How to Grow Chinese Lotus Root

The Chinese lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) turns a boring backyard pond into a Zen-like retreat. The pink or white blossoms float serenely on the water's surface, surrounded by green floating leaves. Chinese lotus grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 10 from a tuberous root, called a rhizome. It flowers from midsummer through early fall and then spends winter dormant. The lotus may look delicate, but it's resilient and rarely suffers pest or disease problems. Planting and growing the roots properly ensures both the health of the plant and of your pond.

1 gallon pond basket
Rocks
Potting soil
10-10-10 fertilizer
Sand
Fertilizer pellets

Instructions

- 1
  Place small rocks in the bottom of a 1-gallon-sized pond basket to provide weight. Pond baskets are planters with mesh sides that allow water absorption.
- 2
  Mix 1/4 cup of slow-release 10-10-10 fertilizer with each 1 gallon of potting soil, using a soil formulated for pond plants. Fill the container with the soil to within 3 inches of the pot rim.
- 3
  Lay the lotus root lengthwise on top of the potting soil with the visible bud bumps on top, placing it near one edge of the container. Cover the root with 1 to 2 inches of sand or gravel.
- 4
  Set the pot in a sunny area of the pond so the top of the pot sits 8 inches beneath the water surface. Move the pot to a location up to 18 inches deep after the lotus root sprouts and begins to grow. Lotus grows best in pond water exposed to full, all-day sunlight.
- 5
  Fertilize the lotus annually in spring with 1/4 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer. Alternatively, push pond-plant fertilizer pellets into the soil, using the number of pellets recommended on the package for the fertilizer analysis and pot size.
- 6
  Move lotus plants to an 18- to 24-inch-deep area of the pond in late fall before the first hard freeze. Lotus can overwinter in the pond if it's placed in water deep enough that it doesn't freeze. In shallow ponds, bring the lotus indoors and overwinter it in a bucket of water.

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