To Trade: White Nelumbo nucifera for pink

Discussion in 'Annuals, Biennials, Perennials, Ferns and Bulbs' started by marie dudin, Apr 16, 2008.

  1. marie dudin

    marie dudin Member

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    I have just a few white Nelumbo nucifera that I would like to trade for a pink variety. Sorry: Canada only.
     
  2. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Hello marie dudin!

    I am in Canada and I have what you're looking for!!! Unfortunately, I would only be able to send you 2 or 3 seeds of the pink variety because I only have a few of them. I've never grown the white kind before and would love some! I wouldn't be able to mail the seeds to you for a few weeks yet though, as I am waitng to see if my aunt has any left that I sent her last winter. She told me recently that she did! I can only spare one seed, but if my aunt helps me, I can give you a couple more! I originally got my seeds from a mail order - from J.L. Hudson, in California. His catalogue is online too! Have you actually grown Nelumbo to completion? Could you tell me how you did it? My aunt and I didn't have much luck! It says they'll grow in tubs, if you don't have a pond - but how big does the tub have to be? Any information you can give me would be very much appreciated! I will definitely set you up with what you need! How long have you been looking for them. Mine are definitely the ones with huge pinks blooms (Sacred Lotus Flower). Hear from ya soon..............
     
  3. marie dudin

    marie dudin Member

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    Hello:
    Thanks for the reply: I posted that in April and had given up!

    I grew some healthy looking plants 2 years ago but wasn't able to over-winter them successfully (they were in the basement & the water/mud became anaerobic - you know - smelled like rotten eggs so my husband put them outside in February -oops). I tried again this year but we had some unseasonably cold weather in May and I lost them again. I am going to try again though & hopefully give them more attention.

    By tubs are about 18 inch diameter. Apparently they only need a few inches of water - and that is how I've seen them growing in asia. There is a local nursery here that sells plants. The owner has very helpful information on his website: check it out. http://www.hawaiianbotanicals.com/lotusart.html

    Anyway, if you can spare a seed or two of the pink I would be happy to send you the same of white. I purchased my seeds in Bali, Indonesia. They are shown as white on the package but I haven't confirmed yet!

    They are a little slow to "sprout" but may be because I am a little shy cutting into the seed - don't want to overdo it. They took about 10 days I think.

    I will figure out how to reply privately & send you my address. You can reply to that with your address?

    I would like to hear your experience too.

    Thanks again.

    QUOTE=The Hollyberry Lady;173602]Hello marie dudin!

    I am in Canada and I have what you're looking for!!! Unfortunately, I would only be able to send you 2 or 3 seeds of the pink variety because I only have a few of them. I've never grown the white kind before and would love some! I wouldn't be able to mail the seeds to you for a few weeks yet though, as I am waitng to see if my aunt has any left that I sent her last winter. She told me recently that she did! I can only spare one seed, but if my aunt helps me, I can give you a couple more! I originally got my seeds from a mail order - from J.L. Hudson, in California. His catalogue is online too! Have you actually grown Nelumbo to completion? Could you tell me how you did it? My aunt and I didn't have much luck! It says they'll grow in tubs, if you don't have a pond - but how big does the tub have to be? Any information you can give me would be very much appreciated! I will definitely set you up with what you need! How long have you been looking for them. Mine are definitely the ones with huge pinks blooms (Sacred Lotus Flower). Hear from ya soon..............
    [/QUOTE]
     
  4. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Hello marie dudin!

    Yes, I sent you my address in "private messaging", and I received yours. I'm so glad I had what you were looking for - after all that time!

    No, my nelumbo seeds will sprout really fast - 3 days! I don't use a knife on mine - I use a nail file, to file the outer shell down a bit, and if the seed isn't swollen a bit within a few hours, I know I need to file some more - it works like a charm!

    I have no problem germinating the seed, and getting it to grow beautifully in a jar, indoors, for a month and a bit. It's the rest that I'm unsuccessful with!

    I do not have a pond, so I dropped them around, in ponds near where I lived. I was told to tie the sprouted seedling to a weight and drop in the pond. I kept returning to see, but there was nothing to see!

    I learned a bit from that article - thanx. I am interested in growing a Nelumbo in an 18" tub, like you mentioned. How much soil do I need to fill the bottom of the tub with? How do you keep the soil from all floating up to the top - how do you make it settle on the bottom of the tub? What kind of light should I place the tub in? Full-sun, partial-sun, etc.? Does the Nelumbo grow up tall - out of the tub? Can these be grown inside, if enough sunlight is provided? I do not want to make a pond, which seemed to be what the article promoted mostly. I just loved the fact that they grow in water - that's why I ordered the seeds in the first place!

    Thanks for all your information...............
     
  5. marie dudin

    marie dudin Member

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    That's great!
    I have them ready to pop in the mail tomorrow morning: 3 seeds coming your way.

    I grew mine indoors until late may in an ice cream pail sized tub. They like heat & humidity & didn't seem to mine a southern exposure once I got them use to direct sunlight.

    I think that article suggests that you can sink them fairly deep in a raised bed to over-winter. Maybe it is too cold for that in London, Ontario - have to read the article again. The other thing I got from that article is that they don't require deep water - just a few inches. That is how I saw them growing in Bali too. The shallowness also allows the water to heat up faster which is important in our cool climates.

    I used a cheap plastic "liner" (the 18" diameter tub) & then popped that in a more decorative metal tub. It was pretty happy there. I used a few inches of garden soil & then mixed with rain water. It settled out in a day or so. It got very murky when I topped up the water but doesn't seem to be a problem. Then I bought some fertilizer plugs for water plants. I added half of one every few weeks as per the instructions.

    I believe there are various water animals that love to eat them (humans too!): maybe that is what happened to yours?

    Everything I know about them I got from these websites & my brief experience trying to raise them:

    http://www.faculty.sbc.edu/simpson/Lotus/index.htm
    http://www.victoria-adventure.org/lotus/growing_from_seed.html

    I will certainly let you know how it goes: I will start them in the new year.

    Good luck!!


    QUOTE=The Hollyberry Lady;173638]Hello marie dudin!

    Yes, I sent you my address in "private messaging", and I received yours. I'm so glad I had what you were looking for - after all that time!

    No, my nelumbo seeds will sprout really fast - 3 days! I don't use a knife on mine - I use a nail file, to file the outer shell down a bit, and if the seed isn't swollen a bit within a few hours, I know I need to file some more - it works like a charm!

    I have no problem germinating the seed, and getting it to grow beautifully in a jar, indoors, for a month and a bit. It's the rest that I'm unsuccessful with!

    I do not have a pond, so I dropped them around, in ponds near where I lived. I was told to tie the sprouted seedling to a weight and drop in the pond. I kept returning to see, but there was nothing to see!

    I learned a bit from that article - thanx. I am interested in growing a Nelumbo in an 18" tub, like you mentioned. How much soil do I need to fill the bottom of the tub with? How do you keep the soil from all floating up to the top - how do you make it settle on the bottom of the tub? What kind of light should I place the tub in? Full-sun, partial-sun, etc.? Does the Nelumbo grow up tall - out of the tub? Can these be grown inside, if enough sunlight is provided? I do not want to make a pond, which seemed to be what the article promoted mostly. I just loved the fact that they grow in water - that's why I ordered the seeds in the first place!

    Thanks for all your information...............
    [/QUOTE]
     
  6. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Hello marie dudin!

    Ohhh, thank you so much for mailing off the seeds to me! My aunt mailed mine off today, so I will be mailing them off to you ASAP. I did some research last night on how to grow Nelumbo indoors in a container - things are starting to become clearer now. The only thing I am concerned about is how to keep the water from growing algae? I don't want to grow other oxygenating plants, so how does one keep the water clean - especially if it's in your home? I can't wait to check out the links you sent - I am going to do that now. Maybe they will answer my questions about keeping the water clean.

    Also, I plan on putting the sprouted seedling up through the bottom hole of a clay pot, and then put the clay pot inside the 18" pot, upside down. Then I'll cover the clay pot with 2-4" of water. My question is - how big does the clay pot that the seedling will root in, have to be? If you know the answer - great. Otherwise I will search for them on your links, and research online.

    Looking so forward to receiving your seeds.............
     
  7. marie dudin

    marie dudin Member

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    Hi:

    My understanding is that you don't want to restrict the size of the roots. You are not even suppose to use square pots as they don't like the sharp angles & will limit the size of the plant. I am not sure I understand the use of the clay pot but it if I am picturing it correctly, it sounds like it would inhibit the growth. I know transplanting is dicey as harming the growing tips can be disastrous: is that why you want to use the clay pot?

    The only time I developed algae was when I added fertilizer plugs. It went away after awhile. I did think about getting an aquarium-type aerator though.

    Marie.

     
  8. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Hi again - sorry about that!

    Yes, you are right about everything! I sent that message, before I took a look at those links you sent..........it's all becoming really clear now! Those links were terrific, and really showed what things should look like. Forget what I said previously - I will do it the right way.

    Today, I bought a big, round, decorative, plastic pot - with a 17" diameter. I will fill the bottom three inches with garden soil, and cover it with 3-4 inches of water. When my seedling is about 2-3 inches long, I will plant it in the middle of the soil, under the water. Then I will place it in the sun, and let nature do the rest! Does this sound a little better?

    Yes, I got that too - that the root cannot be detoured, or it will deform the growth! My container is nice and big, so hopefully this won't be a problem! I do not know where to get aquatic fertilizer tablets, or how much they cost. I don't need to feed it for the first month, right? Soooo exciting! I have the warmest, sunniest spot, for it to grow - I am very optimistic, but want to be well informed - thank you so much............
     
  9. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Hello again marie dudin:

    As I was soooo disappointed that I couldn't successfully grow my pink nelumbo this last season, outside, that the second I found out it could grow indoors, I immediately started making plans to do so - then I found this thread! I am planning to order more of the pink seeds in the winter, because I am interested in some other seeds from the same distributor in California! I will mail you even more, then!

    I've already got the garden soil on the bottom of the container (4" soil), and just a few minutes ago I added the water (4" water). I sifted off the stuff that was floating on the top, but the water is still quite murky. Do you think it will clear - like the person's water on one of your links, was? I want clear water - or mostly clear. I'll give it some time - it hasn't even been 20 minutes yet!!! I am so excited. I know I can give it tons and tons of sunshine. Do I get those aquatic fertilizer tablets at the nursury, or where do you get yours?

    I hope you don't mind me going on............it's just that you know more than me - plus you've had more experience! You have helped me so much, to understand about this lovely plant........now I can make use of my seeds, finally!
     
  10. marie dudin

    marie dudin Member

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    Hi:

    I think the water should clear. I got the fertilizer plugs from the nursery. I recall they were pretty reasonable. I don't think you really need them until the plants are putting out a lot of growth. Maybe just use a small fraction when they are small to minimize the algae. I think...I am certainly no expert!

    If you want to just mail me one or two seeds that is fine. Don't have the containers to grow too many anyway. You should get your seeds soon.... have fun.
    Regards, Marie.

     
  11. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Hi marie dudin!

    Don't laugh, at how small my plant is, compared to the container! It's just a baby yet. The water is not cloudy anymore, and the hand strainer is perfect for keeping the water clean, clear, and sparkling! I will send more pics in awhile, when the plant is bigger. The red things are stones I put in there - I'm going to get some more soon. The little pink flower sticker on the inside of the container, is to mark the water level, so I can keep it at that exact depth - apparently Nelumbo is fussy about the water level remaining the same.
     

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    Last edited: Dec 3, 2008
  12. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Hi again marie dudin:

    Here's a few more pics of my Nelumbo seedling a few days later! See how the leaf has unfolded?!! Today I noticed the third shoot poking up out of the soil! It's growing!!! Thought you'd like to see. I'll show it to you in all it's stages of growth........
     

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  13. marie dudin

    marie dudin Member

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    They look great. I am jealous!!
    Marie.

     
  14. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Hi marie dudin!

    Here two more current shots of my nelumbo seedling, taken today (Sat. Dec. 13th). I have attached an old fountain pump to the side of the container with a clamp. It eliminates the skimming of the top of the water, and no algae seems to be developing! I didn't want the pump to be right at the bottom near the soil, or it would disturb it too much, and the water would be muddy looking. As you can see, the pump is more near the top of the water, but the water isn't quite as clear as it was. I can live with this though. The plant seems to like it, and is vigorously growing! Also very important - the spout of the pump is facing the inside wall of the container, so it doesn't send the delicate seedling into a constant spin!

    I now have four shoots, and notice the first floating leaf is getting bigger! The second shoot's leaf is starting to unfurl a bit too! The fourth shoot just emerged out of the water yesterday. This is just such a neat little experiment that seems to be working out just great! So fun to watch too. Thanks for everything Marie! Of course I'll keep ya posted...
     

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    Last edited: Dec 13, 2008
  15. signet

    signet Member

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    Hi Hollyberrylady .

    I was wondering if you would be kind enough to share the address of the place in California that sells the lotus seeds. I would love to try some .. I am not that far away from you . about a 1/2 hour west of London . So growing conditions would be very similar to yours except I am not in a city .... Hope to hear back from you and thanks

    signet
     
  16. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Hello signet : )

    Wow - we are so close to each other! Neat!

    Here is the address of where to get the Lotus seeds, and the most unique seed collection you will ever encounter!

    J. L. Hudson, Seedsman
    Star route 2, Box 337
    La Honda, Calofornia, 94020
    USA


    His complete catalogue can also be found online! Google J. L. Hudson Seedsman...
     
  17. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    : )

    Happy Spring!

    My new Nelumbo - growing much better this April...
     

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  18. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    No longer using the air pump either, just the hand-strainer again. It seems to be doing ok...
     

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