiding places from herons besides making a great plant stand.
These are usually cheaper than milk crates too.

When placing these tables into the pond, flip them upside down and submerge them to get all the air out
from the air pockets under the top.
Flip them upright under water and then put your lily or lotus container on top.

tranquility · « **Reply #5 on:** March 23, 2008, 04:52:05 PM »

Jerry not to mention the ones you got from me are small size lotus...they only get about 2 foot tall....diffently shallow.....my big ones I only have at 18" deep and even then I gradually raise the water level....
Lawanna

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 23, 2008, 07:23:33 PM »

how deep to plant the tuber? Do the growing tips go at soil level or below?

Jerry · « **Reply #7 on:** March 23, 2008, 10:30:08 PM »

I have a few foot stools now, so wow. A good idea.

Johns · « **Reply #8 on:** March 24, 2008, 06:08:49 AM »

Lee Anne,

If possible, don't cover the growing tips.

tranquility · « **Reply #9 on:** March 24, 2008, 06:15:44 AM »

I let mine plant themselves....just lay the tuber on top of the soil and weigh it down with a rock..makes sure not to put the rock on any growing tips...
Lawanna

Joyce · « **Reply #10 on:** March 24, 2008, 06:33:03 AM »

I agree, I lay mine down into a small depression, and use a flattish rock to weigh them down.
Bring the pea gravel up to the edges of the tuber, but not over.
I usually tilt my tubers up just a bit so the growth tips are well over the gravel.
The opposite end of the growth tip can actually be covered by gravel/soil and/or the rock you may use to weigh it down.
From the joints between the tubers...roots will grow and burrow down into the soil.

Julles · « **Reply #11 on:** March 24, 2008, 07:56:16 AM »

With the heavy pots and soil and plants on top, will the feet of those tables sink into the mud on the bottom of the pond, and tip over? Or will they poke holes in a rubber liner?

tranquility · « **Reply #12 on:** March 24, 2008, 08:22:11 AM »

Milk crates work good too....you can buy them at any department store and they stack too...just make sure to cut out the sides so that none of your big fish can get caught in between the holes....
Lawanna

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 24, 2008, 06:39:27 PM »

Oops, I planted too deep. I buried them.

Bonnie · « **Reply #14 on:** March 24, 2008, 07:28:26 PM »

LeeAnne, I do what Lawanna does.. my first lotus planting failures were due to "planting" them.
Let them do the work!

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 25, 2008, 09:01:21 AM »

I'll dig them up today. Oops.

tinkster · « **Reply #16 on:** March 25, 2008, 10:58:46 AM »

I have a guestion.. I do what yall say religoiusly about planting with the tips above and never covered. etc etc and I hae never lost a lotus inplanting....... but after cleaning out the pond in particular where I could really see how they grow those things went straight to the bottom of the pond and tips are covered by inches and inches and iches of manure. Is the reasoning behind not covering the tips to keep from breaking them or some other reason??

AFter I dug out part of the pond and broke a few I could see others to the side where I had only taken part of the dirt off the top and when I seen I could not get them out without much breakage, I just covered everything back up to the debt it already was.. tips and all right on the bottom... I hope I didnt kill big lotus after finding him to be alive!

tinskter

tinkster

Johns · « **Reply #17 on:** March 26, 2008, 05:57:54 AM »

LeeAnne,

Leave them alone, they will probably be ok! You will likely do more damage digging them up than just leaving them alone.

tranquility · « **Reply #18 on:** March 26, 2008, 07:07:25 AM »

Tink I'm not sure why but, all the books I've read says to let them plant themselves....my first year of lotus...was miserable---I piddled with them too much....moving them from here to there...used fertilizer tabs instead of osmocote-fertilized monthly......I did everything wrong.....and lost all but 2 of them that year...since then I picked up tips from here and there-mostly from Johns and Joyce's posts (its nice having such knowledgeable people in one place)and now let them plant themselves and leave them be-and use osmocote....they have done great since....haven't lost a one to transplanting.....of course there's the occasional goat escape and they love to eat my lotus

2 years ago they got loose while I still had all the tubers floating and hit my barrel with ALL of my new arrivals in it....all I found were plastic tags floating

Lawanna

Joyce · « **Reply #19 on:** March 26, 2008, 11:13:44 AM »

I have noticed too when repotting that a lot of the tubers have grown down to the bottom and back up again.
But I think that is because there are tubers and foliage at the surface providing photosynthesis to the shoots and tubers that are growing down and sideways looking for more room.

What I am saying is that the shoots/tubers that are at the bottom are being fed by the tubers at the top. (they are not on their own...they are attached to other tubers which have grown pads out in the sunshine) I believe they need some kind of photosynthesis aka light source to get them established.
Once established, they start growing, sending shoots and tubers up, down and sideways looking for more dirt..and more dirt to a lotus means FOOD.

If I were LeeAnne, I would very gently raise the growing tips above the soil line.

Lawana, I agree...I think a LOT of people kill their first attempts at lotus growing by over fertilizing.