How to Plant a Bowl Lotus

The bowl lotus flower is a dwarf lotus plant that grows 2 to 3 feet tall. It is a beautiful flowering plant that many people use in their ponds. Bowl lotus plants are hardy in United States Department of Agriculture zones 4 or higher. People can find and buy these tubers online during the months of January through March. Late in the winter months, the bowl lotus tubers are started indoors and they should bloom the first year.

Things You'll Need

• Bowl or container
• Lotus container or other container without drainage holes
• River bottom dirt or dirt
• Fertilizer pond tabs

Instructions

1. Fill a large bowl or container with well-aerated water or pond water. Place the water-filled container near a window. The tuber needs light to break dormancy, but do not allow the tuber to be exposed to direct sunlight. If possible, place the bowl or container on a heat mat to keep the water temperature at 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Remove the lotus tuber from the package and wash it gently under slow-running water. Place the lotus tuber in the bowl of water; it will float on top. Continue to grow the tuber in the bowl of water until it breaks dormancy or when the leaves begin opening. Change the water every three to seven days. The lotus tuber can grow in this pot for two more weeks. Be very careful when handling the lotus tuber. Do not break off the growing tip, or the lotus will not be able to produce a runner from that location.

3. Locate a large container or purchase a special lotus container sold at most garden supply centers or online. Lotus containers do not have drainage holes, but if you don't want to buy one, use an oil catch pan, a kitty litter pan or a kitchen pan. The container needs to be clean and without holes at the bottom or sides and it should be a least 6 inches deep and 12 inches wide.

4. Fill the container with river bottom dirt. Leave the dirt level 1 to 4 inches below the rim. If you can't find river bottom dirt, use the dirt from your yard.

5. Lay the tuber on top of the dirt and then add water to the container. Position the tuber on top of the dirt's surface and weigh it down in place with a rock or brick. The tuber has to be anchored into the dirt, or it will float.

6. Place the container in the pond where it will have 1 to 6 inches of water over the top of the container. The closer to the shore or the shallower the water, the warmer the water. It needs to be in an area of your pond that receives at least six hours of sunlight per day.

7. Feed the lotus with fertilizer pond tabs after the leaves are as big as your hand. Apply and use the amount recommended on the label.

References

• Colorado Water Garden Society: Care & Feeding of Bowl Lotus
• Bonnies Plants: Pink Bowl Lotus Nelumbo 'Pink Bowl'
• "Waterlilies and Lotuses: Species, Cultivars, and New Hybrids;" Perry D. Slocum; 2005