Found a faq regarding sunlight

Thanks for that. Trouble is that we get a lot of rain, so even if we had
the sunshine (which isn't certain), I would be nervous about leaving the
plant outside as it could get battered by the rain.

No, you get a _lot_ of rain, but you don't get the kind of massive
thunderstorms that we get inland in N. America (or I guess in monsoon
season in S. Asia). Lotuses handle that sort of weather with aplomb - and
don't even need the sun except to flower. Of course, what do you want with
a non-flowering lotus :-)

You'll have no trouble at all getting it to grow, it's the flowering that
will be touchy.

Oh, well that's some reassurance. I'm still not sure what we would do
with it over the winter, but given the time of year, I have a good eight
or nine months before I need to worry about that. If it's still alive
and growing by then, I'll have something to celebrate!!

Thanks

--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)

They definitely won't grow in England in the winter. They're not
tropicals, though, and they grew in _my_ climate in Ontario, Canada -
outside year
round - so you can definitely raise them. Indoors? Probably not. You
need at least a half-barrel outside.

Hmm, could be a problem there. We don't really have anywhere to put them
inside in the winter. Apart from the basic lack of space, they would get
bashed or eaten by the children!!

Eaten is fine. All parts of the lotus are edible :-)

;-)

You shouldn't really need to bring them indoors - they'll die back, but
they'll come back in spring as long as they don't freeze solid.

They would here!! We get regular frosts and snow in the winter.

If you do need to bring them in, you can dig them up, wash them off,
and store bareroot. I expect K30 has a source to describe how to do
that - I haven't tried keeping lotuses bareroot, but I have
successfully kept hardy lilies that way, and I think it's the same deal.

Digging them up might not be an issue, as I've seen plenty of sites
recommend you grow them in a tub. I could just bring the whole tub in
and let it grow indoors over the winter.

Thanks for the reply

--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)

Oh, well that's some reassurance. I'm still not sure what we would do
with it over the winter, but given the time of year, I have a good eight
or nine months before I need to worry about that. If it's still alive
and growing by then, I'll have something to celebrate!!

If you have garden space, you can dig the pot into the ground and it will
winter fine.... as I'm getting the inkling you don't have a pond? ~ jan


~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

Oh, well that's some reassurance. I'm still not sure what we would do
with it over the winter, but given the time of year, I have a good eight
or nine months before I need to worry about that. If it's still alive
and growing by then, I'll have something to celebrate!!

If you have garden space, you can dig the pot into the ground and it will
winter fine.... as I'm getting the inkling you don't have a pond? ~ jan

Correct. I posted here 'cos it seemed to have the most posts about
growing lotuses. Sorry, I should have mentioned that I don't have a
pond.

--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)

I say scarify them, and soak them. You'll know if they are any good in
just a few days.

Careful now, I think we might have already scarified Alan off :-)

Nah, takes more than that to scarify me!! You've not seen my younger son
first thing in the morning!!

--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)

Alan Silver wrote:

You shouldn't really need to bring them indoors - they'll die back, but
they'll come back in spring as long as they don't freeze solid.

They would here!! We get regular frosts and snow in the winter.

Hehehe. Unless global warming has really cooled you down in the last 30
years - Not! :-)

"regular frost" does not equate to freezing a planted tuber. If you put a
lotus in a half-barrel, I would guess it would take at least a solid week
of sub-freezing temperatures to damage it.

Digging them up might not be an issue, as I've seen plenty of sites
recommend you grow them in a tub. I could just bring the whole tub in
and let it grow indoors over the winter.

Well, it won't grow - it just won't die.
--
derek

Alan Silver wrote:

I say scarify them, and soak them. You'll know if they are any good in
just a few days.

Careful now, I think we might have already scarified Alan off :-)

Nah, takes more than that to scarify me!! You've not seen my younger son
first thing in the morning!!

In case you hadn't caught on - it might be worthwhile to explain "scarify".
Lotus seeds have extremely hard skins - that's why they last so long. To
help the seed to germinate, you need to give it a hand. Freezing and
thawing - the natural method - works, but it's a bit of a chancy
proposition. Sanding ("scarifying", at least in a sense) the seed until
you see a bit of the white germ exposed will pretty well guarantee
germination.
--
derek

I say scarify them, and soak them. You'll know if they are any good in
just a few days.

Careful now, I think we might have already scarified Alan off :-)

Nah, takes more than that to scarify me!! You've not seen my younger son
first thing in the morning!!

In case you hadn't caught on - it might be worthwhile to explain "scarify".
Lotus seeds have extremely hard skins - that's why they last so long. To
help the seed to germinate, you need to give it a hand. Freezing and
thawing - the natural method - works, but it's a bit of a chancy
proposition. Sanding ("scarifying", at least in a sense) the seed until
you see a bit of the white germ exposed will pretty well guarantee
germination.

Thanks, I had seen the term on a couple of web sites, so I wasn't
completely in the dark ;-)

Most of the sites I saw recommended sawing gently until you could see
the white inside, then soaking them in water. Sounds a bit easier than
sanding them down. Any comments?

Thanks for the clarification. I still reckon the sight of my younger son
first thing in the morning is enough to scare (or scarify) any lotus
seed into germinating!!

--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)

Either way will work just fine, if you use a saw, a hacksaw would probably
work best - just cut until you can see the white inside, no farther
I personally use a pair of pliers to hold the seed and my bench grinder

Gale :~)
" Most of the sites I saw recommended sawing gently until you could see
the white inside, then soaking them in water. Sounds a bit easier than
sanding them down. Any comments?

Alan Silver wrote:

In case you hadn't caught on - it might be worthwhile to explain
"scarify".

Thanks, I had seen the term on a couple of web sites, so I wasn't
completely in the dark ;-)

Most of the sites I saw recommended sawing gently until you could see
the white inside, then soaking them in water. Sounds a bit easier than
sanding them down. Any comments?

A Dremel (rotary tool) works great. A saw would work. It doesn't really
matter - just make sure it's clamped somehow. I've never heard of anyone
seriously hurting themselves, but I've heard of a few accidents with people
using either power tools or hammers to get into these things!

Thanks for the clarification. I still reckon the sight of my younger son
first thing in the morning is enough to scare (or scarify) any lotus
seed into germinating!!

Kids... I don't have any, so I don't have that problem. :-)
--
derek

Thanks for the clarification. I still reckon the sight of my younger son
first thing in the morning is enough to scare (or scarify) any lotus
seed into germinating!!

Kids... I don't have any, so I don't have that problem. :-)

Oh I didn't say it's a problem, he's wonderful. He just has this habit
of leaping on me from a great height when I'm least expecting it!!

--
Alan Silver
(anything added below this line is nothing to do with me)

"Alan Silver" wrote in message
...
snip
Thanks, I had seen the term on a couple of web sites, so I wasn't
completely in the dark ;-)

Most of the sites I saw recommended sawing gently until you could see
the white inside, then soaking them in water. Sounds a bit easier than
sanding them down. Any comments?

Thanks for the clarification. I still reckon the sight of my younger son
first thing in the morning is enough to scare (or scarify) any lotus
seed into germinating!!

I use a triangular file, sittin flat on one side. I then run the seed across
one edge until I can see the white of the seeds eye *sic*.


--
BV
Webporgmaster of iheartmypond.com
http://www.iheartmypond.com
I'll be leaning on the bus stop post.