Lotus cultivation. Secrets of growing home lotus

Lotus - valuable ornamental culture, which takes important place in world culture and religion. Owners of private plots are engaged in growing this perennial amphibious shrub to decorate ornamental ponds. home flower lotus is planted with seeds or tubers and has the same difficulties in care as the wild one - inability to withstand cold weather. Therefore, it is not easy to grow it in Russian conditions.

Description of Lotus Varieties

The flower has been grown for so long that it itself has already become part of the religion of Buddhism. In addition to its cultural and decorative significance, the lotus has nutritional value. Various parts of the bush are the basis of exotic dishes. From a botanical point of view, lotuses constitute a large group of perennial plants of the Lotus family. Clean wild species just two:

Attention! A decorative advantage of the lotus is also the ability to change the position of the flower following the movement of the sun across the sky.

Breeders also developed several hybrids. All lotuses have a thick root, which is immersed in underwater soil and extracts nutrients from there. Adapted to aquatic environment the stems are also completely immersed in the soil. Flexible long leafy petioles of the plant stretch to the surface of the water.

Lotus leaves have three types:

underwater;
floating;
surface.

The flower opens for three days. During this time, some varieties even change the color of their petals. Flowers appear at different points on the leaves.

Height - up to 180 cm, dwarf species- up to 30 cm. Other features - the shape and length of leaves and flower cups - differ depending on the hybrid. Lotus is extremely demanding of heat. For flowers to appear, the plant needs 2-3 months with a stable temperature within +23...+29°C. In colder climates, the perennial will not bloom, and in hotter and drier climates, too.

Attention! A feature that became the basis for the mythologization of the lotus in ancient culture, - at night, the temperature inside the closed calyx of the flower is maintained at about 37°C. This is why pollinating insects love lotus so much.

How to grow lotus from seeds

The home method of growing from seeds allows the flower to adapt to a climate that is not entirely suitable. Such plants are more resilient to drought or cold snaps. First you need to choose the right one planting material. To have a chance of success, you must have hard black nuts with the following parameters:

Lotus seeds

dimensions - approximately 1x1.5 cm;
the pericarp is durable, woody.

The seed must first be scarified and filed with coarse sandpaper from the blunt end. Next, find a container - a transparent container: 90-120 cm in diameter, 25-30 cm deep. For dwarf varieties You can take containers of smaller volume. Do not use wavy or square shaped containers. Young shoots of the plant may break if they hit a corner. This will cause significant harm to the lotus.

After this you can start planting:

First, take a small shallow jar. Fill it halfway with warm water (+18…+25°C).
Drop the seeds and wait. At room temperature The first root will appear on day 5-6.
After 2-3 weeks of germination, lotus seeds can be transferred to a large container. Deepen them into the peat by 6-7 m. The leaves should remain above the water. To prevent the root tuber from floating up during the procedure, you can press it down with a flat stone.
Monitor the growth of the leaf mass - water must be added regularly so that the floating leaves remain exactly on the surface of the water. If you drown the leaves, the lotus will die.

Germinating seeds in water

The container should be in a sunny and warm place.
Then the flower can simply be transferred to summer pond or leave it in the format indoor plant. Optimal time for final transfer - 5-6 above-water leaves. First, you need to pour a little earth or gravel over the plant tuber.

Features of lotus care

The main thing is to maintain optimal conditions for flower development:

sufficient water level;
plenty of sun;
temperature not lower than +20°C and not higher than +29°C.

Growing lotus in a container

Domestic gardeners have gotten used to placing lotus in ponds directly in containers, so that when the weather gets cold, they can hide the flower behind their home walls and take it outside again after the frosts have ended. You can leave the lotus in the pond, simply covering it with foam plastic in the fall. To store it indoors, you need to pour out some of the water from the pot and insulate the plant itself with moss.

The pot should be located in a cool place. You cannot water or disturb the lotus in any way. Make sure that the temperature in the storage area does not rise in the spring and the plant does not come to life ahead of time. In open reservoirs or large pots, it is enough for an adult plant to follow easy conditions so that the plant does not wither:

ground level - from 3.5 cm;
the thickness of the water layer is at least half a meter;
placing the rhizome in the center of the container.

The lotus is a target for the usual inhabitants of gardens - caterpillars or aphids. Insects can simply be washed off with water. It is important to do this in the morning. You can also use special preparations.

Be prepared that even with ideal care, flowers will not appear for a long time, and green “pancakes” will simply float above the surface. Lotus owners wait 2-3 years for the first flower. After the inflorescence withers and dies, a seed capsule forms in its place.

Growing lotus from seeds: video

Lotus – perennial, related to deep-sea ( root system in the ground, flowers on the surface of the water). Many legends are associated with the cultivation of lotus; medicinal and healing properties are attributed to it. In eastern countries, the lotus is sacred plant, rhizomes and leaves are used for food and the plant is grown in entire plantations. Lotus is used to decorate ponds in summer cottage. In this article I will tell you how to properly grow a lotus from seeds for planting in a pond.

The lotus rhizome consists of numerous powerful shoots and goes deep into the soil. The plant has two types of leaves: underwater leaves that look like scales, and large leaves that float on the surface of the water. The lotus flower itself reaches sizes up to 30 cm in diameter, the petals are white, pink, red or blue flowers, bright yellow core. Just below the attachment point of the flower and leaves there is a response zone - a special part of the plant that helps the flower move and change its position following the movement of the sun. It was this connection of the plant with the sun that in ancient times glorified the flower as sacred, divine.

One of unique facts about the lotus is to maintain high temperature inside a flower at night. When it gets dark outside, the lotus petals close and insects hide inside, since the temperature inside the flower is about 37 degrees. After the lotus blooms, a fruit is formed, similar to a cone-shaped multi-chambered nut, in which the seeds are stored. Lotus seeds are an extraordinary mystery even for scientists. Thanks to the hard shell, the seeds can be stored for hundreds of years, after which they germinate as if they were collected yesterday. Another amazing ability of lotuses is that seeds that have fallen to the bottom of a reservoir will not germinate while other lotuses are blooming in the reservoir. And only after they die or the plants are removed from the pond do the seeds germinate. This fact is explained by scientists as follows: the plant releases special substances into the water that inhibit the development and rooting of seeds. As soon as the source of the substance is eliminated, young plants replace old plants.

Lotus planting

For successful and rapid germination it is necessary to carry out preliminary preparation seeds for planting. The procedure is called lotus seed, and involves filing away the thick shell of the seed using a diamond saw or file. Carefully make cuts in 2-3 places, without damaging the embryo. Further planting of seeds in the ground will lead to flowering on next year. To speed up the process, place scarified seeds in glass jar, fill with warm water and keep at a water temperature of at least 25 degrees. After 7-14 days, the seeds will hatch and the first sprouts will appear.

Next, transfer the seeds to a pond in shallow water, where the depth is no more than 30 cm, or first place the lotus seeds for germination in wide containers, filling 20 cm with water. Adjust the depth of lotus planting gradually; by planting the plant too deep at once, you risk being left without flowering . Suitable soil for lotus consists of silt, sand and clay. In warm regions, plant the plant directly in the ground; in regions with frosty winters, it is more convenient to plant lotuses in containers or plastic buckets placed in the soil of a reservoir.

Lotus care

The main care of a lotus is to maintain the required water level for the plant. Increase the depth gradually. If the water level is too high, the plant will not bloom. In the opposite situation, the flower will begin to rise above the surface, this is fraught with injury. For this reason, it is convenient to plant lotuses in containers for a quick and easy change of depth. Another advantage of container planting is the wintering of lotuses. In the southern regions, where water bodies freeze only in upper layers, lotuses live well all year round in ponds. Cover the pond with foam and press down with heavy boards to prevent the roots from freezing. In the central zone and northern regions, dig up containers with lotuses for the winter and store them in basements, where the air temperature does not rise above 8 degrees.

If the pond is not inhabited by fish, feed the lotuses with manure every year. To control lotus pests, use bacterial preparations if you grow fish in a pond. Garden How to clean a pond at your dacha in spring

Gardeners equate lotuses with exotic plants. However, growing lotus in our climate is possible subject to wintering rules.

Lotus - amazing flower. From ancient times to the present day, it has had a mystical meaning for peoples professing Buddhism. This is not surprising, the bud can reach from 10 cm to 30 cm in diameter, and the blooming flower pleases the eye for only 4 days.

He has a very delicate petals and very strong aroma . Produced from lotus seeds essential oil, which is as expensive as rose oil.

In nature, there are only two species of this beautiful plant: Indian and yellow. Breeders don't stop working working on developing new varieties of this flower. And now it has become possible for flower growers and hobbyists to grow lotus at home. For this plant to exist, the constant presence of clean water and care is very important.

How to grow a lotus?

There are two ways to propagate this flower:

root system;
seeds.

Algorithm for growing lotus by dividing the rhizome:

A tuber that has flowered is removed from the ground;
Dry it, make sure it's healthy, there's no powdery mildew and rot;
Cut the tuber into pieces so that one sprout is present;
Plant in prepared soil covered with water.

Growing this plant this way has its pros and cons. The advantage is that the plant begins to bloom faster and propagation by root shoots is quite simple. The downside is that plants obtained in this way are less adaptable to other conditions. Therefore, for those who are just starting to grow lotus at home, it is better to grow it from seeds.

Growing lotus from seeds at home

Includes the preparation of planting material - seeds, a container where the seedlings will need to be grown, containers for replanting the lotus.

Selection and preparation of lotus seeds

This point should be taken quite seriously. Before purchasing lotus seeds, carefully study the stated parameters regarding the size of the flower, since the names of the hybrids may be the same, but length of leaves, roots and diameter of buds may vary greatly. Seeds remain viable for up to 100 years. However, the fresher the seeds, the better they germinate.

Lotus seeds are dark, large, oblong nuts, 1.5 cm long and up to 1 cm wide. They are very hard. Therefore, before germination, it is necessary to carry out a scarification procedure. In other words, this means breaking the waterproof shell of the seeds, otherwise the lotus seeds will simply rot.

One side of the seed is pointed and the other is blunt. From the blunt side you need outer shell open so as not to damage the amniotic membrane. A file or sandpaper. The sawing process is a labor-intensive task.

The prepared planting material is placed in a plastic or glass container. It needs to be filled with settled water, since chlorinated water is not suitable for germinating lotus seeds. The water temperature should be from +20 to +25 degrees. The water should be changed twice a day. After approximately 5-7 days, a root and the first sprout will appear from the seed. A characteristic feature To ensure that the seeds have swelled and germinated, they will be lowered to the bottom of the container. Those seeds that continue to float have most likely lost their viability.

After 2-3 weeks, the sprouted sprouts are transplanted from the container into a large container or directly into a pond. The height of the seedlings reaches about 15 cm.

Landing algorithm

You should take an aquarium or a plastic pot without holes in the bottom, or another container with a volume of 10 to 20 liters, fill the bottom with soil. Peat can be used as soil. The sprouts should be planted in it to a depth of 6-8 cm. Be sure to ensure that the leaves float on the surface of the water. The soil is sprinkled with a thin layer of sand, then add a layer of pebbles and fill it with water. The ratio of soil and water in the container should be 2:1. The container is placed in a bright and warm place. And then everything depends on the quality of plant care.

In natural conditions lotus grows in tropical climates. Hence, temperature regime should be no lower than +25 and no higher than +30 degrees. The plant is afraid of drafts. Requires a lot of light. High relative humidity is required. Often, to ensure humidity, entire compositions are created when they are placed in the pond where the flower grows. small fountain for spraying plant leaves.

The thickness of the soil in the container can be at least 4 cm, and the depth of the water above it can be at least 50 cm. For round containers, the sprout is planted directly in the center. If the plant is planned to be transplanted into a pond, then its depth should be at least one and a half meters.

Clean water should be added to the vessel as needed and care should be taken that the water does not become cloudy. Because it can be a breeding ground for the appearance of pests and the spread of diseases in the plant.

In winter, partially drain the water from the container and cover the bottom with foam or moss so that the lotus does not freeze and die. And they put it away dark place until spring. Until sunny and warm days arrive.

Lotus flowers grown from seeds appear after 2-3 years. The older the plant, the larger the buds it produces. While maintaining constant optimal conditions Depending on temperature and light, it can bloom all year round.

Genus Lotus belongs to the Lotus family (Nelumbonaceae). There are two main types:

Lotus yellow (Nelumbo lutea). Growing environment - warm reservoirs of Southern and North America. Actively cultivated in the USA, Minnesota.
Nut lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). It grows in the area from the Amur River basin to the tropical regions of Northern Australia.

The plant was cultivated in ancient times and became one of the state symbols of India and Vietnam. Considered a sacred flower in Hinduism and Buddhism. Used in folk medicine China. Included in traditional Asian dishes.

Description

Aquatic herbaceous perennial 80‒150 cm tall. Some specimens grow up to 5 m.

The rhizome is creeping, fleshy, knotty. Root hairs are numerous.

Thanks to the ability to store starch in large quantities, the Lotus rhizome quickly grows and thickens, resembling a large cucumber. The leaves and flowers of the plant grow from the buds formed on it.

Leaves on long petioles cover 2–3 m of the surface of the reservoir. The diameter of the leaves of the Nut-bearing Lotus located above the water reaches 60 cm. The upper leaf blades of the Yellow Lotus are smaller: 33-43 cm in diameter.

ON THE PICTURE:Lotus Leaf. Photo by FelixSS.

The leaves raised above the surface are funnel-shaped, floating flat, underwater round-thyroid. Surface leaf blades and flower petals are protected from getting wet by a wax coating. The color of the leaves is mainly bright green, the color of the upper part of the leaf is darker than the lower one.

Most species bloom in July-August. In tropical countries, Lotuses can bloom all year round, with varying intensity.

Single flowers up to 30 cm in diameter. The location is axillary. Each flower has two sepals and 22–30 petals.

ON THE PICTURE: Blooming flower and bud of the Lotus variety "Night And Day". Photo by Alice Galante.

The flowers of the Lotus Nutbearer are pinkish, with light petals at the base and bright ones at the top. The Yellow Lotus flower, on the contrary, has a light cream top and a deep yellow base.

Lotus fruits in the form of seed boxes are highly decorative. Floral compositions and interior decorations are made from them.

ON THE PICTURE: Green "hazel" Lotus.

The “nut” seeds are oval or round, 1.2‒1.8 cm in length and 1.4 cm in diameter. Due to its high content of vitamin B, proteins and minerals, it is considered a healthy dietary supplement.

Popular varieties

In garden ponds in the southern regions of Russia, varieties of Nut-bearing Lotus and hybrids are mainly grown. Common large-flowered varieties include the pink-flowering "Kermesina", "Carolina Queen" and "Pulchra", the snow-white "Alba Grandiflora" and "Goliath". The cultivar "Alba Striata" is distinguished by its decorative buds and the original white and pink color of the blooming flowers.

Varieties "Kermesina", "Carolina Queen", "Pulchra", "Alba Grandiflora", "Goliath", "Alba Striata". Photo by Alice Galante.

Sometimes in flower arrangements home ponds there is a variety of Yellow Lotus "Flavescens" with a bright yellow core and delicate creamy-white petals.

ON THE PICTURE:Yellow lotus "Flavescens". Photo by Alice Galante.

Cultivated in small containers compact varieties: "Dwarf Peony", "Hong Lin Jin", "Mario Zanfardino", "Sweetheart", "Xiao Bi Tai". In indoor culture, the variety with medium-sized flowers "Momo Botan" is popular. Curvy bright pink flowers with terry petals give it an unusual appearance for a Lotus.

IN THE PHOTO (from left to right, top to bottom): Cultivars "Dwarf Peony", "Hong Lin Jin", "Mario Zanfardino", "Sweetheart", "Xiao Bi Tai", "Momo Botan". Photo by Alice Galante.

Growing

In room:

For home Lotus, you need a deep, at least 40 cm, and wide container, since all parts of the plant grow quickly. The container material can be anything: Lotus grows well in a glass aquarium bowl, ceramic vessel, plastic tub.

Preferably nutritious and heavy clay soil with the addition of bone meal. You can use silty soil extracted from reservoirs or a peat-sand mixture. Fine gravel drainage is required. The top layer of soil is also covered with gravel or sprinkled with sand.

ON THE PICTURE:If the Lotus is planted in a round container, it is important to place the rhizome exactly in the center: the shoots always grow in a circle, and the young shoots are located at the edges. Photo by raghuramashok.

The container with Lotus is placed in a well-lit place, but without direct contact sun rays. The angle of incidence of light is important: Lotus flowers turn after the sun.

Indoor Lotuses are fertilized with complex fertilizers for aquarium plants. Fertilizers should contain macro- and microelements, including sulfur, magnesium and calcium.

For the first time, it is recommended to either fertilize the soil before planting the plant, or not to feed the Lotus before development several above-water leaves. “Overfeeding” can destroy a young specimen. In the future, fertilizers with an NPK formula of 20‒10‒20 are applied every 20 days. First, take half a teaspoon per 20 liters. water. Then the dose of fertilizing is doubled.

In a garden pond:

Grow a beautiful Lotus in a garden pond middle zone For Russia, the task is quite real. There are plenty of examples of this: the experience outlined in “Instructions for Growing Lotus” by V.G. is interesting. Ivlyakov at the Far Eastern Experimental Station VIR, in Vladivostok. The Caspian variety of Nut-bearing Lotus is well adapted to the conditions of the pond, Nelumbo caspica.

It is better to decorate garden ponds with plants planted in containers. Landed in open ground The lotus is guaranteed to bloom only in mild climates.

Growing in a container makes it easier to move Lotuses indoors during a sudden cold snap. The lotus is able to overwinter in a non-freezing reservoir, but this creates difficulties with its flowering.

Containers with Lotuses are placed in garden ponds when the water and air temperature does not fall below +20°C at any time of the day. It is more convenient to place them in a partially filled pond.

Maintaining water quality in a Lotus pond includes:

1. Its timely inflow and outflow. Due to the fact that water mainly evaporates from the garden pond, rather than being absorbed into the drainage, most harmful substances remains in the pond. Their excess is dangerous for Lotuses and other exotic plants. Regular water changes will help remove most of the chemicals, contaminants, and dangerous bacteria: 5-10% of the total amount per week. The outflow and inflow of more moisture is unsafe for the pond ecosystem.

2. Water circulation using pond pumps. It prevents water stagnation and "blooming".

3. Biofiltration with BIO-SYS systems. They remove excess organic matter, which causes rotting of Lotus roots and serves as a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. A skimmer is useful to clean the surface of the water.

4. Aeration. Saturation of water with oxygen is necessary for full development root system of plants.

Lotuses are located in the second flora zone of the reservoir. This belt contains plants attached to the bottom, the foliage of which floats on the surface. The “neighbors” of the Lotus in the pond are often Rdest.

ON THE PICTURE:Lotus will decorate any body of water, but it looks most impressive in ponds with an oriental flavor.

Growing in garden ponds Lotuses are fertilized in the summer, in July.

Diseases and pests

Lotus is resistant to diseases, but sometimes gets sick: bacterial and fungal caused by a pathogen Alternalia nelumbii. Damaged leaves are removed as soon as possible, ideally at the first sign of disease. If Lotus shoots are infected, you must immediately remove and destroy the infected specimens.

You can use fungicides, for example, and, but this is ineffective and dangerous for other flora and aquatic life.

Secrets of success

In a room container:

After the end of spring frosts, at an air temperature of at least +15°C, it is recommended to arrange “walks” in the fresh air for Lotus as often as possible.

ON THE PICTURE:“Ventilation”, an abundance of solar heat and light will improve the health of the plant.

Important proper organization rest during seasonal shortages of heat and lighting. Preparation for dormancy begins at the end of summer, after flowering. Gradually reduce the water level until the plant sheds its leaves.

“Sleeping” Lotus is stored in a darkened room, in moist soil at a temperature of +10‒15°C. A cellar or basement is suitable for storage. It is important to drain most of the water so that the plant does not grow prematurely. If you only need to preserve the rhizome, you can remove it from the water and, without clearing the soil, cover it with sawdust or moss. Watering is not necessary: periodic spraying is enough.

In a garden pond:

If the Lotus remains to winter in a non-freezing reservoir, the entire above-water part is cut off. Only the rhizome is left.

When overwintering Lotus rhizomes in a partially frozen pond, foam slabs 5–10 cm thick are placed on solid ice. They are pressed tightly to the ice with boards.

Possible difficulties

Faded leaves and flowers.

Causes:

lack of sunlight.
lack of nutrients.

Root rotting.

Causes:

rare changes of water in the container.
damage by root rot pathogens.

Slow growth.

Causes:

insufficient lighting.
hard unfiltered water.
rare or poor feeding.

Lotus is a perennial plant that is classified as deep-water (root system in the ground, flowers on the surface of the water). Many legends are associated with the cultivation of lotus; medicinal and healing properties are attributed to it. In eastern countries, the lotus is a sacred plant; the rhizome and leaves are used for food and the plant is grown in entire plantations. Lotus is used to decorate ponds in summer cottages. In this article I will tell you how to properly grow a lotus from seeds for planting in a pond.

The lotus rhizome consists of numerous powerful shoots and goes deep into the soil. The plant has two types of leaves: underwater leaves that look like scales, and large leaves that float on the surface of the water. The lotus flower itself reaches sizes up to 30 cm in diameter, the petals are white, pink, red or blue, with a bright yellow core. Just below the attachment point of the flower and leaves there is a response zone - a special part of the plant that helps the flower move and change its position following the movement of the sun. It was this connection of the plant with the sun that in ancient times glorified the flower as sacred, divine.

One of the unique facts about the lotus is that it maintains a high temperature inside the flower at night. When it gets dark outside, the lotus petals close and insects hide inside, since the temperature inside the flower is about 37 degrees. After the lotus blooms, a fruit is formed, similar to a cone-shaped multi-chambered nut, in which the seeds are stored. Lotus seeds are an extraordinary mystery even for scientists. Thanks to the hard shell, the seeds can be stored for hundreds of years, after which they germinate as if they were collected yesterday. Another amazing ability of lotuses is that seeds that have fallen to the bottom of a reservoir will not germinate while other lotuses are blooming in the reservoir. And only after they die or the plants are removed from the pond do the seeds germinate. This fact is explained by scientists as follows: the plant releases special substances into the water that inhibit the development and rooting of seeds. As soon as the source of the substance is eliminated, young plants replace old plants.

Lotus planting

For successful and quick germination, it is necessary to pre-prepare the seeds for planting. The procedure is called lotus seed, and involves filing away the thick shell of the seed using a diamond saw or file. Carefully make cuts in 2-3 places, without damaging the embryo. Further planting of seeds in the ground will lead to flowering next year. To speed up the process, place the scarified seeds in a glass jar, fill with warm water and keep at a water temperature of at least 25 degrees. After 7-14 days, the seeds will hatch and the first sprouts will appear.

Lotus care

The main care of a lotus is to maintain the required water level for the plant. Increase the depth gradually. If the water level is too high, the plant will not bloom. In the opposite situation, the flower will begin to rise above the surface, this is fraught with injury. For this reason, it is convenient to plant lotuses in containers for a quick and easy change of depth. Another advantage of container planting is the wintering of lotuses. In the southern regions, where bodies of water freeze only in the upper layers, lotuses live well all year round in ponds. Cover the pond with foam and press down with heavy boards to prevent the roots from freezing. In the central zone and northern regions, dig up containers with lotuses for the winter and store them in basements where the air temperature does not rise above 8 degrees.

Gardeners equate lotuses with exotic plants. However, growing lotus in our climate is possible subject to wintering rules.