"Mickey" wrote in message
...
I see all kinds of recommendations in web searches I am looking for real
world experience. I am putting these in a veggie filter so there is water
flow into the filter and out about 2500 gph. The a settling chamber /
veggie
filter is 2 foot wide by 16 foot long.
I am eventually want the Lotus in pots so they can be removed for the
winter. The pots type is still undecided but with the recommendations I
see
for a rich soil, mesh pots do not seem like the best idea. Doesn't the
soil
end up sifting out? Would a large plastic container be better? I have 5
gallon plastic containers used for trees I could use. One lotus per pot
maybe 10 - 15 pots. Fill them with a potting soil that does not have any
of
that white Perlite stuff?? Anyway HELP????
I have the Lotus seed in a jar soaking for a couple of days. Once they
swell up and start to sprout I am going to move them to 4" clay pots
immersed under a few inches of water for a couple of weeks until they
start
growing well and take root. Then I am going to need a large container so
I
can move them to the pond.

Lotus is not a great filter plant, mostly because the tubors need to be
planted in a material like soil or clay, so their roots don't have the
direct exposure with the water that you'd want from a VF plant like Water
Hyacinth, Lettuce or Celery. Also, the lotus have LARGE leaves both floating
on the water and as aerials above the water's surface, so your VF surface
will be reduced nearly nothing once the lotus go crazy. For a VF, you want
maximum root surface area exposed to the water. You won't get that with
lotus, I am afraid.

BV.