How to pot micro lotus is one of the most common questions we receive at Bergen Water Gardens. Micro lotus are the smallest growing lotus in horticulture. Often their height is only 6 to 10 inches tall. Some micro lotus only produce a few flowers during a season, others produce close to a dozen or more. There are varieties which are genetically very small and will stay small even if planted in larger pots. Some larger lotus may be planted in much smaller pots and literally dwarfed, much like a bonsai technique. Due to their size micro lotus do take more care and attention than a typical lotus.
Learn how to Pot Micro Lotus:
Select a Micro Lotus Variety
Select a Micro Lotus Pot
Micro Lotus Potting Guidelines:
- Select proper Micro Lotus variety
- Select a pot which is about 6 inches in diameter and at least 6 inches high
- Select a larger pot,”Hydration Pot”, to fill with water and place your primary growing pot in it.
- We use a heavy clay based garden soil or a commercial Aquatic Planting media. Do not use topsoil
- Fill pot only 60 to 70% with soil, so there is ample room for water
- We like to add water and make a mud slurry to plant into, especially since micro lotus tuber are small and delicate
- direct growing tip to center, cover
- top off with water
- Place primary pot in larger “Hydration Pot” to stabilize temperature and insure proper hydration
- we only use 1/4 to 1/2 of a Pondtabb Fertilizer once the micro lotus shows its first standing leaf. Fertilizing every 2 weeks
- Grow outdoors in a sunny location
- Remove pot and clean planting pot to show or display your Micro Lotus
- Micro Lotus need to be stored in an above freezing environment for the their winter dormancy, keep wet
Check in each week and watch our Micro Lotus grow and flower!
March 3, 2019
Red Carmine Mother Tuber – Micro Lotus
Bob Davis says
I enjoyed the video and would like to try growing a Micro-Lotus. May I get the whole “kit”? Without knowing anything else… I guess I prefer a highly floriferous one. Is Red Carmine one of these? I do like it’s color…
Larry Nau says
while we do not offer a specific kit, i can certainly bring down the materials on my future trip to Lancaster, PA. https://bergenwatergardens.com/event/chinese-lotus-cultivation-culture-cuisine/. Our major lotus shipment is arriving March 14th and we will see which tubers look the best. Remember plants do not always follow the rules of how they are supposed to grow and bloom 🙂
Rosemary Bay says
I am unable to immediately pot my micro lotus upon arrival. How long can I store in frig before doing so.
Larry Nau says
We successfully store lotus tubers until mid May. Best to keep them in a plastic bag with damp paper towels or damp sphagnum moss in the refrig. We have also kept them floating in water, with temps in the 50’s to 40’s in our greenhouse
Stephanie says
I am near Boston Zone 6. How do you suggest wintering a bowl lotus? When should it be taken outside? When should it be repotted? Every year? Thanks, Steph
Larry Nau says
since bowl lotus have such a small volume it best to winter them in a warm breezeway or basement. As long as it will not freeze solid. Most people take them outside as the high temps are in the 60’s and not risk of freezing. In Rochester, NY its early to mid May. Normally repotting every 2 years is good, ultimately depends how vigorous it grows.
Ashley Arakaki says
Aloha, I’m in Hawaii and purchased 2 micro lotus from a local hobby grower towards the end of the season to try it out (just purchased two large ones from you I’ll be expecting next year). My question is, she gave them to me in plastic pots, and I just set them in my decorative pot, but I’d like to remove the plastic pot and have them only in my decorative pots. Is that a bad idea? One has either died or gone dormant already, and the other is still growing pads, but slowly. Is there a good time to take them out of the plastic pot and put them in my nicer pot?
Larry Nau says
Personally I would wait till next Spring, which might be late February for you in Hawaii 🙂
We commonly transplant lotus during the growing season but we do not touch them now until late February when we harvest tubers. As the days get longer, the lotus start to grow again with the new season.
As a counter point, if you are able to easily slide them out of the plastic pot without disturbing the tubers and runners,carefully add the extra soil, you would likely be ok. My preference however would be to wait.
Terri says
Hello..I’m so interested in getting some Lotus seeds
I live in Northern California do you think they will prosper?
If so I’d like to order seeds..to start here in May
Larry Nau says
we do not offer lotus seeds as there results are very unpredictable.. A red parent can give white off spring..the genetics are not stable. We only offer the tuber so we can say here is a red lotus called Beijing, it grow like this and the flower are like this. Lotus grow well in pots in or out of the pond, depending on the size of the lotus.
Thomas says
How deep should it be acceptable for my pot?
I directly use a plastic basket 12 centimeters deep.
Larry Nau says
For a micro lotus, 12 cm is ok just remember not much room for water on top so you may want to grow that pot in another larger pot, filled with water. I also assume you are using a solid plastic pot because if its a “basket” the lotus will try to grow through the side wall
Thomas says
Oops, it isn’t a basket I meant, but a plastic pot. I currently have no bigger pot to put the smaller one in, and I leave it alone for just that small bucket and the lotus’s doing fine. I still wanna find out if mine is truely a micro lotus, its name is Lucky Pink Lotus.
Thomas says
Oops, it isn’t a basket I meant, but a plastic pot. I currently have no bigger pot to put the smaller one in, and I leave it alone for just that small bucket and the lotus’s doing fine. I still wanna find out if mine is truely a micro lotus, its name is Lucky Pink Lotus.
Shirley Shaheen says
When you place the planted tuber in another bowl do you fill that bowl with water? I have a nice ceramic bowl but it has a hole in the bottom
Larry Nau says
Yes the outer bowl is filled with water.
Kay Ang says
Hello there,
I’m interested in a variety of your micro lotus. Can I check when can I order and if you ship to Singapore?
Larry Nau says
Micro Lotus are sold out for 2020. Pre orders will start in October 2020 and shipping begins at the end of March 2021. Check to see if you need a plant import permit for Singapore. We can provide a phytosanitary certificate for $40.
Ashutosh Srivastava says
Cant wait to get my shipment 🙂 too excited. Usually what is their growth rate?
Larry Nau says
It will take about 2 weeks to get a floating leaf. It will all depend of temperature and the amount of sunlight. The longer the sunlight the better they grow. We are still very early in the season! thank you for your support.
Ashutosh Srivastava says
Thanks Larry for reply 🙂