How to Grow Potted Lotus: Planting Methods and Key Techniques

1. Choosing Good Lotus Seeds

First, prepare several high-quality lotus seeds; you can prepare as many as you want to grow, and if you buy too many, you can also use them to make soup or porridge. After buying the seeds, we need to identify the direction in which the lotus sprout will grow. The two ends of a lotus seed are not the same: one end has a small protrusion, while the other has a small indentation, and the end with the indentation is the direction from which the sprout will emerge.

2. Preparing the Flower Pot

The method for planting lotus seeds differs from that for ordinary flowers and plants. Growing lotus requires mud, which you can buy online or dig up from a nearby lotus pond. Choose a flower pot that is as large as possible and more than 30 cm in diameter. If the pot is too small, it may affect the lotus's flowering, and then you will only be able to enjoy the leaves.

3. Treating the Lotus Seeds

Anyone who has eaten lotus seeds knows that once the seeds age, their shell becomes very hard and difficult to peel open. So you need some tools that can crack the seeds open. You can use sandpaper or rub them directly on concrete, or slowly cut them open with a small knife. But no matter which method you use, remember never to damage the kernel inside the lotus seed.

4. Soaking to Sprout

After opening the lotus seeds, we need to soak them in water, and the water should cover the seeds. Change the water once in the morning and once in the evening each day, and generally within a week the lotus seeds will grow new sprouts. During the soaking period, you can cut off another ring of the seed coat to make it easier for the sprout to emerge. If the temperature is very low, raise the water temperature, because lotus seeds do not like the cold. So the higher the temperature, the faster the lotus seeds will sprout.

5. Raising Seedlings and Growing Leaves

After another 10 days, when the lotus sprout has grown to about 10 cm, you can prepare to move the lotus seed into the flower pot prepared in advance. Place the already sprouted lotus seed into the mud, then pour 2-3 cm of water over the surface of the mud. Remember to let the sprout emerge above the water, as only then can it grow quickly. Under conditions of sufficient light, lotus leaves will grow in about a month.

The above covers the planting methods for potted lotus. Now let us introduce the pests and diseases of potted lotus and the solutions.

Potted Lotus Planting Methods, Potted Lotus Pictures, Potted Lotus Prices

Lotus, also known as lotus flower, water hibiscus, and so on, has horizontal rhizomes that are thick and multi-jointed, solitary flowers, and diverse flower colors. It has very high practical value, and every part of the plant can be used as medicine, making it beloved by people. Next, the editor will briefly introduce the planting methods of potted lotus, potted lotus pictures, and potted lotus prices, to help everyone better understand the lotus.

I. Planting Methods for Potted Lotus

1. Choosing Good Seed Lotus Roots

"Good seed gives good seedlings." Before potting lotus, you must first choose good seed lotus roots. Make sure the seed lotus root is fresh, has more than two nodes, and has intact terminal buds and lateral buds.

2. Planting in Soil

Before planting, also choose the container for planting. The container should not be too deep or too shallow. Generally, use a lotus jar with a diameter of 35-50 cm and a depth of 65-80 cm. First fill the jar with fertile pond mud. If the mud contains impurities, remove the gravel and impurities. If the mud has too little moisture and has already clumped, crush it evenly. Then pour an appropriate amount of water into the jar, mix the soil into a paste, add an appropriate amount of base fertilizer, and cover the surface with a thin layer of soil. Next, place the seed lotus root into the soil to plant. Note that when planting, the seed lotus root should be placed near the edge of the pot, with the bud head of each node facing upward, and the direction of the seed lotus root should be with the head low and the tail high. The soil thickness at the head should be about 6 cm, and the tail should be covered with soil while slightly exposed. Generally, one flower pot is used to plant one type of lotus root.

3. Watering

Potted lotus is an aquatic plant and needs sufficient water. In the early stage of growth, the water depth in the jar can be 3 cm. If using tap water, before watering, place it in another basin and let it sit for 1-2 days to disinfect it. Summer is the period of most vigorous growth for lotus, so be sure to keep enough water in the jar. In winter, to prevent the lotus from drying out, also keep the soil moist.

4. Fertilizing

The main chemical fertilizers for potted lotus are phosphate fertilizer and potassium fertilizer, and nitrogen fertilizer can be applied appropriately. Fertilize in appropriate amounts and mix the fertilizer thoroughly with the soil. For smaller flower pots, half a liang of fertilizer is enough; for larger flower pots, 1-2 liang is sufficient. Organic fertilizers are recommended, especially decomposed cake fertilizer, chicken, duck, and goose manure, and similar fertilizers. If the soil itself is relatively fertile, no fertilizer may be needed all year.

II. Potted Lotus Pictures

Below are some pictures of potted lotus for everyone to enjoy.

III. Potted Lotus Prices

The price of potted lotus is generally around 10 yuan. Depending on the variety and the size of the flower pot, the price will fluctuate up and down. If buying wholesale, larger quantities get better prices. Generally, if the wholesale quantity is 1000-4999 pots, the price is 9 yuan, and for larger quantities, the price is more favorable.

Before growing potted lotus, be sure to choose good seed lotus roots, and when growing them, note that only one type of lotus should be planted per pot. We believe that potted lotus will grow better and better under everyone's careful care. Friends who are interested can try growing a pot and experience the charm of lotus up close!

How to Pot Lotus: Planting Methods for Potted Lotus

Lotus, also known as lotus flower, water hibiscus, water palace fairy, and so on, is a perennial aquatic herbaceous plant of the genus Nelumbo. There are many varieties, divided into two major categories: ornamental and edible. Its character of emerging unsullied from mud is forever praised by the world, and it has long been one of the subjects sung and painted by poets and scholars through the ages. Now let us take a look at the cultivation methods for potted lotus!

Propagation Techniques for Potted Lotus

1. Seed propagation: From May to June each year, rub the indented end of the seed on rough ground until it breaks, then soak the seed to raise seedlings. Change the water frequently to keep it clean. Sprouts appear in about a week. About two weeks after sprouting, roots form and the seedling can be transplanted. Plant one plant per pot, and keep the water layer shallow. Do not submerge the lotus leaves in the water.

2. Lotus root division propagation: Mid-March to mid-April is the best period for repotting and planting lotus roots. Before planting, mix the pot soil into a paste. When planting, insert the top end of the seed lotus root diagonally into the mud along the edge of the pot at 20 degrees. For bowl lotus, the depth is about 5 cm. For large lotus, the depth is about 10 cm, with the head low and the tail high, and the tail half tilted up so that water does not enter the tail of the lotus root. After planting, place the pot in sunlight so that the surface soil develops slight cracks, which helps the seed lotus root bond completely with the soil. Then add a small amount of water, and after the buds grow, gradually deepen the water level, finally maintaining a 3-5 cm water layer.

Planting Methods for Potted Lotus

1. Variety selection: For potted lotus, choose ornamental strains suitable for pot culture. Common ones include Fozuo, Chongtai, Bijiangxue, Dabilian, Yizhangqing, Jiaorong Sanbian, Shouxingtao, Xihu, and others.

2. Flower pot selection: Potted lotus usually uses shallow lotus pots, wooden bucket pots, or shallow jars with a diameter of more than 60 cm. If using old pots, scrub them clean inside and out. If using a household water jar, because it is too tall, bricks and stones can be placed in the bottom layer to make it shallower; if the jar is too deep, there are often many leaves and few flowers.

3. Soil for cultivation: The cultivation soil for potted lotus is generally humus-rich pond mud or paddy field mud. First crush the mud and sift it. If there are impurities, gravel, and so on, pick them out and make the mud sticky and muddy. Put it into the pot, generally 10-15 cm thick. At the same time, any one of sun-dried chicken and duck manure, dried human manure, bean cake, vegetable [residue], chicken feathers, hair, green grass, and so on can be used as base fertilizer.

4. Planting time: Potted lotus can be planted around Qingming Festival, and planting in late March is best. If too early, the lotus root nodes are prone to rot, and the plant's flowering will be poor. Even if it flowers, the flowers may be below the leaves, affecting ornamental value.

Cultivation Management of Potted Lotus

1. Soil management: Lotus requires fertile clay loam rich in humus. Soil that is too clayey and heavy affects the extension of lotus runners and the enlargement of lotus roots, while loose soil is prone to wind damage and hinders root development, both of which are unfavorable to lotus growth. The soil used is usually lake or pond mud. You can also use a mixture of 4 parts garden soil, 3 parts loess, and 3 parts sandy soil, mixed evenly. The best soil pH is 6.5-7.5.

2. Light management: Lotus likes strong light. Receiving 7-8 hours of light per day can produce more flower buds and continuous blooming. Avoid cultivating it in shady places. When viewing the flowers indoors, it also should not stay indoors for more than a day. Household potted lotus must be placed on a balcony or in a courtyard, and at noon it should be moved to a shady place to avoid the scorching sun.

3. Temperature control: Lotus has strict temperature requirements. Generally, it begins to sprout at 8-10°C, the lotus runners begin to extend at 14°C, and 25-30°C is the most suitable temperature for lotus growth and development. Especially in weather with alternating rain and sunshine, plant growth is even more favorable.

4. Reasonable fertilization: Potted lotus is usually given 200-500 grams of chicken manure as base fertilizer according to the size of the pot. One month after planting, apply once a liquid fertilizer mainly of decomposed bean cake water or human urine and manure, at a concentration of 10%. After the standing leaves emerge, apply additional fertilizer 1-2 times. During the flowering period, apply superphosphate once every 7 days.

5. Water management: In summer, when temperatures are high, lotus easily loses water. Add water 1-2 times daily to keep the water clean. If the water is found to be turbid, change it. In late autumn and early winter, lotus enters dormancy, so it is not necessary to add water frequently; just keep shallow water.

6. Pest and disease control: Common lotus pests include aphids that appear on floating leaves or small standing leaves, and the cotton leafworm, which occurs from July to August. They can be sprayed with 50% dimethoate emulsion at 1500-2000 times dilution or 2.5% derris extract at 500 times dilution.