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  • Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
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    Thread: Lotus Runners 101

    1. #21
      matherfish's Avatar
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      The plants will be okay. The leaves may wilt some but they should be okay. I have left it on for hours before by accident and not lost a plant.
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    2. #22
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      i was unsuccesful last year in growing a lotus from a tuber. i want to try again this year. are these for sale on here? i really want a lotus this year.

    3. #23
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      Thanks, Violence. Your tubers are on their way!
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    4. #24
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      Help!! So I'm trying two lotus this year. I have a whiskey barrel liner that I planted one of them in. I put in a bag of soil, topped it with some pea gravel, nestled the runner in the soil and filled it with water. Its been there for about 2 weeks. Now I have this foaming, bubbling, extremely smellly tub of nastiness. Its gross! Should I dump it out and start over? I think the soil I used may not have been the best choice but what should I use? How do you get the soil to stay in the bottom and not just float to the top of the container? The soil completely turned over the pea gravel I put in to weight it down. I'm about to give up and just plant them like I do lilies and throw them in the stock tanks but I was hoping to have them in barrels.
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    5. #25
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      In my opinion, the bagged soil I've seen is too high in organic content and looks more useful as a soil amendment than a planting medium. It is the bacterial action on the organic matter that is giving you the witches brew.

      If I were you, I'd just dig the dirt I needed from the yard somewhere...a sandy soil is preferable to a highly organic soil. I use pure DOT grade sand to plant my lotus, nothing added except a layer of peat at the bottom because our water is alkaline and lotus prefer slightly acidic water. The more sand in your soil, the more frequently you'll need to fertilize. If it is a clay base soil, well that will bind the nutrients for a slower release. Either way, the plants will tell you when they are hungry and you won't get swamp water.<g>
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    6. #26
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      Thanks Craig! I actually do have a fairly sandy area out in the one field that I could go dig from. I'll start over this weekend and try that.
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    7. #27
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      Desert Ponder, sorry I did not answer right away. I had computer problems for a few days and was out of commission pretty much. I always suggest people use their soil or pure top soil for their lotuses to avoid the additives in potting soil mixes that are made for land plants. Hope the change works, but be very careful in changing the soil as it is easy to break the growing tips when the plant has already been planted.
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    8. #28
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      Quote Originally Posted by matherfish View Post
      Remember to wash the mix off of the plant after about 10 or 15 minutes. It will hurt the plant if you don't. Also, repeat every day for four or five treatments. That way you should kill off any newly hatched aphids.
      Good to know. I too did not know this and had tried a Neem Oil and detergent mix a long time ago and found all the lotus aerial pads fried. I never touched a home made remedy again after that. Bought some commercial product last year for spider mites and just use a garden hose for aphids but the aphids were very aggressive last year and I think I may have to use the spray or go back to the homemade brew....now that I know what happened when my plants got fried. Am I supposed to rinse off the commerical products too?

    9. #29
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      I do not know about all commercial products, but I would think it would be a good idea to do so if you can re-apply the product on a daily basis to kill off newly hatched pests. Check the product's application instructions to see if you can leave the product on the plant. Whatever is on the leaves will be absorbed into the plant to some extent.
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    10. #30
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      Can you tell me where you got the containers that you grow your lotus in? The ones in the picture.

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    11. #31
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      Pam, those are the tubs that cattle mineral blocks come in. I got them from farmers, as once the minerals are gone, they are no longer needed and many farmers end up accumulating them. You might check with your local farm stores and see if they will give your name to farmers who buy the mineral tubs. That is how I got mine.
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    12. #32
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      I have tried to grow lotus from seed for past 10 years, but they could not survive winter. I live in California so zone 9-10 should be fine with lotus, but I don't understand why they don't survive in the winter. What is the best solution for storing them in the winter?
      Second question is my water turn green due to algae, Do you keep changing water if it turns green?
      Thanks for your advice
      Last edited by anguyen; 01-23-2018 at 07:40 PM.

    13. #33
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      Anguyen, what kind of a container are you growing them in and how are they planted? I can give you a better answer if I know these things.
      Also, algae should not be a problem for your mature lotus, but I put plants such as azolla or duckweed in my tubs to help with algae and heat.
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    14. #34
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      I also lose lotus plants. I first thought being in zone 9-10 was reason for me to not have to worry about lotus dying in the Winter. I now think that they die because they do not get any cold in the Winter. Either it confuses them as to when they are supposed to resprout, or while dormant they do have energy needs if they are warm. And not having any energy production they use up all the energy and nutrients they have stored....
      Several lotus companies suggest keep lotus in the fridge over winter... probably so thyey will not freeze, but also so they won't die from being too warm.
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    15. #35
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      Luke, Have you tried moving the plant to deeper water during the winter? The water would be cooler than shallower water, and less heat from the sun on the soil. This would help if that is part of the problem. Plants usually build up nutrients during the summer to store for the winter, but in warmer climates this should not cause them to be depleted in the warmth of the winter. Perhaps fertilizing them late would give them the added nutrients to continue to store to last through the winter.
      I would also consider there may be some other reason the plants die and it is not necessarily it being winter. Did the plants form large tubers during the summer? Were there insects on the plants? Was their any disease in the soil or roots? How often did you divide the plants? These and other questions could lead to answers.
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    16. #36
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      Quote Originally Posted by matherfish View Post
      Luke, Have you tried moving the plant to deeper water during the winter? The water would be cooler than shallower water, and less heat from the sun on the soil. This would help if that is part of the problem. Plants usually build up nutrients during the summer to store for the winter, but in warmer climates this should not cause them to be depleted in the warmth of the winter. Perhaps fertilizing them late would give them the added nutrients to continue to store to last through the winter.
      I would also consider there may be some other reason the plants die and it is not necessarily it being winter. Did the plants form large tubers during the summer? Were there insects on the plants? Was their any disease in the soil or roots? How often did you divide the plants? These and other questions could lead to answers.
      the plants were not disturbed, were in a foot of water and mud, no insects visible. I
      I believe CraigP has an active thread about what Slocum said about Lotus in zone 9/10. And I agree with him. the tubers would go dormant, then send out a shoot or two...then die back, then ... then then...even when you don't see new growth it doesn't mean some serious metabolic activity isn't taking place...like I said...put em in the fridge for the winter if you want them to make it till next year.
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    17. #37
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      I was using 22-1/2 in. Dia Rustic Oak Resin Whiskey Barrel Planter from home depot. Please see attachment.
      Another question is how many inches of soil are good for optimal growth for lotus? I grew lotus from seeds and to avoid drying the leaves that is out of water, I always have full water and low level of soil. Do you have any suggestions to avoid snail eating young lotus leave and drying lotus leaves?
      Thanks for adviceName:  plastic rustic-oak-planters.jpg
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    18. #38
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      I always recommend 6 inches of soil at minimum for most lotuses. I also recommend that you use a plant such as azolla or duckweed as a cover for the water to help keep it cooler. It will not hurt the lotus.
      Growing lotus from seed is challenging, and rewarding. You are only getting the youthful growth, however, and it is not as strong as second or third year tubers. You might do as Luke suggested, place the tubers in a cool place or fridge over the winter. To do this you would need to divide the tubers when your temps started cooling down if possible. You might even move the pots to shaded areas to reduce the heat at the end of the summer.
      Tropical lilies are also an option.
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    19. #39
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      Matherfish,
      I took to heart your suggestion about using duckweed. My 2500gallon QT has been empty of koi for a few years. Something dropped a piece of duckweed in their a couple of years ago. Since then it has been a solid carpet of green, very attractive. So i scooped out a cup and put it in a lily pond I have. I suspect it will kill off the green moss algae problem that plagues my lily ponds. I have no excuse for not doing this sooner.
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    20. #40
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      Quote Originally Posted by matherfish View Post
      Andrew showed the growing tip on a lotus runner, here are a couple of tubers and the arrow show the growing tips and leaf stems. Tubers and runners do not conform to a same shape/pattern every time so you have to look at where tips and stems are to be found on your tuber/runner and recognize them.
      I am so confused that I'm just going to post a pic of mine, when the time comes and ask YOU to let me know where to cut ;-) I see pics that look like growing tips on some posts and then told they're Leaf stems.

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