Eija, I was just emailing someone about my planting process, so I'll copy and paste the e mail here...
I tend to give my lotus a LOT of room compared to what I see online at the pond forums.
I see people starting them in little pots (12-18"), and they are happy with a few blooms all summer.
I start most of mine in half barrels. (or any container the size of a half barrel)
I get lots of pad growth, and LOTS of blooms all summer, cuz the lotus has LOTS of room to grow.
The half barrels are lined with a half barrel liner I buy at Home Depot or Lowes.
Then I fill them with compost, with composted cow manure. Make sure the cow manure is composted.
So many people have read my directions wrong and used straight cow manure. Straight cow manure will kill your lotus.
For the past 2 years I have been making my own compost, and mixing that with a little composted cow manure.
I always throw in at least a half cup of Osmocote (Multicote is another brand name that works as good) on the bottom of the container/pot.
I do not mix the fertilizer in with the soil, because I believe it cause excessive algae to bloom in the water, and the algae can smother the lotus. It takes at least a month for the Osmocote to seep up through the soil, and by then, your lotus tuber has rooted in real well, put up some pads, and used up a lot of the nutrients in the compost/soil. It is ready for the nutrients from the Osmocote.
I top off the soil with pea gravel, only cuz I like the look while the lotus is getting established.
And I use the gravel to weigh down the tuber.
When you use Osmocote, the Osmocote will fertilize your lotus for the rest of the season,
you don't have to do any monthly fertilization.
(and you don't have to worry about killing your lotus by overfertilizing)
The little Baby Doll lotus is planted in a fiberglass Grecian style bowl.
Same process, Osmocote on the bottom, the bowl is 3/4 filled with the compost mix, placed the tubers on the top of the soil,
then put about 1-2" of pea gravel gently around the tubers.
It grew like crazy last year, and I had at least 24 blooms from July through September.
Here are some pix of it when it was first planted, until it bloomed:
If you want another way to plant lotus, dig a hole in the ground, at least 3 feet wide by 2 feet deep, and drop a pond liner into it.
Fill it with compost, (putting Osmocote in first) put your lotus tubers on the top of the soil, and then gently cover them with a 1-2" layer of pea gravel.
You can cover the edges of the pond liner with rocks, and plant the edges with perennials, ornamental grasses, groundcovers.
In the winter, to insulate it you can cover it with a piece of plywood, and put some bagged lawn leaves over it.
Make sure all your lotus pots and ponds are in full sun.
I know the way I grow lotus is not for everyone.
Big pots of lotus are hard to move around.
I have a big strong husband, and I am a professional landscape designer,
with access to a lot of hard working Guatemalans.
They help me move my lotus pots into our attached garage for the winter.
Most of my pots can be easily moved with a hand truck by my husband,
with me opening the garden gates and helping him 'steer'.
But the two huge pots at the entrance to my front walk, get moved by Guatemalans on a fork lift.
Hope this helps!
...Joyce
The little plant is Siberian Pink Cups: Baldellia ranunculoides.
I can share some with you later on this year.
As you can see, it spread FAST.
