 |
 |
  |
|
Throughout history, water has been connected with gardens, and lotus can serve as a breathtaking accent for a water feature. With graceful leaves that stand above and are mirrored in the water's surface plus large, intricate blossoms, lotus seem incredibly exotic. Amazingly, they're quite winter hardy and not difficult to host in anyone's sunny backyard. Richard M. Koogle is the fourth generation of water gardening experts at Lilypons Water Gardens in Maryland, and he's perfected the art of cultivating lotus. Nelumbo nuciferia has been revered in the Far East for 3,000 years, but Americans are just recently discovering the charms of Asian lotus to grow in ponds and in containers. For container growing, choose a 24 inch or larger container to grow any size lotus (smaller containers can be used for dwarf varieties). Site the container in a sunny location. Due to their tuberous roots, lotus are most easily and effectively transplanted directly into containers in early spring before they begin active growth. After the mid-March through April window of opportunity, there will only be only a 10% survival rate when transplanting. Later in the season, rather than lifting and replanting, a growing lotus shouldn't be disturbed. Instead, move it - plastic pot and all - into a cachepot. Some suggestions for success when planting a lotus are: 1. Plant tubers in spring. 2. Select a wide container that holds water. 3. Use heavy loam or topsoil from the garden (avoid the potting soil that's typically marketed for potted plants, it's not sufficiently heavy to anchor the lotus). 4. Most reliable suppliers provide planting instructions with the tubers. 5. Place the tuber horizontally in the container according to the planting instructions and cover the tuber with soil. 6. Lotus roots are extensive, limit each container to one lotus plant. 7. If fish will be part of the configuration, cover the soil with a thin layer of pea gravel. This is optional. 8. Add 2 - 6 inches of water above the soil or gravel. 9. Begin to add fertilizer tablets after 2-3 leaves appear. Then fertilize monthly. 10. Add mosquito repellant dunks periodically. 11. Transplant lotus every 2-4 seasons to remove old root growth. 12. When transplanting, replant the lotus in fresh soil. Special thanks:
|
|