Bowl lotus cultivation methods and precautions, including seed planting, care, and post-planting management

Source: Chongpai Yanghua Daquan

There are tips for growing bowl lotus; master these little tips, and the bowl lotus will have abundant flowers and lush leaves.

1. Choosing a pot.

Do not think that bowl lotus is just planted in a bowl. It can also bloom in a bowl, but the bowl must be a large bowl, the soil must be fully decomposed fertile soil, and chemical fertilizer must be applied once every twenty days. The selected seed lotus rhizome must be a small type. The seed lotus rhizome is only the size of a thumb and can adapt in a bowl. For ordinary varieties, it is still better to choose a medium-sized pot. From the perspective of aesthetics, porcelain pots are best, followed by ceramic pots, then plastic pots, but no matter what material the pot is made of, if cared for well, it can bloom. For pots with a drainage hole at the bottom, seal them well with cement or non-drying adhesive, then add water first to test for leaks, and use them only after confirming there is no seepage.

2. Soil.

When first planting, do not apply undecomposed fertile soil, but do apply fully decomposed base fertilizer. Oilseed cake, poultry and livestock manure, garden soil or field soil should be crushed and mixed evenly, covered tightly with plastic film for fermentation, opened before potting, and exposed to the sun to sterilize and remove insects; the best is still pond mud not polluted by industry, which should be scooped up and dried in the sun for later use; if it is only yellow mud, then mix in sand to make it loose without clumping, then mix in base fertilizer evenly.

3. Water quality

Water with a neutral PH value is best. Tap water must be stored for 24 hours before use; too much chlorine has an effect on bowl lotus, and industrial wastewater and greasy domestic wastewater must never be used.

4. Planting

Some people say that when planting, the head should be hidden and the tail exposed; if the tail is long, cut off a section, and all the seed lotus rhizome should also be planted in the soil. The soil should be added to three-fifths of the pot and relatively compacted to prevent the soil from loosening when water is poured and causing the seed lotus rhizome to float to the surface. By July and August, as the rhizome grows and forms segments, the soil surface rises accordingly, and only one-fifth of the pot's space remains, or even less.

5. Management

Floating leaves must float on the water surface. If the water is too deep and the floating leaves are submerged in the water, the rhizome will suffocate.

1) Sunny and ventilated. Bowl lotus, like lake lotus, is a strong-light plant. Some lotus growers, seeing dense lotus leaves, place it on a desk for elegant enjoyment; in this way, once the leaves are enjoyed, the flowers cannot be enjoyed. Insufficient light means it cannot grow flowers; next is ventilation. If there are many varieties, space must also be left. Place them longitudinally from north to south, with two pots leaning against each other.

2) Watering. It is best to prepare a vat and place it outdoors, so that the water temperature in the vat and the water temperature in the pot are basically the same, and it will not affect the growth of the bowl lotus. If planting on a large scale, there must be a water pool; in the field, ditches must be dug, so the water temperature is the same and adding water is also convenient. In July and August, because of the growth of new rhizomes, the soil surface rises, there is little space in the pot, and water must be added frequently. The principle for adding water is: if the mud does not come out of the water surface, do not add water; once the mud comes out of the water surface, fill it with water. The best time to add water is in the morning or evening.

3) Weeding. Weeds in the pot compete with the lotus for fertilizer, water, sunlight, and space, with no benefit at all, and must be removed. Bowl lotus is very delicate, and Shifu has never dared to use herbicides; it is all by hand. If there are too many grass roots, one hand should press and protect the bowl lotus, and the other hand should remove them strand by strand. Do not be impatient; being impatient makes it easy to throw a rat at a vessel, and although the grass is removed, the lotus is also damaged.

4) Fertilizing. Fertilizing should proceed step by step, and one must not pull up seedlings to help them grow. Before growing upright leaves, it is best not to fertilize. When there are many upright leaves and they turn yellow, dry, and dull in luster, then it is time to fertilize. In this case, applying urea is best; if only leaves grow and no flower buds appear, then apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Potassium dihydrogen phosphate has a good effect.

6. Pruning.

No matter how well potted bowl lotus is managed, yellow leaves and withered leaves are always unavoidable. Some leaves are too dense, sunlight cannot reach into the pot, and this also affects flower bud formation. Therefore, pruning is necessary. Two points should be noted: first, cut old leaves and keep tender leaves; second, the cut leaf stems should be higher than the pot surface. If lower than the pot surface, water will flow from the cut into the rhizome and cause it to rot.

7. Repotting.

Bowl lotus does not like old soil. After one year, the soil looks dark black, but in fact it no longer has much fertilizing effect and must all be replaced; old soil kept and used for one year, mixed with base fertilizer, can still be used the year after. The method for repotting is: prepare two large pots, and put clean water in one of them. Remember: one rhizome per pot.