We all know that Lotus is a very beautiful sun loving flower grows in water. Lotus is the national flower of India and it can be easily grown at home. It is also used for worships in temple and home. Some people have a passion for planting lotus at home to enhance the beauty of their garden. So, we will discuss how to propagate lotus at home.
Important tips for growing lotus at home
- A sunny spot. Lotus like full sun and need at least 6 hours of light per day.
- A large, deep pot with no holes in the bottom. Try to get one at least 12” deep and 24” wide.
- The air temperature should be at least 26C
- Re pot the plant as it grows
- Fertilize periodically
- Don't submerge the growing tips
Soil and Sun requirements
Lotus plant require at least six hours sunlight per day to thrive well. Do not use potting soil. The light weight potting soil will float out of your container. You can buy soil which is particularly made for pond plants or use soil with clay in it along with sand. Also, do not use more organic matter which may be a reason for rotting tuber.
There are two ways we can propagate lotus at home: from tuber and seeds. Let's see the step by step process.
Containers
We pot our standard and dwarf lotus in approx. 16” wide containers for the first year. The dwarf forms can remain in this size pot. The standard size lotus should be re potted into larger containers after the first year. Be sure the container is deep enough to hold 2-3” of water.
Propagation
How to plant lotus from tuber
The bottom part of the lotus plant including roots is known as tuber. Most likely you will receive your lotus as a tuber. The tips of the tuber (or eyes) are where the leaves will start to grow. If the tips are broken, there is a chance that the tuber will not grow. Be sure to plant the tuber as soon as you recieve it from nursery.
Step 1) Select an appropriate pot to plant the tuber and select the pot by knowing the plant would need enough space to grow.
Step 2) Put one inch of sand in the bottom of your pot and then fill the pot with soil.
Step 3) Gently place the tuber on the surface of wet soil. Lay your tuber roots down and growing tips up. The roots will expand as it takes root, pulling the tuber into place.
Step 4) Cover the soil with a thin layer of sand or gravel. This will keep the lotus tuber from floating out of the soil.
Step 5) Slowly add water, not too much, you want wet mud. No standing water on top of the mud.
Step 6) Place the pot in a sunny area where the plant get at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day.
Step 7) Once you have some aerial leaf growth (leaves that stick up above the water line) you can transfer your growing container into a pond or a larger container
Step 8) Check the water level of the plant every day. All parts except the growing tip should be within the water all the time. Add fertilizer once in a month.
Propagate lotus from seeds
Step 1) First, we have to scratch or break off the lotus seeds which you buy or get
Step 2) You can use sandpaper or a file to scratch the lotus seed. You have to scratch the pointed side of the seed until the white portion of the seed is visible.
Step 3) Place the seeds in glass of water. Throw the seeds if they do not float in the water. Use a transparent container. so that you can see the seed start to sprout.
Step 4) Change the water everyday. After 3 to 4 days, the seed will start to germinate.
Step 5) Germinated seeds should be planted in a pot after 15-20 days. Press the sprouted lotus seeds to the soil about 4 inches apart. Just spread some soil on top of the seeds to secure them in the pot.
Step 6) Switch the plant to a larger container or a pond and fertilize once in a month.
Pruning of Lotus
Prune your lotus is necessary. Remove yellowed foliage as needed but do not cut the stems off below the water line. It helps the plant to stay healthy and prevent diseases.Never cut flowers and stems below water level. Roots and tubers are using stems for oxygen.
Re potting of Lotus
Lotus can only be re potted early in the spring, just as growth starts, because tubers dislike disturbance. You can remove the tuber from the original pot after you notice the first green shoots. The tuber will resemble a long extension with banana-like growths on either end that are divided by rooting nodes. This node region will produce the fresh growing shoots. Make sure each division of your lotus has at least four of the enormous banana-like portions if you decide to divide it. Give the bottom of your pot a 2" layer of good garden soil. Don't use packaged potting mixtures that will float above the water. Place the lotus tuber horizontally across the pot and cover with no more than 1 1/2 inches of additional soil. Make sure that the growing tip is not covered with soil,as it will make the plant rot. Add fertilizer to the pot. When lowering the pot into your pond, tip the pot to allow the water to slowly enter one side. This prevents the tuber from being washed out of the pot.
fertilizer
Fertilize with tablets every 2 - 3 weeks during spring season.Fertilizer made specifically for aquatic pond plants is recommended for the best looking foliage and flower production. Pond plant fertilizer usually comes in the form of small tabs which you push down into the soil of your potted lotus plant.
Pest Control
Some pests can attack the lotus plant here is the solution, Sometimes it can be seen that many mosquitoes breed in this water so that you can use Guppy fish.It eats larvae of those mosquitoes. Sometimes it can be seen that leaves are rotten, it can occur for lack of sunlight , if you do not place the lotus Plants full of sunlight it can be happened. Much of the time, sucking bugs are effortlessly eliminated from the leaves of your water lotus with a solid shower of water, which additionally cleans away the honeydew they abandon.
The leaves which are affected would curl and turn yellow, and also buds will not come, it can rot below the surface. The lotus plant can die from this as leaving a stinky wreck. For that, we have to only give the fungicides.
Is the Lotus plant edible
As you know Lotus is an herbaceous perennial aquatic flowering plant in
the family of Nelumbonaceae. Seeds can be eaten. And also leaves, flower
buds, stalks, and roots also can be eaten. Many delicious recipes can
be made from those.
How to get more flowering in Lotus
Lotus need at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight to grow and bloom. Lotus do not grow indoors and would require a modest full spectrum grow light system. You should be fertilizing your lotus every three weeks during the growing/blooming season with pond tablets or other aquatic fertilizer. Make sure to use wider pot for the plant to grow well.
How much time does lotus takes to bloom
It takes about two years for a lotus plant grown from seed to flower, but tubers produce plants that blossom the first year
Which is the best potting mix for growing Lotus
Lotus can quickly rot in organically rich soil so it is best to use clay soil or potting mix made especially for pond plants. You can add sand to the potting mix
How to care lotus during monsoon
Over watering plants, especially during monsoon season may result in root rot and eventually, the death of the plant. Reduce the frequency of watering during monsoon. Water the plants if the top soil looks dry or if the leaves are drooping.
