Author Topic: Unpotted lotus on ground.... I need help please! (Read 1811 times)

tinkster · « **on:** October 30, 2006, 11:03:55 AM »

I was trying to get the new lotus pond planted and I tried to tip over the pot and move the lotus without disturbing it.. didnt happen. half of it and dirt and crap fell out upon my feet. I tried to get it all out but couldnd.. there was tons of snapping and breaking and popping.... this is what came out of half of it.. have I killed it.?? are these all tubers and will they possibly live. I guess I should leave the other half in the pot?? not sure now what dirt etc is even in there. I have a mess

tinkster

Jerry · « **Reply #1 on:** October 30, 2006, 12:49:55 PM »

Cynthia as you may see by my posts. I had a similar experience. I divided and repotted.
All are sending up pads.
I know yoy have cold temps there, so just repot and let nature takes it's course. Divide come spring!!
They are tough!!

Teresa · « **Reply #2 on:** October 30, 2006, 02:24:43 PM »

Don't panic, it will be just fine and you'll still have lovely lotus next year!

The fat hunks are tubers . . . . in general if you are planning on trading, you want at least 2 fat sections together. Since you are just replanting, it's not as critical that you even clean them up. But, the skinny, long sections are called runners and you can cut those off and lay the tubers on the dirt with the growing tips up and then either cover with dirt or sand (whatever) gently so as not to break the tips.

As for the rest of the tub, tip it out and dump it in the bog as it is and don't worry so much! As long as you don't break every growing tip you have in there, you'll still have lotus. And I think it would take a lot of luck to break them all at one time on a full lotus - it's pretty easy if all you have is a hunk of tuber with two or maybe 3 growing tips. That's why you have to be so careful when you are planting a hunk of tuber you get in trade . . .

PondmaninAL · « **Reply #3 on:** October 30, 2006, 04:58:45 PM »

That was lotus tubers. So sorry for your loss.

Scott

tranquility · « **Reply #4 on:** October 30, 2006, 05:41:29 PM »

Looks like the growing tips are intact...they should be fine....I don't plant them...just weigh them down to the soil with stones....
Lawanna

Teresa · « **Reply #5 on:** October 31, 2006, 05:30:33 AM »

Tink did you get those tubers back in the dirt/water?

I don't normally cover my tubers with dirt either, but since it is fall and they won't have time to do a lot more growing, it might be wise. The plant usually sends the tubers down in the dirt for protection and it can't do that now. I would cover them with a layer of dirt - be gentle, but cover them for protection.

karen J · « **Reply #6 on:** October 31, 2006, 10:52:33 AM »

I think Teresa has a good point- the tubers need to be protected from freezing.

Let me tell you this story. My friends put in an inground pool this year, and dismantled their pond. We went over there to check out the excavation- a giant mountain of dirt that the kids played on. They were giving me most of their pond plants when Tracey said "Hey don't we have that Lotus Karen gave us?" Sure enough, it had fallen out of it's pot and was buried in the mountain. So, Lowell pulled this thing out of the mountain with a yank and handed it to me.
I thought for sure that it was toast. It was a mess, but I didn't really need it back. I tossed it in a leaky pot and it sat on my driveway for two weeks in about a gallon of water. I finally went to drag it over to the compost, and it was growing!

So that Lotus had been buried in heavy clay, jumped on by kids, yanked out of the dirt like a vine, and left out to die in nothing but a small puddle. It bloomed better than my pampered ones!

tinkster · « **Reply #7 on:** October 31, 2006, 12:47:57 PM »

THanks all... except scott.. hehehe

I have them just floating in a tub of water for now.. I tried planting then when I filled with water the growing tips were so long they stick out of the water.. I have enuff room in the pond to cover then with 6 inches of water.. but like yoiu say they wont set roots. should I leave them floating in a pot in my cold basement or try to plant and maybe cover with the 6 inches of water then bails of hay?? any help appreciated!

tinkster

Teresa · « **Reply #8 on:** October 31, 2006, 02:44:58 PM »

They will not survive floating in water. Why did the tips stick out? Can you dig the tubers deeper into the dirt? You can bury them as deep as you need to as long as you are gentle enough not to break all the growing tips. The tubers dive deep anyway - for frost protection.

tinkster · « **Reply #9 on:** November 01, 2006, 11:27:58 AM »

I was thinking of our I planted them where I just laid the tubers on the dirt and weighed it down with a rock and was thinking if I burried the tips they would not grow. some of thse tips are 6 inches or longer.. at least I believe they are growing tips.. so if I can buy the tuber and most of the tip I would be okay .. as is I am sure they will freeze.

I might just repot them in a planter and stick in the basement for winter then put in the pond come spring.. I dont know. hate to lose them but they been floating for 3 days now

tinkster

Teresa · « **Reply #10 on:** November 01, 2006, 12:48:11 PM »

Tink you can bury them in the dirt as deep as you want . . . the recommendation to put them on the surface is to protect the tips when you only have 2 tips on a tuber in the spring. If you bury them you just have to be careful not to break every tip on the tubers. They will need to be deeper than the surface to survive winter.

They will be just fine if you bury them and leave them outside - just cover them a little gently. I used to divide mine in the fall all the time and I've repotted them when they were actually growing.

tinkster · « **Reply #11 on:** November 01, 2006, 02:36:23 PM »

Thanks much! Teresa your a lifesaver.. Makes more sense now. I remember how I planted them but when I dumped the pot they were under dirt and I am thinking your not suppose to be there. the tips are suppose to be above dirt...your going to die

Thats a good thing for everyone to know about lotus since most are probably like me, al ya hear is you must not cover the growing tip, not realising that was only to keep from breaking it, not that it wouldnd grow under dirt.

Tinkster

tinkster