The lotus is an aquatic plant that symbolizes beauty and purity, and comes in many sizes and colors. The most common lotus flowers are red, yellow, pink and white in color. Plants can be grown from tubers and seeds, but the seeds will not produce flowers for the first year until they have matured into tubers.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Growing from Seed
Step 1. Score the seeds
Using a metal rasp, scratch the outer layer. If you don't hack them this way, they won't germinate and may rot.
Step 2. Place the seeds in a glass of warm water
The water must be chlorine-free and should be changed daily until the seeds sprout. After the first day, the seeds should swell to double their original size.
Those that come to the surface are not fertile. Engrave them until you see the white inside. If they don't swell like the others, throw them away to keep them from clouding the water
Step 3. Keep changing the water every day even after germination
You will need to be gentler at this stage, so as not to disturb growth. After 4-5 days the seeds will start to throw, but you will need to get them to at least 15 cm and for this reason you will need at least a couple of more days.
Step 4. Choose the right container
One from 11 to 19 liters should suffice. Better to orient yourself on a black plastic bucket, able to retain heat and thus heat the seedlings. Choose it that doesn't have drainage holes. The plant may start growing around the holes, eventually spoiling.
Step 5. Stop the seeds
Lotus seeds without an anchor can escape from the ground and rise to the surface on the water. Wrap them in clay without covering the sprouted part.
Step 6. Fill the pot with thick soil
The ideal would be one consisting of two parts of clay and one of river sand. Fill the vase about 15 cm.
Step 7. Gently press the seeds into the top of the potting soil
They should stay close to the surface but be covered in a thin layer once you press them.
Step 8. Immerse the jar in the water
It should be a maximum of 45 cm deep and with a temperature of 21 ° C.
Method 2 of 3: Growing from a tuber
Step 1. Place the tubers in a large bowl
Fill it with warm water and fix the tubers that should float. Place the bowl near a window and change the water every 3-7 days.
- Do not expose the tuber to direct sunlight or frost.
- Plant the lotus within a couple of weeks of germinating the tubers.
Step 2. Choose the suitable container
It will depend on the type of lotus you choose. The lotus bowls are very small and can hold a 7-liter jar inside, while the large ones can accommodate a 190-liter pot.
Make sure your pot doesn't have drainage holes. The plant may grow around the holes and become damaged
Step 3. Fill the container with soil
The best one is 60% clay and 40% river sand, but something higher density will do just as well. Leave about 2.5-10 cm of empty space between the top of the soil and the edge of the pot.
Step 4. Place the pot in a pond or basin
For now, the water level should be about to the edge of the pot, if not slightly further.
Step 5. Place the tuber on the soil
Place it horizontally with the back next to the container wall and pointing towards the center. It should be straight up.
- Gently press the tuber into the soil, just enough to anchor it without burying it.
- The surface of the water should be slightly higher than the tip.
Step 6. After a few days, place the pot in the pond
The plant will be ready for deeper water once the spikes produce leaves. The smaller lotuses need little water, no more than 15 cm, while the larger varieties can fit up to 1 meter.
Step 7. Place a stone on the tuber to hold it in place
If you don't anchor it, it will float.
Method 3 of 3: Daily Care
Step 1. Keep the water temperature at 21 ° C
The plant grows warm.
Step 2. Give your lotus as much sunshine as possible
They are plants that thrive in full sun, but if your pond is in the shade, you will need to try to remove leaves and anything else that prevents rays from accessing.
Once the temperatures reach 35 ° C, you should consider giving the lotus some shade so as not to damage the leaves, which are delicate
Step 3. Prune the lotus when necessary
Remove any yellowing, but only cut the stems beyond the surface of the water.
Step 4. Fertilize the lotus using pond tablets
They are for specific use for aquatic plants. Some plant varieties need 2 pads, the larger ones can take 4.
- If you are growing the lotus from seeds, do not fertilize during the first year of growth.
- Start fertilizing after the tuber has produced six leaves.
- Add fertilizer every 3-4 leaves.
- Stop fertilizing in mid-July. If you don't stop, the plant won't be able to prepare for hibernation.
Step 5. Beware of insects
Aphids and millipedes are known lotus leaf lovers, so you'll need to give the plant some powdered pesticide to kill these unwanted guests. Do not apply liquid products, which could burn the leaves.
Step 6. Before the first frost, move the lotus
Bring the pot to the deepest part of the pond to protect the tip of the tuber from the ice that will develop on the surface. You can also take it off and put it in the garage or basement until the temperatures rise.
Step 7. Repot the tuber every year
Repot in early spring when new shoots develop. Use a soil made from clay and river sand and transfer everything into a container of the same size as the original one, planting it at the same depth.
