Author Topic: LOTUS Deviding.. help and a comment to all you that do this ..... (Read 2824 times)

tinkster · « **on:** March 12, 2008, 10:05:41 AM »

your MUCH better person than me. And anybody that volunteers to give you lotus should really be commended.. I have never smelled anything so rotten and sickening in all my life , yes I do have week stomach.. cant help it

I double thanks the ones , joyce and johns that have given them to me.. I now know what you had to do to get them out!

This is my first year trying to devide my lotus. Last year I did one for el jefe but I just stuck a stick down in and pulled it up and a couple nice big ones came up .. bloomed fine for him.. WELL now this year its a different story.. I guess age maye??? they are not coming up at all. Due to the way I built them there is no way to get the pots out of the gruond and I have stuck my hands down in there to try to lift up the bulk and lawanna told me and even that is not working. I am not strong enuff

QUestion.. I dumped the baby doll lotuos over and empty her onto the ground, she was easy.. but all the roots grow to the side and in a circle.. there was nothing in the middle 3/4 of the pot.. is that what lotus typically grow.. if so maybe I could just dig out the middle of my pots and then get to them on the sides that way????

Also in my baby doll I found tons of what I think yall mean as runners. I only found one thing that might even be a tuber .. can yall tell by looking at it if it is a real tuber or not??

Thanks for letting me just steam about what a horrid job this is!!!!

tinkster

tranquility · « **Reply #1 on:** March 12, 2008, 11:33:39 AM »

Oh tink....that's the difference between us...I look forward to dividing every year...It means spring will soon be here

...o.k. yes they grow around and around...very seldom in the middle though it does happen...I had a couple that had some tubers heading across the middle but, for the most part they continue around and around the pot....now don't forget alot of the tubers will be old and no good...if they don't have growing tips-then toss them....only the ones with visible growing tips are viable tubers....Oh I forgot to say...to store them just put them into a container of water and weigh them down...outside-if you still get a freeze they are down at the bottom and safe....use a lid top, a piece of grate-I even used some of my plant saucers to put on top of them then put a small piece of rock-not too heavy you don't want to crush them...just heavy enough to keep the tubers from floating back up....
Lawanna

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #2 on:** March 12, 2008, 11:44:48 AM »

tink , they do grow around & around the pot . I stick my hand in the middle of the pot where there is no root's & pull . Yes they're very HEAVY ! I just keep pulling until I have it all out . Which can take some timd .You can alway's get a friend to help u pull them out .

The top one look's like a tuber ....,it has some nice point's on it
I'm not sure about the other's . They kinda look like runner's to me.

Like Lawanna said......I look forward to devideing my Lotus , it means' Spring is around the corner !

bonnie

justme · « **Reply #3 on:** March 12, 2008, 02:46:37 PM »

well my lotus escaped the pots and they were all over the lily pond. I have not cleaned it out in two years. things were so matted and pulled out a ton of roots all tangled the pots had grown together. I started and did not get through. It was too much to handle today. I piled it all on the compost as I did not know what was what. Maybe before it gets too futher along I will get it cleaned out. There are already frog eggs in the pond. I need to atleast trim the lily pots back and fertilize them so I can name them when they start blooming again. all the tags are gone. Never again will I bring a piece of Water Hyacinth on my property. NEVER NEVER NEVER.

Joyce · « **Reply #4 on:** March 12, 2008, 04:28:17 PM »

Time to get out a big ginzu knife.

You will destroy a few tubers, but that happens any way.
I know it sucks.

I have to thin out the big lotus pond, and I have tried yanking those fat boys...
but they aren't budging at all. When it warms up more, I will have to get in there with a wetsuit on.
No videos allowed!

tranquility · « **Reply #5 on:** March 12, 2008, 04:40:23 PM »

Quote from: justme on March 12, 2008, 02:46:37 PM

. Never again will I bring a piece of Water Hyacinth on my property. NEVER NEVER NEVER.

we'll see

Lawanna

Jerry · « **Reply #6 on:** March 12, 2008, 06:23:20 PM »

I got a perfectly packed package today! It was Lotus from Lawana!
I did get them potted. Thank You Lawanna!

Bonnie · « **Reply #7 on:** March 12, 2008, 06:28:08 PM »

Lawanna is a great gal.. very nice plants and great shipping!

BTW Tink, did you see Lawanna's tutorial for dividing lotus?

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #8 on:** March 12, 2008, 06:41:13 PM »

Jerry , where did u get those pot's u planted the lotus tuber's in?
They look nice !

bonnie

tranquility · « **Reply #9 on:** March 12, 2008, 06:42:34 PM »

Jerry glad they got there....I hope they do well for you....

Tink that maybe the only tuber there was in that pot...some pots have 1-4 tubers...and then there are ones that will contain 6-8(these are far and few between).....digging lotus is like diggin' tators...you never know what your crop will be untill you dig in....
Lawanna

Bonnie · « **Reply #10 on:** March 12, 2008, 06:46:08 PM »

Quote from: bunny56lbc on March 12, 2008, 06:41:13 PM

Jerry , where did u get those pot's u planted the lotus tuber's in?
They look nice !

bonnie

Bonnie nothing can beat your pots though...

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #11 on:** March 12, 2008, 06:55:18 PM »

Quote from: Bonnie on March 12, 2008, 06:46:08 PM

Quote from: bunny56lbc on March 12, 2008, 06:41:13 PM
Jerry , where did u get those pot's u planted the lotus tuber's in?
They look nice !

bonnie

Bonnie nothing can beat your pots though...

I cannot use them in the g'house to selll , I have way too many tuber's & no room....

Bonnie · « **Reply #12 on:** March 12, 2008, 06:59:11 PM »

Bonnie are you saying they are too big to put in the greenhouse pond?

Hope Jerry doesn't mind me answering for him but know he's mentioned many times before that he uses oil pans and those look like oil pans.

tranquility · « **Reply #13 on:** March 12, 2008, 06:59:31 PM »

Bonnie why couldn't you use 5 gallon buckets for the small ones and tubs with rope handles for the large ones? I have used both and the plants did well and bloomed good in these containers...and with these types of containers you can place them outdoors to sell....
Lawanna

justme · « **Reply #14 on:** March 12, 2008, 07:37:06 PM »

Those pots look kind like oil change pans to me I could be wrong though.

Ky Kim · « **Reply #15 on:** March 12, 2008, 08:59:43 PM »

Looks like oil pans to me also. I'm not going to devide mine this year. I might should the big one in the pond though. Its been planted for 2 years, hmmmm I better do it then. The ones I have in the ground alot the fence were just planted last year, so I should be alright to skip them this year (I hope). I don't feel much like it yet anyway.

Kim

Jerry · « **Reply #16 on:** March 12, 2008, 11:15:15 PM »

Yes they are oil pans from Wal-Mart Johns is the one who tipped me off.
Ideal and only about $2.40 each

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #17 on:** March 13, 2008, 07:27:41 AM »

Jerry, do you plan on putting your newly planted lotus in the pond or on the patio? Are those oil pans enough for out of pond growing?

Jerry · « **Reply #18 on:** March 13, 2008, 08:21:40 AM »

In the pond. I will do it in a few days. Big test today and I will know more of what I am allowed to do.

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #19 on:** March 13, 2008, 09:28:15 AM »

Quote from: tranquility on March 12, 2008, 06:59:31 PM

Bonnie why couldn't you use 5 gallon buckets for the small ones and tubs with rope handles for the large ones? I have used both and the plants did well and bloomed good in these containers...and with these types of containers you can place them outdoors to sell....
Lawanna

Lawanna , 5 gallon bucket's are hard to find around here . I have 20 gal . black protien tub's & not that many to boot . Around here I can get $20 - 25 dollar's for a lotus , if i put too much money in the tub's ..... I'll have to put more $$$ on the lotus & that equal's no sale . People around here just won't pay it . That's why I'm looking for something cheap to put the tuber's in .

bonnie

tranquility · « **Reply #20 on:** March 13, 2008, 09:34:05 AM »

I don't see why the oil pans that Jerry has his in wouldn't work for small growing ones and the price is cheap enough...but, they would be way too small for the large ones...not sure if you can get them where your at...but, I can get those plastic barrels here for $5 each...cut them in half and that's $2.50 invested for each large lotus....

tinkster · « **Reply #21 on:** March 13, 2008, 09:57:36 AM »

hey bunnie. I dont know if you have any ponding stores but they give me a bunch of the 55 gallon drums. They get them in the spring time around here with pond chemicals in them..they are pretty easy to saw into half or the size ya want. Most of them where black some a bright blue which I bought a can of the spray paint for plastic n black and sprayed them.. looks really good. Dont know why I bothered though since I ended up sinking them in the ground

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #22 on:** March 13, 2008, 11:56:37 AM »

You guys are so resourceful! Thanks!! I'm gonna have to find me a pond store with empty barrels.

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 21, 2008, 11:26:58 AM »

Grocery store bakeries often have 5 gal buckets, frosting and fillings come in them. The stores I worked at threw away hundreds of them a year.

Johns · « **Reply #24 on:** March 23, 2008, 02:50:59 PM »

Years ago, the Plantplace.com had a very good article on planting lotus, as well as a lot of other good info, but sadly, they went out of business and even more sadly, the old web archive of those pages is now blocked. A useful alternative is Bonnie Hale's webpage: http://www.bonniesplants.com/lotus/dividing_tubers/planting_lotus_tubers.htm

landey1230 · « **Reply #25 on:** April 14, 2008, 07:59:19 PM »

I thought you all were exaggerating, but oh man. I planted the tubers a month or so ago and I used the wrong type of manure. So, the tubers did not have a chance and are now burned. Since I used oderized manure, the stench was terrible. It was very acidic and I happened to splash it every where. some splashed on my lips!!! $:-\$ eeeww I can't imagine what 2 years of that will smell like. I was thinking of this thread while cleaning it out. Tinkster, I feel for you and everyone that does this.

tinkster · « **Reply #26 on:** April 14, 2008, 08:32:29 PM »

well I am prone to exaggerating but it is a nasty job! Not one I like as I have a weak stomach.. I dont think I ate for days after doing it

Sure hope you washed your lips before kissin on your wifey

sorry to hear about the lotus... we can try again if ya wants! I still have one more pond of unknowns to get around to

tinkster

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #27 on:** April 14, 2008, 08:48:56 PM »

I work at a nursing home joined to the hospital. They get floor soap and laundry soap in the big 55 gal barells and I get them free. They are pretty easy to cut in half. I used one half for a plant stand/ Koi cave by cutting openings in two sides from the lip up, turned it up side down in the pond walla duell purpus! they just thake them out by the dumpsters. If you check with the housekeeping supervisors they will give them to ya. I even cut on in half to use as horse feeders. there great!!!!!!My lotis I got last year from Johns did wonderful but jumped the 5 gal pot I had it in. Today I vaccumed out the pond and I see that I have them comming up in the rocks. I think I'll just leave them alone tell next year. I may regreat it tho?

landey1230 · « **Reply #28 on:** April 15, 2008, 05:36:26 AM »

Laugh it up Tinkster.

I can still smell it on my hands. I had to take a shower immediately afterwards.

Happy, I'll have to look into that. That would be nice.

Tinkster, no worries. It was honestly my fault. Kat is sending me a momo botan and I would be greedy to accept more from you. I appreciate what you've done for me. Everyone here is so nice and helpful.