Lotus did great in spite of the drought!

[CathyA]

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Catherine50/IMG_8982-1.jpg


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Catherine50/IMG_8028.jpg

[iris lily]

O. M. G!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fabulous! Thanks so much for posting this, it's so lovely! I love the seed pods.

[cattledog]

Oh- so pretty!

[peggy]

That is a cool plant. You have it in a barrel sunk in the ground, don't you? The plant doesn't mind it's roots restricted? I had always heard it did. Hummm...I'm thinking my patio needs a couple of these next year! I know you warned me against putting them in the fen. I did do some research...good call!:thankyou:

[peggy]

Oh, is that one plant or several?

[Float On]

Beautiful!

The seed pod sticking up has sort of an 'alien' look about it.....who is watching who???
I want one or several!!

[CathyA]

Peggy.......I have it in a 300 gallon Rubbermaid stocktank sunk into the ground and then refilled with soil. I usually have about 8-10" of water above the soil, but this summer only the soil was moist and it still did fine.
I started with just a couple tubers in there with 1-2 eyes each. I'm sure after a couple more years I will have to thin it. I think I'll have to just reach into the soil and yank a bunch of tubers out. They ARE very invasive. There was a girl on the pond forum I visit who had a pond put in. It was about 100' long and maybe 50' across. She put in one lotus tuber, and within just a couple years, the entire pond was filled. I'm sure if she doesn't thin it soon, they might all die off.
Maybe "in the wild", enough of them get eaten so as not to overpopulate themselves.

I used to have some in 40 gallon containers too, but you do have to thin them at least every 2 years. You just dump them out, hose off all the tubers, and cut a couple out and replant them.
If you want one in a smallish container, I would recommend a dwarf variety.

You wouldn't have to sink the container. They love the heat, and don't mind being above ground.

Here's a pic of what it looks like when you dump it out and begin to thin it. The larger things are the tubers........they are the food for the next year's growth. The "eyes" are the sprouts, where the growth will happen.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Catherine50/IMG_5272.jpg

This next picture is of the tuber I planted anew.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Catherine50/IMG_5277.jpg

Its totally amazing that after a couple years, when you dump it out, all the soil is gone and all there is is massive roots and tubers.

And this next picture shows you how strong/invasive they are. I had a pot with a hosta setting in the lotus bog. The lotus root when right through the pot!

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Catherine50/IMG_4893.jpg

[CathyA]

Float On........just don't put them in your lake! They will take it over and you will be sad! They are beautiful........but need confined.
I absolutely love them. I call their huge leaves my "satellite dishes". haha

[Float On]

Thanks for all the tips and photos.

[CathyA]

Since some of you seem interested, I'll post some more pics. I couldn't get into my Photobucket account for about 2 months, so I'm going a little overboard now! Here are some pics from the past:
I believe the next 2 pics are of Mrs. Perry D. Slocum, may she rest in peace.........

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Catherine50/IMG_3496.jpg


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Catherine50/IMG_3495.jpg

This is the Egyptian lotus I have in the bog. Notice the bumble bee coming in for a landing!
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Catherine50/IMG_4747.jpg

Love those seed pods!
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Catherine50/IMG_2160.jpg

[peggy]

Lotus pod was a common vegetable in Japan. Very pretty in a dish but rather tasteless. Kind of like water chestnut.

[razz]

gorgeous photos so thanks for sharing. I never thought about planting a barrel for moist-tolerant plants. Hmmmmm? I wonder in 2013?

[Tussiemussies]

Beautiful, beautiful pictures CathyA. Does sound like it takes a bit of work to keep them under control. Yours are just so pretty! : )