We've done that when we plant the lotuses in big pots. They do just fine. I tell them they are spending the summer "abroad"!
My wheels are turning
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We've done that when we plant the lotuses in big pots. They do just fine. I tell them they are spending the summer "abroad"!
mrsclem
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Just watch out for large frogs. I put koi fry in my lily and lotus tanks and the ones I put in the lotus tank are gone! 1 large bullfrog and 4 smaller ones.
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Your pond is gorgeous. How long did it take for all those plants to mature? Thanks for the pics it has given me some plant ideas.
Thank you! The pond is only a year and a half old. Down here in the south, the head and humidity mean that the plants grow fast and out of control! I've already had to stand in the pond twice this year, to pull out a ton of semi-invasive plants!!!! I'm talking a pile of stuff! I do use the once-a-year fertilizer spikes in the plant pots and they seem to work very well!
@mrsclem -- I wonder if I will get frogs? We have lots of tree frogs here but I think bullfrogs are less common. (Maybe because of suburban setting, rather than rural?). My big lotus pool is set flush with the ground and I check weekly for little tadpoles -- but nothing! I was hoping for some little frogs. No thank you on the big guys, though. I've seen pictures of them stuck to a fish. Blech!
mrsclem
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Where are you located at? I wish I could rid of a couple of frogs. We are overrun with them. We live out in the country and have a wooded lot so lots of nature finds its way into our yard.
We are in a suburb of Atlanta. In the older part of town in a neighborhood that backs up to a national park. So we have many wandering deer, coyotes, raccoons, possums, and such. But the cut-through traffic from people commuting to Atlanta is kind of a nightmare. Yuck. I wish I'd win the mega lottery. I'd do like Robert Redford and buy tons of land as a nature preserve.
So I found a giant planter for 50% off. Did I say that already? If it would ever quit raining, I'll go out and put my new container water garden together! I am probably risking damaging the lotus bulbs, but I'm going to try to carefully dig down with my fingers and lift out the bulb. I read that it shouldn't be done unless the plant is dormant, but I am going to give it a try. Have any lotus growers in the group done this in the summer? @addy1 ? @Lisak1 ?
mrsclem
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I wouldn't try to transplant lotus while they are actively growing. If the growing tip is damaged, it could kill the plant. I would leave them in the pot they are in just put that in the new planter. Hopefully it will fit! I can't wait to divide mine up next spring as I know it has jumped out of its pot. I have leaves and a bud coming up across the preform.
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I'm in Massachusetts. I have a new pond with tiny new plants and no fish until next week. I have them in a tub. No frogs or flowers. It looks so bare. I know I have to give it time but in the mean time no harm in looking. Today is a nail biting day as heavy rain non stop all day so I'm running in and out checking my liner and skimmer. The whole thing looks ready to overflow.
Worry worry worry.
Worry worry worry.
D'oh! Too late! I did it! It was in between big thunderstorms, so I just decided to get out there and do it! I was amazed at how that plant had grown in just a year and a half! It was in a large, shallow pan - probably 26" across. (Too wide to just sit in my pot.). I hosed off the cat litter and it was fascinating to see. A lot of the roots/stems were really fibrous, brown, and tough looking. I unwound it and unwound it and unwound it till I finally got to the end. The end had nice growing tips in addition to mature stems with leaves. The roots/stems on this part of the plant were nice and white. I just found a spot that was branched off in a couple of directions, said a prayer, and cut it at the junction next to a cluster of roots. I very carefully looped it around inside the pot (on top of litter) and covered with a thin layer of more litter. I threw in some anacharis and hornwort from the pond and now we wait. There were no bubbles to indicate that a stem was being flooded with water, so maybe it will be ok!
Tara - do you have a place where your pond can safely flow out excess water - like in this case of a big storm? Mine has a spot - somewhere - I think a lowish area between rocks - where the water just harmlessly runs out over the liner and into the garden. Hopefully all will be well!
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I do. Had to work on one area that sank a little and work out a good area to overflow yesterday when it rained all day. Today when checking the pond all I could see at the edge of the liner was thousands of mosquito larvae. They are everywhere and I'm not sure what neighbors will be thinking.
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Checked my water at the store and looked good. My fish are in. Now worried all night as water so green I can't see them. Hope they find the mosquito larvae.