Crispy Lotus Leaves and Rotten Tubers, oh dear!

16 years ago

Hi. I am new to this forum, but have spent lots of time admiring all your hard work and knowledge. Please help. I got from mail order this spring a Chowan Basu lotus tuber, and planted it in a big porcelain pot. I had been keeping the water level up using filtered water from my Brita pitcher, but got fed up with it, and resorted to the hose. COuld that be what is causing the leaves to crisp? We are also having a big ol' drought, with very high day and night temps, and maybe that is making things worse.

Then, today, as I was cutting back the crispy leaves (way above the water level), I noticed an exposed part of the tuber, and it came out when I grasped it. It smells funky, and I am afraid that when I cut back leaves earlier this season, I may have cut them below the surface, and part of the tuber rotted. Will this mean the demise of the whole thing? I am crushed!! I even had my first bud, but it turned black, maybe because of the rot. Thanks in advance for any help and advice you have for a lotus newby!! -amy

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Comments (4)

catherinet
16 years ago
Hi amy,
Sorry to hear about your lotus. If it smells, its not a good sign. I get crispy leaves, but its more towards September.
Is your hose water chlorinated? I think that might hurt it, but I'm not sure, since I have a well. Did you ever fertilize it?
Is it in a pot within the porcelain pot? In the late fall, you could dump out everything in the pot and look for a viable tuber and then re-do the porcelain pot with new soil and replant the tuber. I'm not familiar with the temps in NC.......can you leave it out all winter?? If not, you'll need to protect the tuber somehow......where it will be above freezing, but below something like 45 degrees F.
I know its sad if its dead, but you can try again next year, with maybe more knowledge. I ruined 2 before I figured things out.
Tell us a little more about the size of the pot, the type of soil you had in it, etc., and maybe we can help you have better luck next time.
zoenipp
16 years ago
Hi Amyflora:

I am also in NC (Raleigh) and my lotus is looking a little worse for the wear as yours is. I bought this lotus plant with blooms this spring from our local water garden farm. I took a huge ceramic water garden bowl out to the man who owns the farm and he planted it for me. Mine is the dwarf (Baton something?). It has been beautiful all summer (actually had two big flushes of blooms which even the water garden man had not seen before) but is now looking a little "crispy" as you say with all of the leaves getting brown around the edges or dying completely. I don't notice any bad smell and was actually amazed to see yesterday that the two small platys I put in the planter in June have survived all summer. I wouldn't give up on the plant - this has been a hellish summer with all of the 100+ days (reminds me of north Texas where I used to live). I water my lotus plant with water from my fish pond as I don't want to harm the fish in the container and I know the pond water is safe. I wouldn't think chlorinated water would hurt the lotus plant itself though.
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scottspond
16 years ago
I have learned from working with my lotus that they are a lot like Spatterdock. If the tuber starts to rot, unless you can cut off every bit of rot, it will continue to rot. So, when you find a good hard, growing part of the tuber, be sure to cut off all of the rotted part and replant in fresh soil. Also, scrub you planter good.

Happy ponding,
Scott
watershaper
16 years ago
The rot is hard to do anything about, it may be too late. The probable cause would be cutting a green leaf below water level, I know there are differing opinions on this, but it can happen. Make sure the leaf is well browned before cutting back anything.
The crispy leaves can be caused by a lot of things. The most common cause is not keeping the lotus covered well enough. We raise lotus and often times early in their development they are out of the pond. If the container is not full, the lotus can dry and get 'crispy' very quickly. One hot afternoon without water covering the container can do it. If its in pond, over fertilizing or a vast array of factors can have similar effects.
Zoenipp, FYI if its a dwarf theres a good chance its a Momo Botan.
All in all, the biggest issue with lotus out of ponds is keeping them covered with water, one day can cause a nice 'crisping' to their leaves.

Crispy Lotus Leaves and Rotten Tubers, oh dear!

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catherinet

zoenipp

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