"Bob Hobden" wrote:

The Lotus is not a tropical plant as such so has anyone any
experience of growing them under UK conditions?

Well, take this with a large grain of salt:
I've grown lotus in New York State, U.S. (considerably colder winters than
the UK) successfully in 1-bushel plastic tubs in a "farm" i.e. earth pond*
They need to be divided/re-potted every few years, because the containers
fill with a mass of roots. And, they're heavy feeders; I've used commercial
"lilytabs" (U.S. brand, don't know how to translate) stuck into the mud a
few times during the summer. I have a pink and white variety, currently
getting engulfed in cattails, so next spring I need to wade and weed.

*NOT one of those small, immaculately managed "water features."

Hope this makes some sense; I'm coming off a vicious cold, and SWMBO is
getting tired of all the hacking and wheezing...l



--
Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G