My sad Lotus

[Jerry]

I was in the pond today and discovered my sad lotus was free of it's container.  :'(
It is a circular mass of roots and tubers.  I have it in a tub of water now.
I am not sure how to treat it. It must be too early to divide, even in California.
HELP !

[barb]

Not sure about it, but I hope you can save it! 

[Teresa]

If it's not dormant, it's too early.  I'd suggest you put a little dirt in the bottom of the container, dump the root mass in there and put some more dirt on top.  Then fill it with water and leave it sit till it goes dormant.  Leave it where it will get colder faster . . . be that out of or in the pond.  Then as soon as that sucker looses all it's leaves, yank it up, and divide it.  Plant your tuber properly for next year and store the rest in a pot of wet dirt in a cold place till trading time in the fall.

[Charla]

Mine is in a half barrel liner covered with plain ol dirt.  I keep it under the air conditioner run off in case I forget to keep it full of water in the heat of summer.      It's been sitting there  blooming for 2 seasons because the darn thing starts new leaves before I think to divide.  Maybe this year I can catch it in January or early February and actually divide it & pot it up in composted manure.

Charla

[Jerry]

Hi Charla, good to see you!
I did as Teresa advised.  it is in a big Rubbermaid in the greenhouse.  The weather has been good, it may start blooming!

[Teresa]

Um, I meant store the tubers in wet dirt till trading time in the SPRING.  I was just bone tired this afternoon, sorry.

[Jerry]

Teresa its still warm here, just cooler nights and shorter days

[Teresa]

I know, it's still to warm here and you're warmer than me.  Wait till that baby has gone dormant.  But we trade lotus tubers in the spring, not the fall (tho either time is ok . . . .)