Arrrghhh!

I have no problems with hardy waterlillies in my southern Michigan
pond. They come back year after year and bloom heavily. I have no
problem with tropical water lillies which I bring in every winter to a
heated horse trough where they live (without blooming) until they go
out in Spring.

I have tried several different types of hardy Lotus over the years,
treating them essentially the same as the hardy lillies. But they
always die, if not after one year, then after two. I planted one last
year that put up several leaves and looked very good by fall. But this
spring it has failed to regrow, and is certainly dead.

Question: How does the care and feeding of Lotus differ from that of
hardy lillies? What do you guys who successufully overwinter lotus and
water lillies do differently with the two plants.

thanks

bern

I'm in zone 8b, so no practical experience, but do you really need to bring
in the lotus? Aren't they hardy to zone 4 or 5? Try treating them the same
as what you do with your hardy lilies.

Impressed that you successfully overwinter tropical lilies.

--
Wendy* in N. California,

"Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people
are works of art." Eleanor Roosevelt


"bern" wrote in message
om...
Arrrghhh!

I have no problems with hardy waterlillies in my southern Michigan
pond. They come back year after year and bloom heavily. I have no
problem with tropical water lillies which I bring in every winter to a
heated horse trough where they live (without blooming) until they go
out in Spring.

I have tried several different types of hardy Lotus over the years,
treating them essentially the same as the hardy lillies. But they
always die, if not after one year, then after two. I planted one last
year that put up several leaves and looked very good by fall. But this
spring it has failed to regrow, and is certainly dead.

Question: How does the care and feeding of Lotus differ from that of
hardy lillies? What do you guys who successufully overwinter lotus and
water lillies do differently with the two plants.

thanks

bern

(bern) wrote:

I have tried several different types of hardy Lotus over the years,
treating them essentially the same as the hardy lillies.

What size container are they in? I've only lost Lotus plants when I waited
too long (4 years) to divide and they got horribly potbound. It's a tough
call, because you don't get any flowers the year your divide. I did kill
one that way; it's been a bad few years, but I'm getting back to where I
need to be now, including rejuvenating pond, garden, and just
coincidentally, self.

Amazing how that works!


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

Hi, I'm in zone 6 and my lotus winter over without any problems
in the lotus pond. (see the 2nd website below). Yes, as Wendy
says, they are hardy to zone 4. I was so afraid
I'd loose all four of them that first winter .... I didn't want to
winter them over in the pond with the very lively Koi but knew
the whiskey barrels I had them in would freeze solid - so I had
a lotus pond dug. There is 12" of builders sand in the bottom
of the 24" deep pond. Anyway, I feed them the water from
the bottom of the fish pond which is about 3 feet away. I have
the pond guys come out and fertilize them in the early spring.

Wish I knew why lotuses fail ... no rhyme or reason - to my way
of thinking.

Good Luck!

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Wendy Kelly Budd" wrote in message
...
I'm in zone 8b, so no practical experience, but do you really need to
bring
in the lotus? Aren't they hardy to zone 4 or 5? Try treating them the
same
as what you do with your hardy lilies.

Impressed that you successfully overwinter tropical lilies.

--
Wendy* in N. California,

"Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people
are works of art." Eleanor Roosevelt


"bern" wrote in message
om...
Arrrghhh!

I have no problems with hardy waterlillies in my southern Michigan
pond. They come back year after year and bloom heavily. I have no
problem with tropical water lillies which I bring in every winter to a
heated horse trough where they live (without blooming) until they go
out in Spring.

I have tried several different types of hardy Lotus over the years,
treating them essentially the same as the hardy lillies. But they
always die, if not after one year, then after two. I planted one last
year that put up several leaves and looked very good by fall. But this
spring it has failed to regrow, and is certainly dead.

Question: How does the care and feeding of Lotus differ from that of
hardy lillies? What do you guys who successufully overwinter lotus and
water lillies do differently with the two plants.

thanks

bern

Gary Woods wrote in message . ..
(bern) wrote:

I have tried several different types of hardy Lotus over the years,
treating them essentially the same as the hardy lillies.

What size container are they in?

Thanks to everybody who suggested things.

I have tried several different types, but since they are treated the
same as the hardy lillies, they have been in 30 quart tubs recently.
They get sunk to the bottom of a 3 foot deep part of the pond. Now,
the soil I use is not heavy clay, which I have been told is needed by
lotus. Do you guys use heavy clay? My hardy lillies love the soil
mixture I have been using. BTW, we are zone 5.

need to be now, including rejuvenating pond, garden, and just
coincidentally, self.

Amazing how that works!

Indeed it is!

bern wrote:

I have tried several different types, but since they are treated the
same as the hardy lillies, they have been in 30 quart tubs recently.
They get sunk to the bottom of a 3 foot deep part of the pond. Now,
the soil I use is not heavy clay, which I have been told is needed by
lotus. Do you guys use heavy clay? My hardy lillies love the soil
mixture I have been using. BTW, we are zone 5.

If you're sinking the lotus to 3 feet depth, that is the problem. They
should only be under 4-6 inches of water. Lilies can be 2-3 feet deep,
but not lotus.
--
Kathy B, zookeeper
3500gal pond, 13 pond pigs
Oregon

zookeeper wrote in message ...
bern wrote:

I have tried several different types, but since they are treated the
same as the hardy lillies, they have been in 30 quart tubs recently.
They get sunk to the bottom of a 3 foot deep part of the pond. Now,
the soil I use is not heavy clay, which I have been told is needed by
lotus. Do you guys use heavy clay? My hardy lillies love the soil
mixture I have been using. BTW, we are zone 5.

If you're sinking the lotus to 3 feet depth, that is the problem. They
should only be under 4-6 inches of water. Lilies can be 2-3 feet deep,
but not lotus.

Sorry I didn't make myself clear. During the summer they would be 4-6
inches deep. I sink them deep only in winter when they are dormant, to
try to minimize frost damage. Should I leave them shallow even in
winter?

Sink them to the deeper level in the winter.
This will keep them from freezing.

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"bern" wrote in message
om...
zookeeper wrote in message
...
bern wrote:

I have tried several different types, but since they are treated the
same as the hardy lillies, they have been in 30 quart tubs recently.
They get sunk to the bottom of a 3 foot deep part of the pond. Now,
the soil I use is not heavy clay, which I have been told is needed by
lotus. Do you guys use heavy clay? My hardy lillies love the soil
mixture I have been using. BTW, we are zone 5.

If you're sinking the lotus to 3 feet depth, that is the problem. They
should only be under 4-6 inches of water. Lilies can be 2-3 feet deep,
but not lotus.

Sorry I didn't make myself clear. During the summer they would be 4-6
inches deep. I sink them deep only in winter when they are dormant, to
try to minimize frost damage. Should I leave them shallow even in
winter?

I don't believe I've ever seen a lotus with no aerials...
But, you have buds and probably by now a blossom ...
so, can be a success story. Congrats!
What kind is it?

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote in message
...
Lotus have not proven to like me in the past, but last year I purchased
one
in the fall and it basically decline into winter. March I upturned it and
put what I thought were tubers in one round container and runners in
another.

To my surprise the container with the runner put up a bud, funny thing is,
I do not have any aerial leaves, all pads are on the water surface. Is
that
normal?

The container with the tuber(s) also has a tiny bud, but few pads on the
surface. ~ jan

See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

~ jan JJsPond.us wrote:

To my surprise the container with the runner put up a bud, funny thing is,
I do not have any aerial leaves, all pads are on the water surface. Is that
normal?

I've seen newly divided, i.e. young lotus put up only floating leaves at
first. The more unusual thing is having a bud at all the first season.
Don't forget that lotus, like myself, is a heavy feeder.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

Gary Woods wrote:
~ jan JJsPond.us wrote:


To my surprise the container with the runner put up a bud, funny thing is,
I do not have any aerial leaves, all pads are on the water surface. Is that
normal?


I've seen newly divided, i.e. young lotus put up only floating leaves at
first. The more unusual thing is having a bud at all the first season.
Don't forget that lotus, like myself, is a heavy feeder.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G


--

dang and mine is just sittin there no leaves or nuthin yet



John Rutz
Z5 New Mexico

good judgement comes from bad experience, and that comes from bad
judgement

see my pond at:

http://www.fuerjefe.com

John Rutz wrote:

dang and mine is just sittin there no leaves or nuthin yet

Actually, so is mine; bought it from a mail-order place cheaper than my
usual supplier. Arrived unlabeled, a little mold on a skinny root with a
couple of inch-long skinny shoots started on it. Planted with the greatest
of care (I've done lotus before), but nothing. I emailed them when it
arrived, and they swore it was:
A: OK, really.
B: the variety I ordered.

We'll see what their replacement policy is soon... no hurry; it's too late
for this year anyway.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

I don't believe I've ever seen a lotus with no aerials...
But, you have buds and probably by now a blossom ...

Not yet, the bud is growing bigger every day.

so, can be a success story. Congrats!
What kind is it? Nedra

Well..... the tag says: Double Rose Lotus (Roseum Plenum)

Me thinks I didn't get one with a name? ( ~ jan

See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

~ jan JJsPond.us wrote:

To my surprise the container with the runner put up a bud, funny thing is,
I do not have any aerial leaves, all pads are on the water surface. Is that
normal?

I've seen newly divided, i.e. young lotus put up only floating leaves at
first. The more unusual thing is having a bud at all the first season.
Don't forget that lotus, like myself, is a heavy feeder.
Gary Woods Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

Perhaps the wacky water problem in my Lily Pond and what I did to alleviate
it, caused the strange behavior of my lotus? You see I have cement blocks
around my lily pond (formal type) if you haven't seen my website. I thought
after 3 years those blocks would be well leached, but when things didn't
grow well at first I checked the pH and it was well above 9.0. So then I
began this game of add acid to lower pH, add baking soda to reclaim buffer
lost to acid, etc. Because I wanted to help the lotus along I would put a
diluted cup of acid directly over the pot. ~ jan


See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

That is a Beautiful lotus... and that is the name -
Roseum Plenum or Double Rose Lotus. It is an
old old Lotus.... If you have a catalog from any of the
vendors (Lily Ponds, etc.) they will probably have a
picture.

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote in message
...
I don't believe I've ever seen a lotus with no aerials...
But, you have buds and probably by now a blossom ...

Not yet, the bud is growing bigger every day.

so, can be a success story. Congrats!
What kind is it? Nedra

Well..... the tag says: Double Rose Lotus (Roseum Plenum)

Me thinks I didn't get one with a name? ( ~ jan

See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website