Differences Between Bowl Lotus and Water Lily, Plus Planting Time, Seed Prices and Hydroponic Methods

Bowl lotus usually refers to the small and medium-sized types of lotus, with the same scientific name as lotus. Also known as pot lotus, bowl lotus, and table lotus, it belongs to the Nymphaeaceae family. So what are its differences from water lilies? When is the right time to plant? How much does a jin of seeds cost? According to the flower and tree base in Suqian, Jiangsu, bowl lotus seeds are generally sold by the piece, at about one yuan per seed. Water lilies are mainly propagated by tuberous roots, so if you buy seeds you need to carefully identify them and avoid buying fake seeds.

What are the differences between bowl lotus and water lily?

1. Water lily is also called noon lily, pink water lily, wild water lily, dwarf water lily, and pygmy water lily. Its flowers are large and beautiful, and its leaves include both floating leaves and submerged leaves. Water lily flowers have distinctive features: they bloom during the day and close at night, and the petals vary in color from white, blue, yellow, and pink.

Water lilies are rarely grown at home unless there is a relatively large courtyard or pond; they are more commonly used for greening park water bodies.

Bowl lotus is also called white lotus, hibiscus, and lotus, but bowl lotus is not a true lotus. The leaves of bowl lotus are round, and the leaves are floating leaves and standing leaves. The flowering period of bowl lotus is from June to September, and the flower colors include red, pink, white, and purple, with colored patterns and edging.

2. The most intuitive difference between bowl lotus and water lily is that the smallest growing container for bowl lotus is a bowl, while the smallest container for water lily is a vat. The size of the container shows the size of the plant! Bowl lotus is smaller and can be moved indoors or onto a balcony for growing. Water lily is larger and is suitable for planting in courtyards or large garden vats and ponds.

3. The leaves of bowl lotus and water lily are completely different. The leaves of bowl lotus are round, and the point where the stem attaches is in the middle, with a small white dot; they are floating leaves or standing leaves. Although the leaves of water lily are also round, one side of the leaf has a notch, and the point where the stem attaches is located on the side of the notch.

4. The petals of bowl lotus are nearly round, and the leaves are concentrated and small and lively. Also, the color of bowl lotus is relatively simple, generally only red and yellow, and the size is about 5 cm. The most important point is that after bowl lotus blooms, it leaves behind lovely small lotus seeds.

Water lily petals are long and narrow, and the flowers are slightly larger. Water lilies also come in many colors: red, pink, white, and yellow. After blooming, they leave nothing behind.

5. Bowl lotus and water lily are both plants in the Nymphaeaceae family, and their basic morphology and growth habits are the same, but bowl lotus is a plant in the genus Nelumbo, while water lily is a plant in the genus Nymphaea. The different genera determine that the two have obvious differences in morphology.

6. Bowl lotus is not cold-tolerant, and in home cultivation it must be moved indoors in winter to avoid cold damage. Water lilies generally overwinter outdoors; the aboveground parts wither, and new leaves grow again in spring the following year, so their cold tolerance is stronger.

When is the right time to plant bowl lotus?

Bowl lotus can be planted around Qingming. First spread a 3-4 cm thick layer of humus soil on the bottom of the vat, and mix in some decomposed cake fertilizer liquid. Then add culture soil (leave 5-6 cm at the rim for water storage) and a small amount of water, and adjust it into a thin paste. Then place the small lotus rhizome with the bud tip facing down and plant it diagonally into the mud along the edge of the vat, so that the tail node tilts upward and is slightly exposed above the mud surface. After planting, place it in a sunny spot to receive sunlight for 2-3 days, so that the mud shrinks, fixes the seed rhizome, and raises the soil temperature to help sprouting. At this time add a small amount of clear water. After floating leaves grow, slightly raise the water level. After standing leaves grow, gradually fill the vat with water as the leaf stalks elongate, and add some water every day afterward. During the growth period of bowl lotus, no additional fertilization is needed. Too much fertilizer will cause fertilizer damage. Bowl lotus is delicate and susceptible to cold damage. When winter comes, move the vat or bowl indoors to a sunny place and add a small amount of water every week. By Qingming the following year, repot it, take out the seed rhizome, and replant it.

Appendix: Hydroponic method for bowl lotus

1. Sowing time: Lotus seeds have no dormancy period. As long as the water temperature can be kept above 16°C, they can be sown in all four seasons. Under suitable temperature and light conditions, lotus seeds take 50-60 days from sowing to flowering in spring and 60-80 days in autumn.

2. Seed treatment: The outer shell of lotus seeds is hard and dense, so before soaking the seeds, the shell must be opened manually. One end of the lotus seed has a small protruding tip, and the other end has a small concave dot. Grind the end with the small concave dot on rough cement ground until it breaks, or use pliers to crack a small opening. Be careful not to crush the embryo, and do not remove the shell.

3. Soaking seeds to promote germination: A summer water temperature of 20°C-30°C is very suitable for lotus seed germination. Depending on the number of seeds, use a bowl or basin filled with water, enough to submerge the seeds. It can be placed indoors or outdoors. Change the water three times a day, and germination can occur within 1 week. After sprouting, place it in a sunny spot, strengthen light exposure, and do not let it lack water. Once the root system has formed, it can be planted into mud.

4. Planting into mud: Choose a container with a diameter of 18 cm-50 cm and a depth of 15 cm-30 cm with no drainage hole. Add half a basin of pond mud, and do not fertilize.

5. Autumn and winter management: Bowl lotus seed rhizomes are delicate and susceptible to cold damage. When low temperatures arrive, they should be stored in a place at 0—5 degrees. Winter is the dormancy period for bowl lotus; it does not need photosynthesis and can safely overwinter with a deeper water level. By around Qingming the following year, repot and take out the lotus rhizome to replant.