Lotus

[Freddie Peepers]

Well you've been making good use out of this nice weather we've been having haven't you Rich? I had to mow the lawn today...........it was getting so long...........it was like summer again here today :yikesu:

Must be nice.....6-10 inches of wet snow predicted for tomorrow night into Monday morning
and to think we had glimpses of our lawn the last 2 days

 

[koiguy1969]

theyre calling for atleast some snow 8 out of the next 10 days here...not that means anything. and i have seen some areas of green too!

 

[j.w]

Rich I think we better stop bragging about our nice weather here.......................it might jinx us and we don't want to depress the others peeps on the other side of the country :regular_waving_emot . It does get oh so cold here at night tho. Out here where we live up north of Seattle it is in the low 30's at night now

 

[koiguy1969]

well i choose to live here..but its gotta be great to have such a long outdoor season, your pushing lawnmowers while i still look at my snowblower with dismay!!

 

[oldmarine]

JW,

Maybe your right. Yesterday I did about four hours of spring clean up, edging, and mowed the lawn Saturday. The weatherman said something about it raining by Sunday, and that has changed for the better. I even got a little sun burned yesterday, just enough to make me realize how long it took get all of that done.

Despite the early morning frost we've had the last couple of days, things are really starting to sprout in my pond. I half way expect to start hearing the frogs up on the hill at the swamp between us and the freeway. I hope my resident frogs are still around too.

Happy ponding,

Rich :regular_waving_emot

 

[DrCase]

I got my wife's favorite tree cut back today ,to keep it under control and off the pond
Just beat the rain but it helped in the clean up..
Its a great tree but i have to trim it every year

 

[j.w]

I got out there today and ripped some pots of Pickeral Rush and Water Irises out of the pond that had gotten totally out of control. I had ignored them for a few years hoping they would go away. They are a real pain. I don't know if I will put them back in the pond or not yet. The Iris always get so tall and then the wind blows them over and the Pickeral Rush gets infested w/ aphids every year. What do ya all think? Should I just toss um?

 

[DrDave]

If the pain outweighs the benefits then the answer is easy. I hate aphids and without a good anchor it is a real pain to keep uprighting plants after a stiff breeze.

 

[j.w]

Gosh I was hoping someone would say exactly that and it will be one less pain in the butt to deal w/ each year. The lilies I can manage but those monsters were mean and I really did not see the benefit of having them when they always looked so ratty Now I will have more room for stuff I really want :regular_waving_emot

 

[oldmarine]

JW,

Good plan. The bog plants that I decided to keep for this year are the, purple pickeral weed. horse tail rush, and the miniture tail. The only floater I have right now is the 'frog bit', which servived the winter in the heated pond. I have six potted lilies which is too many for my 365 gallon pond, but I thought I would try it anyway. Between the lilies and the frog bit, I probably won't see the fish at all. I'm sure I will have to cut back something eventually.

Happy ponding,

Rich :regular_waving_emot

 

[Freddie Peepers]

Hey Rich:
I know its only been a week but any thing happened with the lotus you transplanted?
Inquiring minds want to know:scratchchin:

 

[oldmarine]

Hi freddie,

Glad you asked. I may have learned a valuable lesson here. I've have the eight lotus spouts planted outside for about two weeks now and they seem to have stopped growing or they are stunted from the temp change. When they were indoors, the temp was about 65*F where I had them by a window. Now they are outside in temps down as low as the mid 30*'s at night, and up to 60*F during the day. I should have waited another month to transplant them. Fortunately they aren't dead, just appear to be on hold. I have no room for them anywhere where it would be warmer. The guy at Oaktree Water Gardens here in Tacoma suggested covering the half barrels that the lotus spouts are in with clear plastic. That's what my next move might be.

Happy ponding,

Rich

 

[Freddie Peepers]

that sounds like a good idea Rich. I would be careful with the clear plastic and monitor the temps closely as it could get quite warm in there without adequate ventilation. I have "cooked" whole flats of seedlings in a cold frame in the early spring before when the sun got too hot for the enclosed glass box.Hopefully you don't get any more cold weather. I planted mine last year (tuber, not seeds) in April and it wasn't until almost June before I saw any significant growth and once the weather warmed up...the growth rate was truly amazing to behold. Several inches in a day or so was not uncommon at all. Once the water warms up the osmocote will start to release more food for the plant to take up and until then the composted cow manure will be enough to sustain it.
Good Luck with them and at least I can live vicariously through you and your lotus and lilies until ours get started here some time late next month:alieneyesa:

 

[oldmarine]

Freddie,

Thank you for the insight. Hopefully my lotus will make it.

Happy ponding,

Rich :yikesu:

 

[oldmarine]

Freddie,

The new lotus starts didn't make it. They withered up and quit. I need to get a fix on exotic hardy lotus seeds, and start over again. This time I will wait another month and try it all over again.

Anyone know of some inexpensive lotus seed sources? This time I'd rather not take any chances on some lotus that I don't what they will look like.

Happy ponding,

Rich :faint: