How to plant lotus rhizome

One of the more beautiful and well known water plants is lotus, also called nelumbo, showing plant with beautiful colored flowers.
Many are lotus variety, with different plant size and flower color.

On this tutorial will be explained how to plant lotus rhizome, that is the root where plant will start to grow.
You could buy lotus rhizome in spring time from specialized nurseries or directly online.

To buy online you could go on the website www.waterplants.it and click on the shop online link, there you will find a wide list of lotus rhizomes of different size and variety.

Is useful to buy with the lotus rhizome a pack of pondtabbs with enough pieces depending on plant and pot size.
Pondtabbs are fertilizer tablets made specially to improve growth and flowering of any kind of water plants.

You will receive a box with inside the lotus rhizome wrapped in wet paper, or packed with peat, inside a plastic bag, the label with the name of the variety, and a small information booklet where it is explained how to plant and grow rhizome.
If ordered with the rhizome you will find also pondtabbs pack.

Unwrap with care the lotus rhizome from wet paper or remove it from the peat in the plastic bag.
Be very careful managing the rhizome, if you break the tips the rhizome should die without developing the new plant.
To plant the rhizome is needed a pot without holes, better round shape, clay soil, some pondtabbs to crumble with the soil, the label with variety name, water to fill the pot when finished.

Minimum size of pot to plant large lotus is 30 centimeter (12 inch) diameter and 30-40 centimeter (12-16 inch) deep, while for a small lotus are enough 15 centimeter (6 inch) diameter and 20 centimeter (8 inch) deep.
Bigger size of the pot better will be the plant growth and flowering.
When all what we need is ready let’s start to work!
Rinse the lotus rhizome in water.
Place on the bottom of the pot.

Put some clay soil on the bottom of the pot.
Crumble some pondtabbs mixing with the soil.

Add more soil to fill two thirds of the pot.

Insert the label with the variety name inside the pot, or outside, or both.

Fill the pot with water up to the brim.

Place the pot on his final place, balcony, terrace, in the garden, or inside the pond.
When the plant will feel the first warm period will start to make first floating leaves, after few will start to grow first leaves above the water surface and first flowers.
When the plant will develop the first leaves above the surface is better fertilize placing inside the pot one pondtabb each 3-4 liters of soil, depending on the pot size.
You should fertilize in the same way each 15 days in the growing period, about 2-3 months long.

Youtube Video tutorial how to plant lotus rhizome, part one.
Youtube Video tutorial how to plant lotus rhizome, part two.