Shipping Lilly

[Ronfire]

How are the Lilly and lotus plants usually shipped from a vender?
How long can I keep them before they have to be planted?
The reason I ask is I will be traveling and can have then shipped to where I am staying in March easier than home.

 

[addy1]

Lilies, depending on the time of year, come with a tuber, some small leaves and if late enough in the season a lot of growing leaves. Lilies are easy, keep in water until you plant. Keep the water fresh, don't let it get totally yucky. Large leaves can be cut off without hurting the lily.

Lotus you want to plant the tuber before it starts growing leaves, they can be fragile. If it starts growing treat with kid gloves. When I have planted lotus tubers I just place on kitty litter and hold down with a rock. I don't cover them up with dirt. Like the lily keep wet. If they ship it in wet sawdust etc, I would just keep damp/wet in what they ship it in, with some air flow so it does not mold.

 

[Ronfire]

Thanks Abby, think I will give it a try. Might have to keep them a couple of weeks before planting.

 

[EricV]

When I was shipped my lotus, I was advised to just keep it in the plastic bag in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

Check with your vendor.

 

[Lisak1]

When do you plan to have your pond ready @Ronfire ? If you're going to hold this for an extended period of time, I would plant them and keep the pots in water - a tub or a pool. Bare tubers will be tough to keep from drying out or rotting otherwise.

 

[Ronfire]

I will plant them in a temporary tub or pool when I get back home.

 

[addy1]

I will plant them in a temporary tub or pool when I get back home.

The lotus tuber make sure, if you put it planting medium, you can move it easily without disturbing the growth. Like be able to cut away the plastic tub, if putting it in something bigger. Mine were in big tubs, one early spring I dumped them all out into a 300 gallon stock tank. Then just let them do what they wanted to do. They grow great. I never fertilize them. But they get dirty water from the big pond.
I am not into grooming things if I can get away with it.

I have been thinking of making my 1000 gallon tank a lily tank. Put some in and let them do what they want, ie. grow free. Add a layer of kitty litter, the fish would still be in there.
To do that I need to cut back some old apple trees, they shade it to much. The apples are never good, to many bugs eat them up.

 

[MitchM]

Ronfire, you might want to check out a water garden supplier a little north of me. Bearberry Creek greenhouse.
Their website is basic, but I think they ship and they carry plants that are suited to our northern climate.
https://www.bbcreek.ca

I think they're closed now until spring (April - May)

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