Pot diameter for lotus

[Heruga]

I started 3 lotuses from seed this June and my god they grew so much in just a couple months. They completely took over my 22" diameter pot that I put them in. So I have the potted lotus in temporary tubs right now but will be digging to make a new pond very soon. Its just going to be a small pond specifically dedicated for my 3 lotuses. So probably around an 8 foot diameter sized pond. So before I start digging to make my pond, I'd like to know how big the lotuses ultimately get. That way I can decide whether to make my pond bigger or not. I heard some people say 4 ft diameter pots which sounded crazy to me. I hope they don't get that big.
PS: I really don't care about the aesthetics of the pond, I'm already building a 100ft stream right next to it so I really don't need anything fancy.

 

[mrsclem]

I have one lotus in a 75 gallon preform pond. In 4 years it has filled the pond which is 3'x5'. They can be divided in the spring.

 

[addy1]

I have mine living free in a 300 gallon stock tank, non divided in 6ish years. I get a ton of flowers from around 6 different plants. I have around 2ish feet of kitty litter in the tank, about 1 foot of water above the kitty litter. We do freeze here, but I think the tubers are way down in the litter. They survive without any issue. It is around 5 feet wide

 

[Lisak1]

The lesson here - lotuses will grow to fill whatever space you give them... hence the reason they need to be contained!

There are small varieties of lotuses that are less aggressive, too. We grew a tiny "teapot" (or maybe it was called teacup?) lotus one year - very pretty, but it did not overwinter well so we lost it.

 

[Heruga]

Thanks for replies. I am digging a 7x7 ft circle pond specifically dedicated for my 3 lotuses. I plan on directly planting it in the pond. What soil mixture works best? I hear some people say clay but what kind of clay exactly? Like beam clay? I don’t typically see bagged clay in garden centers.
Addy1, is there a reason why you chose kitty litter over other soil? I’d like to know it’s benefits.

 

[mrsclem]

Kitty litter is 100% clay!

 

[addy1]

Addy1, is there a reason why you chose kitty litter over other soil? I’d like to know it’s benefits.

Clay, cheap, does not cloud the water just a bit of a puff of dust when first planting, ow it is thick and clumps . And the plants love it!

The 100% clay from Walmart, tractor supply, called special kitty at walmart.