In this article, you will learn what are the ways to propagate a lotus, how to germinate and grow it at home. Lotus is a flower of an amphibious perennial shrub. You can see large white or pink flowers in nature only in southern countries. Healthy seeds of this plant are also collected there. Florists have found ways to grow lotus at home, but not everyone can grow and get seeds. The reason for this is the European climate with its very cold winters. Therefore, the difficulty in growing a lotus at home is precisely in getting used to frost. If this happened, then it can be argued that the cultivation of the plant will be flawless.
Lotus breeding methods
At home, two methods are used:
- rhizomes (by dividing them);
- seeds.
Root way
This homemade method is good because it portends accelerated flowering. The roots of the lotus are fleshy, juicy. They resemble bananas in shape. One of the shoots breaks off and fits into the soil covered with water. The sprout appears quickly, takes root, and for a year or two you are provided with beautiful flowers.
Growing lotus at home with seeds
This method of home growing is good because it allows the plant to better adapt to the European area. Sprouted from seeds, the lotus will better endure both summer droughts and coolness.
Ready-to-propagate lotus seeds look like black nuts. They are just as hard and have a very strong woody pericarp. Their size: height is approximately 1.5 cm, diameter is 1 cm. In order for a lotus seed to sprout, it is scarified. This means from the blunt end (where the hole is) it is filed. You can use coarse sandpaper, it's faster and easier. It takes about 5 days for the first root to appear.
A shallow glass dish is taken, or a plastic cup at worst, a little warm water is poured (approximately + 18-25 degrees) and the seeds are lowered there. We are waiting for the first sprout to "hatch".
After two to three weeks, we are preparing a new container for transplanting the germinated lotus. It can be a pot (for indoor breeding) or a summer pond in the country. The container is filled with earth or peat and poured over with water. Lotus seeds that have taken root and leaves go deep 7 × 8 cm into the ground, and the leaves should be on the surface. As it grows, water is added: it is necessary to ensure that the leaves always float on the surface. If the sprouts with leaves are drowned, then the young plant will die.
Flowers do not appear as soon as we would like. Up to this point, the deciduous part of the lotus bush simply floats on the surface. The first beautiful flower can be expected no earlier than in 2, 5-3 years. After the color has come off, a seed box will appear.
Sprout care
Proper home care for lotus sprouts is very simple: the main thing is not to forget to add enough water, give a lot of sunlight and heat. You can take the flower out into the open air after the completion of all frosts. Low temperatures will destroy the lotus.
Choice of capacity
Lotus grows well in large pots or open reservoirs (pits). The soil should be no thinner than 3.5 cm for an adult plant, and the water should be approximately 0.5 meters. If a large and round pot is chosen for planting, then the lotus root is placed strictly in the center.
Lotus in winter
In winter, the plant is not watered or disturbed. If the lotus is left in an open reservoir, then for insulation it is covered with ordinary foam from late autumn. At home, part of the water is drained from the pot, insulated with moss, placed in a dark, cool place and not watered. In the spring, it is important to make sure that the bush does not grow prematurely.
Lotus disease
Like most plants on the lotus, there are pests - aphids, caterpillars. Aphids can be washed off with water, it is better to do this in the morning. In specialized stores, means for treating leaves from diseases and pests are sold.
Video about thermophilic lotus flowers that can be grown in Russia:
Photos of lotus flowers:
