Lotus (Nelumbo)
 

Having just received the English language catalogue from Latour-Marliac,
their first for a very long while, I notice they are selling quite a number
of Lotus varieties including miniatures as well as the sacred Lotus species
N.nucifera. The Lotus is not a tropical plant as such so has anyone any
experience of growing them under UK conditions?

http://www.latour-marliac.com/index....26715adbf7146f

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
Posting to this Newsgroup
from the W.of London. UK

Lotus (Nelumbo)
 

"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

Lotus (Nelumbo)
 

"Gary Woods" wrote

"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


Interesting, I'm wondering if your summers are hotter and/or sunnier. It's
not a water plant commonly grown in the UK and I've only ever seen it in a
large greenhouse situation. It may be that everyone assumes they are
tropical so don't try.

My wife has a cold like that at the moment, lots of coughing.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK