Here are Lotus plants that I have planted in a Bog area behind my pond, if you can see the difference in the leaves of your plant and mine. Just planted tubers this summer and can't wait for blooms. Guess like everything else, no use to get in a hurry with Mother Nature though. Glenda

Just an update about my 2 lotus seeds -- they are doing great! Corrie, I followed your advice and used sand. I put one seed in a 3" diameter plastic container and the other in a 6" diameter plastic container, fill both containers with 3" sand. And put both containers into a dishpan and filled the dishpan with water, 2-3" above the sand. Amazingly, the water in dishpan has stayed clear and clean all this time. To avoid lotus being baked, I kept them indoor near a sunny window (air conditioner vent closed off in that room). And when each seed has 4 floating leaves, I put in a little fertilizer(small pieces of aquatic plant food). Now the seed in small container has 5 leaves, the one in bigger container is trying to grow the 5th leave. I have never gone this far in my previous attemps and am just thrilled with the result so far. So what's my next step? How often should I fertilize them? How long do I keep them in these small containers? I am sure there is a point that I need to put them into a bigger container, but exactly when I am not sure. Anyway, this is where I am now and thank you so much for the advices, please keep them coming!

Cath, you gave out another possible clue,to why the lotus may not be doing so well, when you mentioned the dimensions of the container being 18" x 7". Is that a round container that is 18" in diameter by 7" deep? Lotus do better in a round container, so that the tuber,as it grows, does not push it's self into a corner of the pot. If the growing tip gets jammed into a corner the plant will become stunted and will not produce flowers. You could continue to use your rectangle shaped container,[if that is in fact what you have?] just place the tuber with the growing tip more toward one end, so that there is room for it to spread out. It will have to be replanted next season again, as it will head for the corner once more. In round containers the tuber turns with the shape of the walls, but it is still wise to re-plant them every spring or fall. Or at least check the growth by washing away some of the soil in the pot and having a look at the condition of the tuber. If it requires re-potting or just trimming, it can be done then. Have a look at the linked lotus planting instructions below. Good luck with it. "Horton" Here is a link that might be useful: Planting a lotus.

Olya Lotus is the one water plant have had no luck at all lol Got a tuber , the one listed as a "noxious weed" by florida ag. Grew and flowered first year second so so, third year couldn't handle the competition from other plants lol I quit trying because I used the space for seed experiments with Madagascar lace plant and Mosaic plants. Have no idea what happened with the lotus. Sounds like an incomplete dormancy problem but I feel certain they don't require one lol If anyone is interested there is a site called "Victoria adverture" will answer any question on water plants. Even give you sources of seeds ,plants, whatever as well as tons of culture info. Is based in Florida also gary