How to Grow Nelumbo in Bog Gardens
Nelumbo, also known as lotus, produces round, 2-foot-wide leaves. Fragrant flowers complement the foliage, blooming in midsummer. The pink or white blooms have a diameter of up to 10 inches. This water-loving plant prefers to grow in bogs and ponds within U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 7 through 11, where winter temperatures do not fall below 10 degrees. With proper care, the mature nelumbo will grow to 2 to 7 feet tall. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Oversized pot
- Aquatic fertilizer tablets
- Potting soil
- Small stone
- Water
- Paper bag
Instructions
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Begin growing nelumbo when the outside temperature reaches a constant 75 degrees. Choose an oversized pot with a 3-to-4-foot diameter and a 12-inch depth for this large grower.
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Arrange six aquatic fertilizer tablets in a single layer on the bottom of the pot. Cover the fertilizer tablets with approximately 6 inches of potting soil.
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Set the nelumbo rhizome in the center of the pot. Rest a small stone on top to keep it in place. Cover the rhizome with 3 to 4 inches of water.
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4
Place the pot in a warm, sunny area during germination. Most nelumbo rhizomes will develop leaves in one or two weeks.
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Leave the pot in a sunny area, keeping the water at a depth of 3 to 4 inches. Add water frequently to replace the water that has evaporated in the sun and maintain the proper level.
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Add a 1-inch layer of pea gravel to the nelumbo pot when five or six leaves peek out above the waterline. Set the pot in your bog garden for the remainder of the growing season. Position the pot so its rim is just below the waterline.
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Fertilize the nelumbo once a year, following the label instructions.
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Allow the nelumbo plant to die back naturally in the fall. The foliage will turn from green to yellow, then brown. Dig the plant out of the pot with your hands once the foliage turns brown. Lay the nelumbo in a warm area to dry out for a few days.
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Place the dried nelumbo in a paper bag. Store it in a cool, dry place until the temperatures rise to a constant 75 degrees in spring, then replant.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not overfertilize. Nelumbo is not a big feeder and too much fertilizer will burn its foliage. Fertilizing once each year is enough.
References
- Photo Credit Pink water-lily macro shot image by Darkpurple from Fotolia.com
