Newbie with a lotus

[rickinla]

I'm new to this forum and just got my first lotus bloom today.  I planted a tuber of "The President" lotus in my natural pond in March and replanted it in a cage in April (darn turtles).  After the initial setback, it has really started growing and now the tuber system is over 10', judging by where the leaves are coming up.
Rick

This is most of the lotus.


Here's a closer look at the bloom.


This is 1 of the 2 lotus that I started from a seed the first of June.

[PondmaninAL]

Welcome to AP, Rick. I've not got mine to bloom yet. I started around 40-50 seeds this year and are planting most of them in a kiddie pool lotus pond, as soon as it stops raining.

[tinkster]

welcome and beautiful lotus!  Your brave turning it lose in your pond hehehe.

Tink

[greenthumbnails]

Congrats on your first bloom!  That lotus from seed sure has grown fast.  I have a blue large pail sunk into the ground with pebbles around it too, almost thought I was looking at my own lotus 

[bunny56lbc]

Welcome & Congratulations on u're first lotus bloom....u're pretty brave putting it in a mud pond...

bonnie 

[LynneNY]

That close-up picture is beautiful!

[rickinla]

The lotus can't be any worse than the water hyacinths already in the pond.  The deeper water should limit it's spread and it will look good growing around the edges.  I'll break out the 2-4-D if it gets too far out of hand. 

I am amazed at how fast a lotus can grow from a seed.  My recipe for getting the seedlings to grow so fast is 3"-4" of fresh horse manure, covered with 5"-6" of composted horse manure, covered with 1"-2" of Special Kitty litter (clay).
This is what the seedling looked like on 6/5 when I first put it in the pot.  I had to hold the seed down with rocks so it wouldn't float.