How to pot lotus tubers:
Potting lotus tubers is easy. Selection of the correct pot, planting media, planting location and fertilizer are all important to grow your lotus tuber successfully.
Key Points on how to pot lotus tubers:
- Use correct size pot with no holes
- Select potting media or soil
- Do not damage the lead growth tip of the lotus tuber
- Add water to planting media/soil
- Gently place tuber on top of soil, cut end at side of pot
- Cover with small amount of soil
- Top off with water to top of growing tip
- Place in full sun
- Fertilize once first standing leaf grows
- Watch our video below:
Live Lotus Tubers: Always be careful of growing tip on a lotus tuber, if it’s broken the lotus will likely perish.
Pot Size: At Bergen Water Gardens we use the following guidelines:
- Micro Lotus: 6 inch pot or bowl or Bowl Lotus Pot with Decal
- Bowl Lotus:: Bowl Lotus Pot with Decal or 10” pot
- Small to Medium Lotus: Medium Lotus Pot or Medium Lotus Pot with Decal
- Large lotus or to grow the lotus larger: Large Lotus Pot or larger
- Micro Edible Lotus: Large Lotus Pot or Laguna Tub: 42” x 28.5” x 12”
- Edible Lotus: Liner Pond as large as possible. We suggest 5’ x 15’ x 2’
Potting Media: At Bergen Water Gardens we use heavy top soil. Do NOT use a potting mix, with peat or pearlite, as they will float out. There are also several good clay based potting medias to use if you do not have soil. Lastly, in 2017 there is a new mix with Landon’s fertilizer already mixed in – we will trial this mix in 2017.
Fertilizer: Place the potted lotus in full sun. several leaves which lay on the water will appear in about 2 weeks. Soon after the first vertical leaf or aerial leaf will appear. Now it’s time to fertilize. At Bergen Water Garden’s we use Pondtabbs Plus Humates as our primary fertilizer. We use 2 tablets in a 15 inch pot every 14 days. Landon’s can also be used in the soil mix but place a layer of plain soil between the lotus tuber, to avoid burning the new lotus root hairs. After a month start fertilizing with Pondtabbs.
Examples of pot grown lotus at Bergen Water Gardens
Red Bowl 14 Lotus Big Versicolor Lotus Sleeping Beauty in Red
Look at all our 2020 LOTUS FOR SALE HERE
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Connie Clark says
Curious, will lotus grow in a shallow pond 24″ deep, with a floating solar pump on top? How do we keep mosquitoes away from the water?
Larry Nau says
Connie, Certainly you can grow lotus in a pot and place in a pond which is only 24 inches deep. Ideally 6 inches of water above the pot or soil line works well. I am not sure you want to plant directly into the pond. Mosquitoes are discouraged by moving water. Fish like comet goldfish (sarasa and shubunkin types), orfe and mosquito fish will all eat mosquito larvae. Lastly there are dried bacteria products called mosquito dunks which kill the larvae.
Sandy McMillion says
I placed an order when might I receive?
bob g scott says
can I be successful to plant lotus directly into a large pond, which have fish and sometimes muskrat ? Thanks Bob Scott
Larry Nau says
Bob, Please do not plant lotus directly into a natural pond, keep them in pots. In a natural pond they can quickly spread if the conditions are right. Muskrats can eat lotus tubers and more importantly the growing tips of lotus resulting in the death of the plant.
Gina says
I live in zone 4. How do you properly store tubers in the winter? Thank you.
Larry Nau says
Gina, Most varieties are hardy but need to be sunk in deeper water….at least 3 feet in a pond. Some customers pull the pot into a heated garage or basement that stays in the forties. The pot can not freeze solid. Lotus themselves are found throughout region of Siberia but they have the water on top of them to protect their tubers.
Veronica says
I’m interested in purchasing lotus for growing in pots, however I live in South Alabama on the coast and was wondering if the salt air would damage it’s foliage or flower?
Larry Nau says
Veronica Both here and in China we have not seen lotus grown in areas where salt spray would be present. The assumption would be they do not do well salt. I could see the salt build up on their leaves as being a potential problem. I will try to do more research on this topic. thank you
Joanna Protz says
I would like to know how you winterize your Lotus that are in pots. I have three very large containers that are about 24″ X10″ I cannot bring the pots inside. I am taking tubers out in two section pieces. How should I store them. No room in the fridge. Can I keep them in a bucket of water in the cool? Will getting water into the cut end rot the tuber? Thank you for your response.
Larry Nau says
If you pull the tubers rinse them well and I would do a bath in 1 tab of Chlorox per gallon to reduce mold and bacteria. They need to be kept cool below 50, ideally with out light. They can be kept in a plastic bag with damp sphagnum moss.. checking them monthly. When they are in water you might be able to keep them up to 3 months but then they will want to grow. Again the water should be below 50 and the container dark. Water will not get into the tuber once the plant is dormant. It an issue with the leaf and flower stems during the growing season. Once the tubers are harvested and need to be cut into sections of …2 to 3 segments per section with 1 to 2 growing tips. The growing tips are the delicate and fragile portion that need to be protected and handles with the utmost care.
Jackie says
Hello I live in Perú and the winter is only between 57-42, do I need to pull my tubers out of the water?
Thank you.
Jackie says
I forgot to tell you, I started my lotus from seeds, a year ago, but never got flowers, wich is the best season to start a lotus seed?
Larry Nau says
since you are in Peru starting lotus seeds in November or December would be good. You need the heat and long days to get them to germinate and grow. With luck they will flower by February.
Larry Nau says
Keep you tubers in the mud. Once you harvest them from the pot we normally can store them up to 3 months
coramatic says
I started 3 lotus fr seeds, dec 10. they grew quite nice so 2 wks ago planted them in dirt in 12 in. pot and the outer pot has abt 3 inches of water above the inner one. at first the leaves are nicely floating (has 3 leaves ea) on the water. I live in So California, so i bring the pots out during the daytime and in the garage at nite. Why is it that all the leaves except in 1 plant died? Is it still too cold you think or too early for them to be planted in soil? Do you think I need to put them back to grow more roots in a glass of water? Help!
Larry Nau says
Certainly temperature is a factor but also day length. I our opinion its too early to start lotus seed. Normally we start in early April here in New York. We keep the water temperatures 75 to 80, using aquarium heaters if necessary. Once we have 3 to 4 floating leaves then we pot. We may add a 1/4 tab of fertilizer or wait till we have a standing leaf. By May the days are long we are hopefully warm and move the pots outside by 2 to 3rd week of May. Certainly you have different parameters in CA but I think you started way too early.
Danny says
Hi, I’m Malaysia here. How to remove algae with greenish water permanantly? It’s quite annoying when it grow gradually and stick on lotus leaves and stems also edge of plastic pot when cleaning water. It’s became terrible like wildlife pond found in jungle. I hate algae interrupted my lotus’s beauty. Sometimes my lotus seed can’t sprout because of sticky algae. Help me find solution.
Larry Nau says
First, you could have a variety of algae which is specific to Malaysia. Check the fertilizer you are using, some will promote algae growth. Here in the States we use Pondtabbs, the formula does not promote algae growth. WE also have some algaecides we can use; Algaefix is the brand here in the States. Lastly we just physically remove it. Some pot will grow more algae than others and some never seem to grow it at all. We had a 1,000 pots in 2017, some grew algae others did not. One last thought is to use a floating plant like Salvina, water hyacinth or water lettuce to compete for the extra nutrients which are causing the algae to grow.
Merryanna Swartz says
Just got my lotus plant (4/5/18) and pretty cool outside. Low to mid 50s all next week. Can I plant now? How do I store it until I can plant it (if need be). I live in Washington DC which normally is a bit warmer.
Larry Nau says
You could put the entire package in the refrigerator, making sure paper towel is still moist. Even with temperatures in the 50’s you can still pot it with an inch or 2 of water above the soil line. Place it in the most sunny location. The risk comes if the tuber freezes solid, which is highly unlikely given your location. Indeed, this is an odd year!
Carolyn Egeli-Patterson says
Help!! I’m rehabbing some very old above ground ponds. The lotus all apparently escaped their pots!! I accidentally damaged the growing tip of one tuber, not realizing as I waded around that it was even there. How do I root a tuber? The one I damaged has several other growing tips. Will I be able to save it?
Larry Nau says
With multiple growing tip you should be fine. We have had tubers survive when the primary growing tip has been broken.The tubers just need to be potted like a tuber you would have received from us, see our video on our home page
https://bergenwatergardens.com/how-to-pot-lotus-tubers/
Thank you and good luck.
Valerie Johnson says
Received my lotus today and potted according to video. My water source is a rain barrel. (Large garbage can used only for water) I have a few cichlids in the water to eliminate mosquitoes. I sunk the pot to bottom of barrel, about 3 feet. The leaves are still on the surface of the water. It is much bigger than I expected, so the barrel may not be wide enough? And being that it is between 2-3 feet high do I need to bring lotus in over winter? And do I need to fertilize since I have fish in the water? Won’t they provide enough nutrients? I can add more fish. Very excited! This is my second lotus. My koi ate my first attempt! No koi this time.
Larry Nau says
Valerie, according to our records you bought a tropical waterlily: Bull’s Eye; not a lotus. Yes it will be tight, as Bull’s Eye can spread up to 5 feet. Yes you need to fertilize this plant with Pondtabbs or the equivalent. The nutrients in the water from the cichlids will not help. Tropical Waterlilies will likely need their tuber stored for the winter, unless you live in the extreme South
Anni Rush says
Hi. I live in Adelaide South Australia, so the timing of year is very different for me. Could you please tell me when is the best time to grow lotus from seed?
Also, I am going to grow them in a pot on my veranda, can you please tell me, will the soil go rancid at all if it’s not agitated? Thankyou so much for your knowledgeable reply.
Anni
Larry Nau says
Lotus will need the longer days to grow and eventually bloom. starting your seeds now would be important. Yes algae will grow in the pots but we find there is so much water loss, therefore we have to refill every few days, that the water quality is good. Best of luck! Make sure the seedling gets enough sunlight. You have several outstanding lotus growers and water garden nurseries in Australia
DramaBB82 says
I live in Philadelphia. Can I bring the lotus water pot into the basement over the winter time, or will it need sun to stay alive?
Larry Nau says
Lotus go dormant about October. They do not resume growth until March. Most people keep them at 40 to 50 degrees and wet. So yes heated garage, breezeway, basement,
DramaBB82 says
Awesome thanks!
Ankush Tiwari says
I bought some seeds from market and grow them. All of them grow perfect. Also fertilize time to time. They are grow with 20 to 30 inch leaves stem. But no give flowering till now. I also placed it in full sun.
Larry Nau says
lotus from seed are unpredictable as to how they will grow and flower. Sunlight and fertilizer are important on all lotus
Carol says
I live in Vermont and have a deep (3-4ft) patio pond that gold fish over winter in. The ice might get up to 6-8in deep. I’d like to add some lotus pots. What would a good variety that can have the pot deep enough to not freeze In the winter?
Larry Nau says
Most people raise their pots during the summer so just a few inches of water is above the pot. for winter , about end of October the pots are dropped to the bottom of the pond….3 – 4 feet should be fine. Except for a couple of varieties, all of our lotus are winter hardy. yixan, Red Bowl 14 many, many to choose from!
Airada says
Hello, i’m interested to plant lotus, i live in upstate NY. When is the best time to start planting?
Larry Nau says
We are in Rochester, we start our plants in the greenhouse at the end of March. If we were planting them outside it would be usually mid May. Remember every year is different and we have just had back to back cold, wet Springs!
SKI-SKI says
I have the BingJaio Lotus, and Xiao Ri Tai Lotus tubers. I received bulbs, which look like potatoes, not tubers. So, I’m trying to figure out how to pot them so they can grow. Anyone have any ideals? Help?
Larry Nau says
With pics its impossible to guess what you have. Email us at [email protected]. If you are in North America this is the wrong time for lotus tubers, they are Available end of March through May. there should be a growth tip or 2, again a picture will help. Without a growth tip they will not grow
thanh tran says
I need to know how to buy Chinese lotus plants so I can pot and grow at home. need info how to buy
thanks send them to
thanh tran
970 nw sequoia ave
Corvallis or 97330
Larry Nau says
Lotus tubers will start shipping again in late March 2020. All can be preordered now on our website. Or you can wait and buy what is available next spring but some varieties will sell out. https://bergenwatergardens.com/product-category/lotus/?fwp_product_categories=lotus Lotus need a sunny location and warmth!
Leeanne Gowen says
We just made a container 5 ft wide by 1 1/2 ft deep. We want to plant lotus in there with just soil. Is this a good idea or should I keep them in pots?
I started with one plant and have divided it twice. I now have 3 pots. 🙂 One pot seems too crowed. This is the one we want to put in the container we made. You thought would be appreciated.
Larry Nau says
Where have 65 5′ x 5′ x 24″ ponds here in Rochester New York. Overall the lotus are doing fine. We have been advised after 3 or 4 years we may still have to thin out the pond as it may still get too crowded. Normally in a pot most varieties are good for 2 or 3 years then they need to be repotted. Of course each variety tends to grow at a different rate so that impacts when you repot. Sounds like you have an aggressive grower!
Quang Pham says
I had a lot snails in pond and pots
Also a lot differente other water creatures how can eliminating
Thanks
Larry Nau says
Every pond has an assortment of natural pond residents, normally they do do no harm. There are a few snails which can damage leaves. Snails can readily be killed with copper sulfate but too much copper, for too long, will kill your plants. you still have to remove the dead snails as their decay will foul the water! Check your local pond store for assistance as laws will be different in each state as well!
Rachel Cross says
I just wanted to say to Mr. Larry nau 🙂 I was looking up info on what to do in case my “lotus bowl,” started breeding mosquitoes. I live in fla & mosquitoes r a nightmare here as it is. Anyway, I’m an avid flower gardener/grower but new to lotus. I’m so excited & can’t wait to c my 1st blooms. I bought a few varieties from this store & another lotus farm. I received all in the mail &I’m super happy w/both purchases. Googling mosquitoes in lotus containers, I came across this thread. Reading through these msgs, I wanted to thank Mr. Larry Nau. He’s taken the time to read each question, personally. Then, answers each to the best of his knowledge. I can tell how passionate he is ab growing lotus. It radiates off him in his answers. The fact he’s so kind to take time out of his day to help others growing lotus, read & answer each question, personally, is huge! Not everyone does this. I just wanted to say thank you, Mr. Nau. It’s funny when ppl ask questions to answers already posted on the growing info page. However, ur still patient & kind enough to answer them. I can tell u take passion in growing lotus. Ur very knowledgeable on the subject & care ab ur customers. I just wanted to thanku for being so kind & informative and for helping ur customers w/their lotus needs. A thankyou felt necessary. Thanks 🙂
Larry Nau says
Rachel, thank you for your kind comments. We do our very best to grow lotus here at Bergen Water Gardens. We also search everyday for new hybrids which might be an “essential addition” to our lineup. Enjoy your new lotus and hopefully you with have a summer filled with beautiful lotus flowers and very few mosquitoes!
Stephanie Lee says
When do you harvest the tubes and cut into 2-3 segments – at the end of the season after the Chlorox bath (and then store the segments in damp sphagnum moss) or the the Spring when you are getting them to grow again. Thank you. Steph Lee [email protected]
Larry Nau says
We follow the Chinese tradition and “technique” of not harvesting our lotus tubers until after Chinese New Year…. usually early to mid February. We clean ours with a strong hydrogen peroxide rinse. Yes we store them in damp sphagnum moss. Keep in mind when you divide lotus you need one strong growing tip and hopefully some secondary growth points on the back tuber section(s). We have also successfully started single segment tubers, but with a growing tip.
miranda Welsh says
I purchased seeds from another person and started them in a bowl and change the water 2 times a day they have sprouted long green stems but don’t see any roots when will I see roots ? And when and how do I move to pots and I live in North Carolina should they be brought inside over winter ? Never had bowl lotus before
Larry Nau says
I really doubt these are bowl lotus seeds as bowl lotus do not produce seeds that often due to their size. Too many scammers on the internet! Normally we go from scarring seeds to leaves and roots in 2 weeks. They are in the greenhouse with temperatures at 110F! WE normally plant them by week 3. The problem with seeds is you have no idea of the origin/parents. Normally in NC lotus will be winter hardy with 2 feet of water above the pot. If grown in a pot they need to be protected from freezing solid
Ton Wijnen says
Hello
I am a new Lotus grower. I have bought some seeds from small Lotus varieties.
When will I sow them? In Spring next year?
I am living in the Netherlands.
When I have plants, can I put the pots than in winter in my ‘cold’ greenhouse?
The minimum temp. is in the winter 8 Celcius.
Larry Nau says
Yes start the seeds late Spring. You need heat along with longer day length to get them to grow. Yes keep them in your cold greenhouse, we let ours go done to 1 C. Remember with seed you have no idea what you will get as the genetics are not consistent.
Amanda Healy says
I had a brand new lotus from you this year. Kept it outside in the sun but it never did flower. I fertilized it with tabs a couple of times, when the standing leaves grew. Early on I accidentally got a spritz of dish soapy water on one of the floating leaves and it killed all of the floating leaves, but the standing leaves survived. Right away I gently poured out all but a couple inches of water and added fresh water. There are still some standing leaves to this day, but basically no floating ones. Do you think it was effected by the soap encounter, or why didn’t it bloom?
Amanda Healy says
Please help 😭😭😭
Gail ODonnell says
I am keeping bowl lotus pots cool in buckets, maximizing sun. Please, could you let me know how to safely eliminate mosquito larvae? Thank you kindly.
Larry Nau says
We use a portion of a mosquito dunk. The are also several liquid bacteria/mosquito products. The bacteria kills the mosquito larvae.
Gail ODonnell says
I keep my bowl lotus pink-of-chuan-tai-13 in the pretty bowl I got from Bergen. It is growing beautifully, with several small and three large leaves, two are aerial. I am in Virginia zone 7a and it gets very hot here, up to high 90’s F so far on 7/12. The water and pond soil get that hot and hotter in a couple of hours of full sun. My question, how hot is too hot for bowl lotus? I am keeping the bowl in a larger tub now of cooler water, I don’t want it to cook. But maybe lotus like very warm water?
Larry Nau says
Indeed lotus like it warm, with the water temperatures in the mid 80’s, plus high humidity. Have you measured the water temperature in the pot?
Gail ODonnell says
Thanks for your note Larry! It is very hot and very humid (80% is typical) this summer in Virginia. I purchased a thermometer that measures temperature of pond water after your note and am monitoring and replacing the tub water if it gets over 90F with cooler (not cold) water. I noticed the first tiny pink flower bud with great pleasure on 7/25! I am taking care not to disturb it and not letting that water get very hot.
Kind regards!
Pamela A Scott says
I live in San Diego where my 4 lotus bowls receive approximately 6 hours of sun this summer. Each pot contains one dwarf or bowl lotus plant. All were planted as tubers in March. All have produced leaves but no flowers yet. I fertilizer and use mosquito dunks. I also have algae that covers the entire surface of the pots and two contain hair algae that cling to the leaves and stems. Is there anything I can do to reduce the algae growth?
Larry Nau says
It will be best to email us directly at [email protected] and include some photos. Normally we just pull away the algae with our fingers. Some customers have used dilute Pond Algaefix with results but you only have maybe a quart of water vs hundreds of gallons so you need to be careful. We will want to know the the amount and frequency of fertilizer used plus the brand