Wanlian, also known as pot lotus and bowl lotus, is a kind of mini lotus. It is no more than a foot tall and has round leaves like butterflies. It has extremely high ornamental value. The flowers and leaves of the bowl lotus are relatively small, which is more suitable for maintenance at home. If you plant a pot of bowl lotus in the spring, you will be able to bloom graceful lotus flowers in the summer, so it is loved by many flower lovers. So how to plant bowl lotus? Let’s find out together.
1. Pot* selection
It is best to choose porcelain pots or glazed pots with impermeable bottoms for cultivating bowl lotus. The size of the container is best between 25-35 cm in diameter and 20-25 cm in depth, so that it can hold enough nutrients* and allow its roots to fully grow. In addition, river pond mud is the best soil choice for cultivating bowl lotus. Field mud rich in organic matter can also be used. Generally, the thickness of the soil layer can be kept at about 15 cm.
2. Seed treatment
First, break the seeds. Make a small opening at the round end and grind it on the rough cement floor or use a file to break it. In short, be sure to open the door to allow water to penetrate into the seeds and germinate as soon as possible. The next step is to soak the broken seeds in warm water at 30°C to induce germination. Generally, small buds will grow from the seeds on the 5th day.
3. Sowing time
Lotus seeds have no dormant period and can be sown in all seasons as long as the water temperature can be maintained above 16°C. Under suitable conditions of temperature and light, lotus seeds take 50-60 days from sowing to flowering in spring and 60-80 days in autumn.
4. Planting methods
There are two planting methods for bowl lotus, one is seed planting, and the other is rhizome planting. If you are a novice, it is recommended to choose rhizome planting. Easier to germinate and bloom than seeds.
5. Watering and fertilizing
Water lotus is an aquatic plant, and the amount of watering varies at different growth stages. When first planting, it should not be too much, as too much water will hinder the growth of young roots and lead to root rot; when the leaves grow, gradually add water; in summer, water once in the morning and evening. The water should be dried for 1-2 days to make the water temperature suitable, and attention should be paid to the cleanliness of the water quality, otherwise it will easily cause bacterial infection and affect growth.
In addition, the lotus likes fertilizer and nitrogen fertilizer. It is necessary to ensure sufficient nutrients during the growth period. In addition to adding enough nutrients to the soil before planting, it is also necessary to top-dress the fertilizer in a timely manner. Top dressing is based on the size of the flower pot. If the plant is small, the pot should be fertilized less. If too much fertilizer is applied, the leaves will grow but no flowers will appear. In more severe cases, the plants will die.
6. Maintenance and management
During the maintenance process, the leaves of the lotus will grow longer and denser, which will affect the growth of the lotus to a certain extent. Some parts should be removed appropriately. Leaves promote plant respiration and ventilation. In addition, bowl lotus likes sunlight very much. During the flowering period, it must be exposed to at least 4 hours of direct sunlight. If the light is insufficient, it will easily not bloom. Finally, it should be noted that winter is the dormant period of lotus. It does not require photosynthesis and can deepen the water level to survive the winter safely. You can just repot the lotus around the Qingming Festival in the coming year, take out the lotus root and replant it.
Many florists like to plant lotus at home, which is as beautiful as a lotus. Although it does not have the proud appearance of Daming Lake, a small pot of lotus at home is enough to make people feel the beauty of lotus in the summer wind. . If you like bowl lotus, you must master these planting techniques so that you can bloom beautiful flowers in summer.