The Great Lotus Race; Update May 03, 2004

"Nedra" wrote in message link.net...
That sounds like a good deal of sunlight, Heather. I think most any
and all lotus would be fine! Actually you could go
to any catalog and look up the lotuses .... there is a bunch to
choose from and each one is wonderful in its own way

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

Nedra, how do you overwinter lotus? From you webpages I gather you
just leave yours on the bottom. However, I think my USDA zone is 2,
and anything tropical has to be brought inside and put under
growlights or into dormant storage. I've kept a taro going for
several years now, and I'm thinking I'd like to try lotus.

Also, are there any that are good for complete shade? Pond #2 (under
planning) is going to be on the shady side of the sunroom.

-- Kizhé

First of all - lotuses are
generally speaking, hardy to Zone 4. I have no idea what
they would do in a Zone 2 enviornment.

To answer your question, I'm in Zone 6 & have a lotus pond
and I don't do
one thing - other than leave them alone - for the winter. They
now have 2 to 3 leaves on the surface and I'll will begin dividing.
You can see the pond in the 2nd website under my name.

As for the shade in Zone 2, again I have to plead ignorance.
It's possible that with grow lights you could keep them going
all winter... i.e. not freeze the tuber. But that is something
you will just have to try and experiment on.

Hope I've helped (some) ;-)

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Lieutenant Kizhe Katson" wrote in message
m...
"Nedra" wrote in message
link.net...
That sounds like a good deal of sunlight, Heather. I think most any
and all lotus would be fine! Actually you could go
to any catalog and look up the lotuses .... there is a bunch to
choose from and each one is wonderful in its own way

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

Nedra, how do you overwinter lotus? From you webpages I gather you
just leave yours on the bottom. However, I think my USDA zone is 2,
and anything tropical has to be brought inside and put under
growlights or into dormant storage. I've kept a taro going for
several years now, and I'm thinking I'd like to try lotus.

Also, are there any that are good for complete shade? Pond #2 (under
planning) is going to be on the shady side of the sunroom.

-- Kizhé

First of all - lotuses are
generally speaking, hardy to Zone 4. I have no idea what
they would do in a Zone 2 enviornment.

To answer your question, I'm in Zone 6 & have a lotus pond
and I don't do
one thing - other than leave them alone - for the winter. They
now have 2 to 3 leaves on the surface and I'll will begin dividing.
You can see the pond in the 2nd website under my name.

As for the shade in Zone 2, again I have to plead ignorance.
It's possible that with grow lights you could keep them going
all winter... i.e. not freeze the tuber. But that is something
you will just have to try and experiment on.

Hope I've helped (some) ;-)

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Lieutenant Kizhe Katson" wrote in message
m...
"Nedra" wrote in message
link.net...
That sounds like a good deal of sunlight, Heather. I think most any
and all lotus would be fine! Actually you could go
to any catalog and look up the lotuses .... there is a bunch to
choose from and each one is wonderful in its own way

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

Nedra, how do you overwinter lotus? From you webpages I gather you
just leave yours on the bottom. However, I think my USDA zone is 2,
and anything tropical has to be brought inside and put under
growlights or into dormant storage. I've kept a taro going for
several years now, and I'm thinking I'd like to try lotus.

Also, are there any that are good for complete shade? Pond #2 (under
planning) is going to be on the shady side of the sunroom.

-- Kizhé

Hi Kizhe

Thinking about the warmth factor and not really pond related but here goes.

We live in Zone 5-6. Gladiolas are a bulb that are supposed to be lifted in
the fall and replanted in the spring in our Zone. A number of years ago I
planted some within a foot of the basement foundation of the house. In the
fall I forgot and didn't dig them up. Next spring up they came and bloomed
well ahead of the normal bloom time. Every year we lived in that house they
grew and bloomed and I never dug them up. So....

If your sunroom has a basement and might leak some heat into the ground in
winter and your lotus are real close and you cover the pond with plywood and
something to insulate and maybe if you cross your fingers.... Well you get
the picture. Worth a try anyway. Good Luck!

Heather

"
Nedra, how do you overwinter lotus? From you webpages I gather you
just leave yours on the bottom. However, I think my USDA zone is 2,
and anything tropical has to be brought inside and put under
growlights or into dormant storage. I've kept a taro going for
several years now, and I'm thinking I'd like to try lotus.

Also, are there any that are good for complete shade? Pond #2 (under
planning) is going to be on the shady side of the sunroom.

-- Kizhé

Hi Kizhe

Thinking about the warmth factor and not really pond related but here goes.

We live in Zone 5-6. Gladiolas are a bulb that are supposed to be lifted in
the fall and replanted in the spring in our Zone. A number of years ago I
planted some within a foot of the basement foundation of the house. In the
fall I forgot and didn't dig them up. Next spring up they came and bloomed
well ahead of the normal bloom time. Every year we lived in that house they
grew and bloomed and I never dug them up. So....

If your sunroom has a basement and might leak some heat into the ground in
winter and your lotus are real close and you cover the pond with plywood and
something to insulate and maybe if you cross your fingers.... Well you get
the picture. Worth a try anyway. Good Luck!

Heather

"
Nedra, how do you overwinter lotus? From you webpages I gather you
just leave yours on the bottom. However, I think my USDA zone is 2,
and anything tropical has to be brought inside and put under
growlights or into dormant storage. I've kept a taro going for
several years now, and I'm thinking I'd like to try lotus.

Also, are there any that are good for complete shade? Pond #2 (under
planning) is going to be on the shady side of the sunroom.

-- Kizhé

"Heather" wrote in message m...
Hi Kizhe

Thinking about the warmth factor and not really pond related but here goes.

We live in Zone 5-6.

I'm Zone 5 (Ottawa), though my backyard is probably a Zone 6
micro-climate. For your email addy, you can't be too far away.

(Note to Americans: I'm pretty sure Heather is talking Canadian
hardiness zones, which divide our climate a little finer. The USDA
just lumps the whole country into Zone 2 (Arctic Tundra) and Zone 1
(Polar Ice Cap) ;-).

....Gladiolas are a bulb that are supposed to be lifted in
the fall and replanted in the spring in our Zone. A number of years ago I

Yeah, I used to do the Glads thing, until one Fall I forgot to clean
them and left them sitting in a basket in the garage in mid-winter
:-(. These days, the only thing I can be bothered to take any
seasonal trouble for is the pond & associated rock garden. Everything
else is either hardy perennial or dead ;-).

planted some within a foot of the basement foundation of the house. In the
fall I forgot and didn't dig them up. Next spring up they came and bloomed
well ahead of the normal bloom time. Every year we lived in that house they
grew and bloomed and I never dug them up. So....

If your sunroom has a basement and might leak some heat into the ground in
winter and your lotus are real close and you cover the pond with plywood and
something to insulate and maybe if you cross your fingers.... Well you get
the picture. Worth a try anyway. Good Luck!

Heather

The shady (soon-to-be-build) pond is right next to the house, but the
current pond is several feet away. However, we don't allow it to
freeze solid (since we leave the fish in), so I guess it would depend
on whether the tubers could survive sitting on the bottom at 2degC for
four months, followed by a slow two-month warm-up with occasional
night frosts.

Nedra, how do you overwinter lotus? From you webpages I gather you
just leave yours on the bottom. However, I think my USDA zone is 2,
and anything tropical has to be brought inside and put under
growlights or into dormant storage. I've kept a taro going for
several years now, and I'm thinking I'd like to try lotus.

Also, are there any that are good for complete shade? Pond #2 (under
planning) is going to be on the shady side of the sunroom.

-- Kizhé

Hi Kizhe

I'm Zone 5 (Ottawa), though my backyard is probably a Zone 6
micro-climate. For your email addy, you can't be too far away.

Yup - Between London and Kitchener, just outside of Woodstock. We live in a
wooded area now.

(Note to Americans: I'm pretty sure Heather is talking Canadian
hardiness zones, which divide our climate a little finer. The USDA
just lumps the whole country into Zone 2 (Arctic Tundra) and Zone 1
(Polar Ice Cap) ;-).

There are updated Zone maps - the USDA one I looked at last night has us
zoned the same as our Canadian map. The exception is our map us subdivided
into A and B.

Here are some links I found that are good.
http://www.gardenersnet.com/atoz/hardy.htm Scroll down and click on Plant
Hardiness Zone Map
http://www.icangarden.com/zone.cfm


The shady (soon-to-be-build) pond is right next to the house, but the
current pond is several feet away. However, we don't allow it to
freeze solid (since we leave the fish in), so I guess it would depend
on whether the tubers could survive sitting on the bottom at 2degC for
four months, followed by a slow two-month warm-up with occasional
night frosts.

I am trying lotus this year as well. Main pond is 4' deep. I plan to have
the lotus in a pot in a shallow area then drop to the bottom for winter.
Good luck to both of us!

Heather

"Benign Vanilla" wrote in message
...
The 4 foot deep lotus has nice stem up to the surface, and a nice big leaf
ready to unfurl. No further growth is noticeable yet. The 2 foot deep
lotus
is tied with the 4 foot in growth and performance. A second tubor at 2
feet
deep is also getting ready to break the surface.
snip

New status update. The four-foot-deep tubor has a leaf unfurled.
Nedra...it's winning.

BV.
iheartmypond.com

Oh Joy!! Whichever one breaks surface first is the sure
winner in my book. Or were we going to wait for the
blossoms to show up?
Wonder what the catalyst is/was? Surely
it isn't because this tuber is in a tiny (8 to 10") wash basin?
I'm so excited over this Great Lotus Race - I plumb forgot
what were betting on ;-)

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Benign Vanilla" wrote in message
. ..

"Benign Vanilla" wrote in message
...
The 4 foot deep lotus has nice stem up to the surface, and a nice big
leaf
ready to unfurl. No further growth is noticeable yet. The 2 foot deep
lotus
is tied with the 4 foot in growth and performance. A second tubor at 2
feet
deep is also getting ready to break the surface.
snip

New status update. The four-foot-deep tubor has a leaf unfurled.
Nedra...it's winning.

BV.
iheartmypond.com