"Hal" wrote in message
...
I had one for a year that didn't bloom, but this year I have one that
has bloomed once and has three more buds, one should open tomorrow or
the next day. I understand they are heavy feeders. I have it in a
half barrel container, about 20 gallons or so with a bag and a little
more of topsoil and 4 AgSafe spikes, once a year fertilizer. They
seem to work well and I'll probably use them again next year.

I bought a Mrs Perry D Slocum tuber and planted it in a similar pot
and it died. I was a bit disappointed in that one, but the one that
is doing so well came free from a friend. I have concerns about the
top soil and perhaps I should have used garden soil instead, but I had
topsoil for another project and used what was handy. Oh, Well!

I've enjoyed the free one so much, I may use some of my wife's jewelry
money and buy another one next spring.
===========================
If my Lotus would bloom half as good as my water lilies I'd be thrilled.
I've been using Jobe's Rose spikes but now added a different fertilizer for
other plants. The Lotus is tall, has huge nice green leaves about 5' tall
and yet never a blossom. I don't know what can be missing. It's kept
watered with water from the koi fry tanks. It's planted in regular soil
from the garden which is medium fertile on its own.

I can't see why topsoil would have harmed your lotus. Could you have buried
it too deep? I just laid the original tuber on the muck and added enough
over it to hold it in place. It moved itself down to the bottom (?).
--
KL....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
Aquariums since 1952.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
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