Detailed Guide to Bowl Lotus Planting Methods and Care Management Key Points

Growing Techniques Jan 1, 1970 0 views

Bowl lotus, also known as bowl lotus and pot lotus, as the name suggests, is a lotus planted in a bowl, specifically for display on indoor tables to beautify the living environment. Bowl lotus originated in Jiangsu, with Suzhou's being the most famous. There are many records in ancient Chinese texts. Now it is mostly used as an ornamental plant on office desks, which can beautify the work environment

Bowl Lotus Planting Environment

Likes sufficient sunlight, not tolerant of shade. Likes heat, optimal growth temperature is 20-30°C, growth stagnates when temperature is below 15°C. Likes moisture and fears dryness, prefers relatively stable still water. Fertile clay rich in organic matter is suitable. Suitable pH is 6.5.

Bowl Lotus Sowing Time

Lotus seeds have no dormancy period. As long as the water temperature can be maintained 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.

Bowl Lotus Seed Treatment

The lotus seed shell is hard and dense. Before soaking, manual opening must be done. One end of the lotus seed has a small pointed tip, and the other end has a small concave dot. Rub the end with the small concave dot on rough cement ground to break through a layer of skin. Be careful not to damage the kernel inside, and do not remove the shell. The purpose of rubbing the skin is to let water seep in through this opening, causing the seed to absorb water and expand. How to handle bowl lotus seeds? There are multiple ways to handle the end with the concave dot. Conventional methods usually include: 1. Rub off the seed coat on cement ground. 2. Crack it with pliers. 3. Cut off a small piece of seed coat with a sharp small utility knife. 4. Soak for a few days first, so the seed coat softens and is easier to handle.

Bowl Lotus Seed Soaking and Germination

Place the already cracked seeds in warm water at about 20-40°C. When water temperature is below 20°C, seed germination and growth are too slow. For small-scale home soaking, a thermos can be used to maintain temperature. Germination speed is also related to temperature. At 30°C, generally soaking and germinating for 3-5 days will lead to sprouting, with the embryo emerging from the opening.

During this period, change the water every 1-2 days. Generally, as long as the seed coat can absorb water and expand, it can germinate. What are the precautions for bowl lotus seed soaking and germination: 1. If the temperature is low, you can use a thermos with 30°C warm water. If the temperature is above 20°C, you can soak indoors or outdoors. 2. Change water twice a day; I usually change it once in the morning and once in the evening. 3. The water should just cover the seeds. 4. Higher temperature means faster germination. Generally above 20°C, germination occurs in 3 days to a week.

Bowl Lotus Pot Selection

Although it is called bowl lotus, if you use a vegetable bowl to grow it, it will be too small and too shallow. A bowl that is too shallow holds too little nutrient soil, and the plant cannot get sufficient nutrients; too small a container cannot accommodate the spreading fibrous roots, and it will not grow well. A suitable size is to ensure the container diameter is about 25-87.5cm and the depth is about 20-62.5cm. Ensure about 37.5cm of soil depth for the roots to grow fully.

Bowl Lotus Soil Selection

Bowl lotus requires pond mud or paddy field mud rich in humus as cultivation soil. Never use industrially polluted soil. Yellow mud has high viscosity, so the amount used should be appropriate; too sticky will affect the elongation of lotus rhizome and the expansion of lotus root. Sandy soil is loose and not sticky enough, easily damaged by wind and broken, hindering root growth. Generally, a mixture of yellow mud and sandy soil at a 7:3 ratio is suitable. If there is no sandy soil, yellow sand can be added, but the proportion should be slightly smaller. In suburban areas, you can directly use garden soil from vegetable plots; in cities, you can also use old soil from spring potted flower repotting plus half yellow mud as cultivation soil.

Bowl Lotus Seedling Transplanting

Choose a bottomless ceramic pot or plastic flower pot with a diameter of 45cm-75cm. Add half a pot of garden soil or river pond mud free from chemical pollution. Add water and soak two weeks in advance. Do not fertilize. When transplanting, press the fine roots of the small lotus seedling into the mud. Plant one plant per pot. After transplanting, add an appropriate amount of water, with the water level not submerging the small lotus leaves.

Bowl Lotus Fertilization Methods

Bowl lotus likes fertilizer. If lacking fertilizer, rooting and leaf growth will be slow, lacking vitality. Therefore, before planting, a small amount of decomposed cake fertilizer liquid or bean bran, peanut bran should be mixed into the pot soil as base fertilizer. However, although bowl lotus is a fertilizer-loving plant, do not apply excessive fertilizer. Especially because bowl lotus containers are small, the plant is small, and the fertilizer requirement is also small. If too much fertilizer is applied, it will only grow leaves without flowering. In more serious cases, it can even cause the plant to die. If excessive fertilization is found, frequently change the water to wash away part of the fertilizer liquid and dilute it. Bowl lotus likes fertilizer but is not tolerant of heavy fertilizer. Generally, when planting, mixing a small amount of cake fertilizer powder and other base fertilizer into the cultivation soil can meet its needs for the whole year, and no additional top dressing is needed to avoid excessive growth. But to extend the flowering period, in summer, a piece of decomposed cake fertilizer residue the size of a plum pit can be used as top dressing, inserted into the mud in the center of the pot. Never apply it around the pot wall. It can easily damage the roots. Base fertilizer must not be applied too much, otherwise in mild cases there will be lush leaves but sparse flowers, and in severe cases it will "burn" the seed lotus to death.

Bowl lotus likes sufficient sunlight. If light is less than 4 hours per day, flower buds cannot form. During the growth period, it should be placed on a sunny balcony or a sunny windowsill to receive full sunlight. When floating leaves cover the pot surface, the floating leaves should also be pressed into the pot mud in time to avoid affecting ventilation and light penetration. Bowl lotus plants are delicate. In summer and early autumn, proper shading is needed around noon to avoid direct strong light. If exposed to direct strong light, leaves and petals are prone to scorching.

After one year of cultivation, bowl lotus fertility decreases and underground rhizomes become dense. It is advisable to repot and change soil every year before germination in early spring.

Bowl Lotus Pruning Techniques

When leaves grow too many and too dense, some leaves can be appropriately removed to facilitate the plant's breathing and ventilation. It also helps with flowering. When using the same container to grow multiple plants, when leaves are found competing for sunlight, they should be divided into separate pots in time.

Is Bowl Lotus Easy to Grow? Bowl Lotus Planting Methods and Precautions

Floral Bonsai Network introduction: Today, the Floral Bonsai Network editor will share with you an article about whether bowl lotus is easy to grow, its planting methods and precautions. Let's take a look.

Bowl lotus is a mini lotus, less than a foot tall, with round leaves like butterflies, especially suitable for planting in containers with small diameters. So when should you plant the bowl lotus seeds you bought? How to plant them? And what do you need to prepare before planting bowl lotus?

Bowl Lotus Planting Preparation

Planting Time

Many flower lovers like to grow bowl lotus at home. It looks as beautiful as lotus, and although it does not have the proud posture of Daming Lake, a small bowl lotus at home is enough to let you feel the beauty of being there. But here comes the question: when to buy seeds and when to plant?

Actually, bowl lotus seeds can be sown in all four seasons. As long as the water temperature is maintained at around 16°C, the seeds can germinate normally. After germination, the suitable growth temperature is 15-30°C. For households with lower indoor temperatures in winter, you can choose to sow in spring.

Material Preparation

Bowl lotus seeds, file, silt, white flower pot, sand.

Bowl Lotus Planting Methods

Seed Treatment

First, carry out shell-breaking treatment on the seeds. When eating lotus seeds, you will notice that lotus seeds have a green outer skin. After lotus seeds mature, the outer skin turns black and hard. It is said that as long as this white skin is retained, lotus seeds can be buried in soil for a hundred years or even a thousand years without rotting. If you do not treat the seeds before planting bowl lotus, you probably will not see them germinate in your lifetime.

One end of the lotus seed is pointed and one end is round. Make a small opening at the round end. You can rub it on rough cement ground or crack it with a file. In short, you must make an opening to let water seep into the seed and germinate as soon as possible.

Seed Soaking and Germination

The next step is to soak the already cracked seeds in 30°C warm water for germination, soaking for 2-7 days, changing water 2-3 times a day. Generally, seeds will grow small sprouts by the 5th day. If they have not sprouted by the 7th day, they will not germinate anymore, so throw away this type of seed.

In addition, the water temperature for soaking should be controlled at around 30°C, and must not be higher than 40°C or lower than 20°C, otherwise the seeds will germinate slowly.

Hydroponic Seedling Cultivation

After the seeds germinate, place them in a 25°C environment for hydroponic cultivation for 5-7 days. During the hydroponic process, ensure the water is about 10cm, with sufficient light. Do not frequently change the water or disturb them, so as not to affect leaf growth.

After a period of hydroponic cultivation, the first leaf unfolds, the second leaf is about to unfold, and white roots have grown. At this point, they can be planted in mud.

Pot Selection and Planting

According to planting needs, put the prepared silt or fine sand into the flower pot, add soil, clear water, and fertilizer, stir evenly, and let it stand. After the water surface is clear, plant the bowl lotus seeds. Bury all seeds into the mud, with leaves freely spreading on the water surface. Water must not submerge the leaves. In addition, during planting, handle gently and do not break the leaf stems.

For home planting, for aesthetics, after planting the seeds, spread a layer of stones on the water surface to keep the water clear and increase ornamental value.

Flowering

Different bowl lotus varieties have different flowering times. Generally speaking, bowl lotus slowly begins to show flower buds after growing 5-17 standing leaves. However, some varieties quickly grow flower buds and bloom after growing standing leaves. As long as you take good care of it, bowl lotus flowering is only a matter of time!

Bowl Lotus Planting Precautions

Container Should Be Large

The container for planting bowl lotus should be appropriately larger. If you only use an ordinary bowl from home, it is too small and too shallow, holds too little nutrient soil, and bowl lotus cannot grow fully. Roots and leaves cannot spread well, and planting bowl lotus this way is meaningless!

Sunlight Should Be Sufficient

When caring for bowl lotus, do not just focus on placing it indoors to decorate the environment. Long-term indoor care means bowl lotus cannot see sunlight and grows slowly. Frequently take bowl lotus outdoors to receive sunlight. Only when the pot soil is warmed by the sun will growth be more vigorous.

Fertilization Should Be Light

Bowl lotus likes fertilizer, especially nitrogen fertilizer. During the growth period, sufficient nutrients must be ensured. In addition to adding enough nutrients to the soil before planting, timely top dressing is also needed. Top dressing depends on the size of the flower pot. If the plant is small and the pot is small, less fertilizer should be applied. If too much fertilizer is applied, it will only grow leaves without flowering. In more serious cases, the plant will die.

Long Leaves Should Be Pruned

During care, bowl lotus leaves will grow denser and denser, which to some extent affects bowl lotus growth. Some leaves should be appropriately removed to promote the plant's breathing and ventilation.

Bowl Lotus Cultivation Methods and Precautions

Bowl lotus planting techniques are different from other flowers. Now let's look at bowl lotus planting techniques and precautions. See how bowl lotus grows.
I. Conditions for Bowl Lotus Growth
1. Soil
The most ideal cultivation soil is fertile river pond mud. If river pond mud is difficult to obtain, Xiantu can also be used (black Xiantu is best)
2. Sunlight
Be sure to give lotus sufficient sunlight. Flower growers must not only focus on placing bowl lotus indoors to decorate the environment and appreciate it. Keeping it indoors for a long time prevents it from seeing sunlight, forgetting that it is a plant that loves sufficient sunlight. Only when the pot soil is warmed by the sun can it grow rapidly.
3. Water Amount
The water amount varies by stage. When bowl lotus is first planted, water should not be too much. Too much water will lower the temperature, which is unfavorable for small seedling rooting and development, and affects its breathing and ventilation, even causing root rot. When the plant's leaves grow larger, clear water needs to be gradually added to the bowl to adapt to its need for leaves floating on the water surface for photosynthesis. Otherwise, leaf edges will scorch, wither, and turn yellow.

II. Key Points of Bowl Lotus Planting
1. Sowing Time:Lotus seeds have no dormancy period. As long as the water temperature can be maintained 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:Carry out shell-breaking treatment on the seeds. The fruit coat of lotus seeds has a hard and thick special structure. After the seeds fully mature and dry, water and air are not easily permeated, respiration is very slow, and they are in a forced dormant state. Therefore, lotus seeds can be buried in soil for hundreds or even thousands of years without germinating or rotting. This is the reason for the longevity of lotus seeds. In order for lotus seeds to absorb water and oxygen after sowing, break the forced dormancy state, and enter germination and growth, shell-breaking treatment must be carried out before seed germination.

Lotus is an anatropous ovule. The embryo is located at the top of the seed. When breaking the shell, the basal end of the seed should be broken, that is, the end where the seed is attached to the receptacle, which is also the concave end of the lotus seed. It can be cracked with scissors or pliers. Before sowing, generally it is enough to rub off the fruit coat (that is, the hard shell of the lotus seed) until the brown seed coat is visible; when cracking the shell, just make a 2-3mm crack at the base. Do not crack too deep, so as not to damage the embryo. After soaking for one day, when the embryo absorbs water and expands, and the fruit coat absorbs water and softens, you can peel off 1/3 of the fruit coat along the broken shell by hand, exposing the embryo to facilitate embryo elongation. Must note: the broken shell area must not be too large or too many. If the entire hard shell of the lotus seed is removed, the embryo will lose protection and is extremely prone to rotting and death.
3. Seed Soaking and Germination: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 with water, just enough to soak the seeds. Place indoors, change water twice a day, and germination can occur within 1 week. After sprouting, place in a sunny area, strengthen light, and do not lack water. After 2 weeks, fine roots and 2-3 tender small lotus leaves grow. When leaves are coin-shaped and the root system has formed, they can be transplanted.

4. Seedling Transplanting:Choose a bottomless ceramic pot or plastic flower pot with a diameter of 18cm-30cm. Add half a
pot of garden soil or river pond mud free from chemical pollution. Add water and soak two weeks in advance. Do not fertilize. When transplanting, press the fine roots of the small lotus seedling into the mud. Plant one plant per pot. After transplanting, add an appropriate amount of water, with the water level not submerging the small lotus leaves.
5. Autumn and Winter Management:2-3 weeks after transplanting, when entering the vigorous growth period, if leaves turn yellow, a small amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium ternary compound fertilizer can be applied as top dressing, with dilute fertilizer applied frequently. Lotus likes warmth and light, and is not tolerant of dark conditions. When the external temperature is below 16°C, growth slows down, and it should be moved into a sunlight greenhouse.

(Experience Edition) Key Points for Bowl Lotus Care After Germination

Bowl lotus is a type of lotus. Its Chinese scientific name is lotus, and it is also called white lotus, hibiscus, and lotus in folk culture. Although bowl lotus is small and exquisite, it still retains the fresh tenderness and beauty of lotus. Placed on indoor tables, it beautifies the environment and adds freshness to your room. So, do you want to know what planting techniques there are for bowl lotus? Do you want to grow bowl lotus well? Today, the editor and we will next get to know this plant, bowl lotus.

What to Do After the Seeds Germinate?

It is a good thing that the seeds have germinated. It is no big deal, just care for them as usual. However, if you want the sprouts to grow quickly, you need to do the following:

Change the water frequently and take it out to get some sun.

Change to a larger bowl to give it enough growing space. Well-growing sprouts can grow to more than 20cm.

The seeds grow roots very slowly. Wait until roots have grown, then transplant into silt soil. Do not put too many bowl lotus plants in each pot. For a pot with a diameter of about 16, put one plant. Do not put the soil too thick. For a large pot, spread 4-5cm; for a small pot, spread 8-10cm. Later, just change the water and give it sun.

Key Points for Care After Germination

The Most Perfect State of Seed Germination

Two leaves and one heart plus roots. You can clearly see two floating leaves, and milky white root hairs with red tips have begun to grow.

Transplanting Time

When the fourth leaf unfolds and the fifth leaf just emerges, this is the best time for planting. If not planted by then, you will find that the fourth leaf becomes smaller and smaller. This is mainly because the nutrients of the bowl lotus are basically exhausted, and the needed nutrients must be obtained by the roots contacting soil. If not transplanted in time, bowl lotus will be difficult to survive.

Planting Timing

Cloudy days are best, followed by evening and early morning. Do not plant at noon. In addition, the three days after planting are the acclimation period. It is recommended to place it in a place without direct sunlight for these three days, then move it back into the sun.

The above is what I have learned today about aquatic plants. I hope flower lovers will find this article helpful after reading it. For more knowledge about aquatic flowers, please continue to follow our Succulent Garden. We will provide you with more related content as soon as possible!