Reasons Why Bowl Lotus Does Not Bloom and Solutions
Bowl lotus is a mini version of the lotus. Its leaves, stems and flowers are all small and very cute. It blooms fresh and elegant flowers and gives off a delicate fragrance, making it very suitable for growing indoors. But during cultivation, some people encounter this problem: the bowl lotus does not bloom? In fact, there are many reasons. Light, nutrients, cultivation containers and so on are all factors that affect whether bowl lotus blooms.
1. Cultivation container
Some people use a cultivation container that is too small, so the root system of the bowl lotus cannot grow and develop normally; if it is too shallow, then enough pond mud or growing medium cannot be put into the container, causing the bowl lotus to lack nutrients and water, so it is not easy for it to bloom.
Solution: If you want bowl lotus to bloom, the container it is planted in must be large enough. At the very least, choose a container with a diameter of 30 cm and a depth of about 20 cm, so that the stems in the soil can stretch out and grow.
2. Variety selection
There are many varieties of bowl lotus, and different varieties have different growth rates and flowering periods, but under normal circumstances, bowl lotus can bloom. If you are not careful when buying seeds and buy the wrong seeds or a variety that is not high quality, then it will not bloom.
Solution: When choosing a bowl lotus variety, you must understand it clearly and choose varieties that bloom easily and have a relatively large number of flowers. Do not be tempted by small bargains, to avoid affecting later planting and wasting your effort.
3. Light
Bowl lotus likes light. If you want it to bloom, you must provide enough sunlight. If there is insufficient light, the plant will stop differentiating flower buds, and without flower buds it naturally will not bloom.
Solution: Bowl lotus cannot be kept indoors all the time. It needs at least 5 hours of light each day. Only with enough light can bowl lotus grow flower buds. Generally, bowl lotus can be placed on a windowsill or balcony with good light for care.
4. Fertilization
Insufficient fertilizer is also a reason why bowl lotus does not bloom. Many people provide only fine sand when planting bowl lotus, with very little soil in it. In that case, the nutrients are hard-pressed to support blooming.
Solution: According to the growth condition of the bowl lotus, arrange fertilization reasonably. When planting bowl lotus, you can use pond mud to ensure sufficient nutrition during the growing period; in the early flowering stage, in order to promote flower bud differentiation, you can appropriately apply some phosphorus and potassium fertilizer.
5. Pure water cultivation
Some people choose to grow bowl lotus in pure water, thinking it is easier to manage, but apart from some trace elements, pure water has no other nutrients. Even if fertilizer is applied, it is not easy to control the amount, so bowl lotus grown in pure water does not bloom and only grows leaves.
What should you do if bowl lotus does not bloom? Bowl lotus cultivation methods
Bowl lotus blooming
A friend sent me pictures of bowl lotus blooming. They were so beautiful that I was extremely envious. My bowl lotus has never bloomed (have you ever encountered this situation?). I was very depressed, so I asked my friend for her experience. She told me that if bowl lotus does not bloom, it may be because the following 5 points were not done well:
1. Germplasm selection
Only good seedlings can produce good flowers. If you accidentally buy degraded seedlings, then it may not bloom. So choosing healthy and strong seedlings is key.
2. Insufficient light
Bowl lotus is a plant that quite likes sunlight, so it needs sufficient sunlight during growth. If bowl lotus cannot get enough light, it will affect its growth and lead to failure to bloom. Moreover, when there are too many or too densely grown leaves, it will also affect flower bud differentiation and blooming, so choosing a suitable location is also very important.
3. Fertilizer and pH
Bowl lotus is a plant that likes an acidic to neutral soil environment, generally requiring a pH value of 6 to 7. If the container is too small and the nutrient medium is too little, it cannot meet the growth needs of the plant, and it will also make it difficult for the root system to spread, leading to the phenomenon that bowl lotus does not bloom or produces fewer flowers. Therefore, if you want bowl lotus to bloom, fertilizer and the pH of the soil are also very important.
4. Protect the terminal bud
If during cultivation the terminal bud of the seedling is accidentally damaged, then the bowl lotus will not easily bloom that year. So in ordinary cultivation, be especially careful not to damage it.
5. Control of water level
Bowl lotus is an aquatic plant, so water is very important to it. If too much water is put in when cultivating bowl lotus, the soil temperature will decrease. This is not good for rooting and thus affects the respiration of the root system. This will cause bowl lotus root rot and thereby affect growth and blooming.
Friends whose bowl lotus does not bloom, hurry and check yourselves! See what reason is causing yours. Once you find the reason, treat it accordingly, and next year you will surely harvest plenty of bowl lotus flowers.
What should you do if bowl lotus does not bloom?
First, let's talk about the true-to-variety situation. True-to-variety means growing from seed lotus rhizomes, which can preserve the excellent qualities of the variety. The rhizomes of bowl lotus are generally very small, only about the thickness of a finger. I heard that some sellers on Taobao pass off the runners of lake and pond lotus as seed rhizomes. This kind of fakery is too obvious, and most people can see through it, so I estimate there is no market for it.
As far as I know, there are three reasons why growing from seed lotus rhizomes does not bloom.
1. Insufficient light.
Bowl lotus is a strongly sun-loving plant. When growing bowl lotus, it should be placed in an open area or on a balcony under full light, with no less than 6 hours of light per day. If you do not have light conditions, it is best not to grow it.
2. Improper fertilization.
In the early stage, bowl lotus should be given nitrogen fertilizer so that the branches and leaves can become thick and strong. In the later stage, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be applied to promote flower bud differentiation. Some flower lovers apply too much nitrogen fertilizer. The lotus leaves are indeed very beautiful, but not a single flower can be seen.
3. The pot soil is too dense, affecting runner growth.
Some cultivation experiences online say to put two rhizomes in one pot. I think the bowl lotus pot is small, and the space for one rhizome to grow is already small enough. Two rhizomes growing will strangle each other, and the pot soil will be tightly wrapped and bound by fibrous roots. The bowl lotus runners cannot grow, and it is even harder to grow flower buds.
Now let's talk about the not-true-to-variety situation. Not true-to-variety means growing from lotus seeds. Bowl lotus propagated from lotus seeds will show a certain degree of variation. I once read in a book that the flowering rate of bowl lotus seeds is 70 percent. In my own experiments, it was also roughly around this number. For bowl lotus sown in April, May and June, if they do not bloom that year and you want to keep them the next year, you must change to a larger pot for planting. For those that do not bloom, I discard them the next year.
What was said above is about real bowl lotus seeds. Now let's talk about fake bowl lotus seeds. So-called fake seeds are actually seeds of lake and pond lotus. Their appearance is not much different from bowl lotus seeds, and the planting process is the same too. It is just that this kind of seed planted in a bowl lotus pot will absolutely not bloom, and you can only enjoy the lotus leaves. And if you ask the seller, the seller will still argue confidently: growing from seeds is not absolutely 100 percent flowering to begin with. Since it is impossible to judge whether seeds are real or fake, I can only tell you that expensive ones are not necessarily real, but very cheap seeds are absolutely fake, because the cost is there.