Lotus Cultivation Methods and Daily Care Tips

The lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is a perennial aquatic plant of the genus Nelumbo in the family Nymphaeaceae, also known as the lotus flower or water hibiscus. Its flowers come in many colors, including pink, white and red, and it is valued both for ornament and for producing seed pods and lotus roots. It is a very common flower in courtyard water features.

To cultivate lotus, the first step is to choose a suitable container and soil. Generally, a large-mouthed water jar without drainage holes or a dedicated pool is used. The bottom of the jar is lined with humus-rich pond mud or paddy-field mud as the growing medium, with a thickness sufficient to hold the seed lotus firmly. When planting, place the seed lotus with its growing tip facing up, inserting it obliquely or laying it flat in the mud, taking care not to damage the buds.

Lotus prefers a sunny, warm environment, and during the growing season it should receive a long period of light. The placement site should be sunny and well ventilated. The water level should be shallow at first and gradually deepened as the floating leaves and standing leaves grow. Keep the water clean; in hot summer weather, top up the water appropriately to avoid the mud surface cracking from too low a water level.

As for fertilizing, a suitable amount of base fertilizer can be mixed into the bottom mud before planting, and during the peak growing season a fertilizer mainly of phosphorus and potassium can be applied as a top dressing according to leaf growth, following the principle of light, small doses to avoid burning the roots with concentrated fertilizer. After the leaves turn yellow and wither in autumn and winter, the dead leaves can be cut off and a certain water level maintained for overwintering; when the weather warms in the following spring, the seed lotus will sprout again. In daily care, watch out for pests such as aphids, and remove or control them promptly once found.