jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Jul 7, 2015 19:00:28 GMT -5
Listening and ready to go on the defense. Preventing them from taking our water and converting us to a desert.    Seed pod with seeds ripening. Seeds tasty at this soft stage, similar to peanuts. Entire plant started from a single seed 15 months ago. Notice the second nipple facing radially outward.  |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 7, 2015 19:20:37 GMT -5
My captives look nothing like this! Like fish in a too small tank, lotus (lotii?) in a tub will not get large, no matter how much love you give them.  Those are looking great, James! |
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Post by MrP on Jul 7, 2015 19:20:35 GMT -5
They do grow don't they................................MrP
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lilacmoth
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2015
Posts: 160 
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Post by lilacmoth on Jul 7, 2015 19:48:56 GMT -5
What! I didn't know you could eat the seeds!
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Post by Pat on Jul 7, 2015 20:41:53 GMT -5
That's so pretty! Seed pods are darling, too. I don't recall seeing them growing around here. I've seen pods like them in some florist flower arrangements.
I like the idea of listening for aliens. Sure looks like it!
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Jul 8, 2015 5:01:24 GMT -5
That's so pretty! Seed pods are darling, too. I don't recall seeing them growing around here. I've seen pods like them in some florist flower arrangements. I like the idea of listening for aliens. Sure looks like it! That lotus is a larger variety Pat named 'Mrs. Perry D. Slocum'. The Slocums were water lily and lotus hybridizers. This one really sets the blooms high in the air above the foliage, a desirable trait. |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Jul 8, 2015 5:13:06 GMT -5
What! I didn't know you could eat the seeds! Lilacmoth, lotus cover large areas in many wetlands across N. America. It is a yellow bloom, pink is always an Asiatic form. Native Americans collected the seed in mass both green and dry. Green seeds heavily used in Asiatic dishes. But dried ones too. The Native Americans could probably feed an army with dried seeds. They last about forever and need no special care for preservation. Probably similar to peanuts but easier to store for long periods. I doubt they ate the tubers, they grow deep into the mud and very difficult to harvest in natural conditions. Lotus tubers for food are harvested in large containers for crops making harvest easy. |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Jul 8, 2015 5:43:27 GMT -5
rockpickerforever Jean, I finally found a solution to growing robust lotus in about all size containers down to 5 gallons. I did 4 tests all in small 5 gallon pots. Rich garden soil no fertilizer ***Straight clay with fertilizer mixed into the top half of the clay Rich garden soil with fertilizer at bottom of pot. Clay with fertilizer in bottom of pot. All with 4-5 inches soil depth. planted from seed mid April. All three basically suffered with poor growth except the clay mixed at the top half of the soil ***. *** grew three feet tall and had 15 inch leaves in abundance, super green and bug damage free. Best lotus in 25 years yippee !! Used Dynamite(10-10-17) type fertilizer on all of them. 3-4 tablespoons. Since they grow along the bottom of the pot the gentle dynamite still burned the new growth when coming in contact with the fertilizer. I did 40 Charles Thomas and 40 Chinese seedlings the *** method. All 80 are rocking. Even better, they are blooming from seed in the first year. Not supposed to happen normally. Dynamite is 6 month release 9-9-9, I used 6 month 10-10-17 for root/bloom development. Guessing that is not going to make much difference.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Jul 8, 2015 5:57:08 GMT -5
They do grow don't they................................MrP Next year they may be weaker/yellower MrP. Or the third year, lest they get fertilized. Not sure even the rich soil they are growing in will have enough natural nutrients to support them 2-3 seasons. I will collect the seeds when ripe and kill them. 20 years worth of seed. Replant another variety to collect seed. Seed for future production crops. |
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