Don’t see any sign of my lotus coming back yet, is it dead?

[GBBUDD]

Age of the plant as well as location has all the difference in the world

 

[Jhn]

I would leave it alone. Mine are still just barely showing growth not really even any floating leaves yet., just some new gRowth on the gRowing tips.

 

[GBBUDD]

@Jhn i found a tree with a nice limb missing similar to my little falls but when i asked about it it was found to be in a reservoir i'm keeping my eyes open

 

[Heruga]

I grew it from seed last June and I left it in a 2 ft deep section of my pond until April and then bought it up into a higher section of my pond then couple weeks ago I put it out of my pond completely so the whole pot itself can soak up all the sun and heat it needs but still nothing.
I also was thinking of repotting it. Do you think it’s a good idea to do so now?

 

[mrsclem]

I would not attempt to report. If there are grow tips coming up they could be damaged. If it was me, I would find a nice sunny place and just leave it. Who knows, it may start growing in another month.

 

[addy1]

I would leave it alone. Mine are still just barely showing growth not really even any floating leaves yet., just some new gRowth on the gRowing tips.

I would think you would be ahead of mine, you warmer than we are. Mine are never bothered, groomed, reduced they have been running free in that stock tank for years now. I don't even fertilize, they get dirty pond water.

 

[Jhn]

I would think you would be ahead of mine, you warmer than we are. Mine are never bothered, groomed, reduced they have been running free in that stock tank for years now. I don't even fertilize, they get dirty pond water.

You would think, I did just move them last year out of the shallow part of the pond, into another spot, which has a lot to do with them coming back slowly. I don’t fertilize either just pond water and they do well once they get going.

 

[addy1]

I counted around 5-6 aerial leaves coming up. They blend in with the parrots feather the anacharis, the floating leaves lol

 

[Heruga]

Isn’t the best time to repot before you see any leaves? Wouldn’t that be now then? Or are you suggesting not to because it’s still a young plant

 

[Jhn]

Isn’t the best time to repot before you see any leaves? Wouldn’t that be now then? Or are you suggesting not to because it’s still a young plant

Yes early in the growing season is the best time to repot, and yes we are suggesting to leave it be because it is a young plant. If you just potted it up in a 22” pot last year from seed, there is no way it is in need of repotting yet, so on reason to repot it. If it is still alive it will come back. As was mentioned lotus are very easy to kill by messing around with the tubers, best to leave them alone until absolutely necessary to do something with them.

 

[Heruga]

Hey guys, so I am done waiting for my lotus to come back so I think I am going to chuck them. Meanwhile I have these babies I started couple weeks ago. Hopefully with these babies being started a month earlier than my last years seeds, they will get more time to establish and store energy for overwintering. I’m thinking either they just didn’t get enough energy to overwinter having started them in July last year even though the plant grew across the entire 22 in pot or my handling of the pots was a little rough. I dressed them with pea pebbles so maybe when I took it in and out of the pond, the pebbles destroyed some of the stems and water got through it. Should I dress the lotus pots with sand instead? Sometimes I have to drop and lift my pot in and out of the pond at an angle, otherwise I’m gonna break my back or fall in the pond.

 

[addy1]

@mrsclem has grown a bunch successfully, she will chime in .

 

[brokensword]

@mrsclem has grown a bunch successfully, she will chime in .

didcha ring the @mrsclem chime? We need one of those if GPF doesn't have one...jus' sayin'...

 

[mrsclem]

Ok, only 7 seeds so you can get them started and you may be able to get them to a decent size this year. Young lotus are tender and don't tolerate cold. I lost a lot of mine this year when we had late frosts. I currently have 60 in buckets. At least half no longer have any leaves. I will let them stay till fall.
I was able to decide my 3 big ones and get 20 plants so at least I have those to sell to cover cost of seedlings. Still waiting to see what colors I get from the seeds I was gifted last year!

 

[Heruga]

You have them in buckets like 60 individual buckets or all the seedlings in just a few buckets? And with just plain water or with soil as well? Right now, since I started these earlier than last year I keep having to put them inside for colder nights below 60 and put them on heating mats. If days are cold, I have them on heating mats under a grow light. Not sure if back and forth sun and lights is bad for them but not sure what much else I can do. It’s been such a cold year so far here in NJ.
The ones I lost were supposed to be blue, which I was so excited about but too bad for me. These ones I’m growing now are pink and I think I’m good with that lol.
So when I eventually put these seedlings in pots, can I dress the surface with sand? Or does it have to be pea gravel?