Lotus plant Nelumbo sp

[endorfinder]

I used a thin layer of seed raising mix covered in medium sized pebbles, they seem to weigh the seed down OK.

[bullit]

hows ya mozzie breeding goin stillz???

[Stillman]

I am MAlaria HQ dude. I'll put a pick up when the sun shines. They grow like duck weed, do you want some seeds?

[Stillman]

Welcome to mosquito town. slightly higher population then mexico city.

I'll be sorting out a bit more space for them in Spring.

[bullit]

hahaha awesum!! love sum mate. how do ya controll the mozzies. they r crazy up here gotta chek my swamp everyday the lil fuks r everywhere cant go outside round dask

[Stillman]

have a few native of those little guppies you get in creeks (gambisia?) justed a couple in the bigger tubs. I actually haven't noticed the mozzies really, but have seen heaps of wrigglers in the water.

[bullit]

rrrrrrrrr not ya mosquito fish ???? not native bro they r a pest [fines apply] hahaha buy sum feeder fish [ gudgeons] from ya fishshop man!

[Stillman]

I new they weren't a native. didn't realise they were pest class. I can always get silver comets from the fish shop. Those things are tough as. I wouldn't put anything nice in that water, it can get to 36 degs in the midday sun.

[bullit]

what r ya gunna do when these babies get bigger?? buy a pool from clake rubber!!

[Stillman]

lol

I have these drums I can get. hold about 35 litres have a diameter of about 50cm. the excess I'll sell them off.

[bullit]

that will work!! i can c ya kids on a hot day jumpin in them hahahaa

[planthelper]

mozzie breeding is not on, i would not like you as a neighbour, i go and check in my neighbour hood, and my place, always for wrigglers.

as said put little fishes in there, but observe as followes:

some fishes are scared of wrigglers, when you introduce them to a water full of mozzie larvae, and will not eat them.

but the same fish will keep a tank clean, if introduced into larvae free water.

some fish, will eat all larvae, even if already established in the water.

fishes cought in the wild might be better (and for free) mozzie eaters, and aswell much, much tougher, in regards of survival (temperature, oxygen levels, and available food).

BUT, source them very local, as otherwise if they escape they might, spread disease.

MAKE SURE, all fish who might escape, will die.

if setup proper, your water features, might even reduce mozzie numbers, instead of increasing them, because many fish would eat a careless mozzie, trying to lay eggs on the surface.

http://www.shaman-australis.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=27035&hl=%2Blotus+%2Bnelumbo+%2Bfirst

[Stillman]

No fish will be escaping PH unless they can walk 1 km lol.

[Stillman]

Update plants are getting bigger quick, I am letting them go at the moment once they go dormant I will attempt to sort the chaos out.

Will obviously only be able to keep a few of each type and probably trade or sell the rest.

[bullit]

i am down 4 sum lotus

[Stillman]

I will have plants for you and I have some excess seed dude. The plants will have to wait until they go dormant, can send some seed out to you but. Give me a week or so am under the pump with work and study at moment but when it calms down a bit can send you a mixed lot, I wouldn't recommend germinating them until after winter now anyway.

[bullit]

cool as mate!!!!!!

[Stillman]

Updates from this arvo. The Thai varieties seem to be rapid developing and possibly smaller then the Chinese and my original unknown cv.

[shortly]

It will be very interesting to see if the Thai varieties remain a moderate size & what flower colours & forms you get from them.

[Stillman]

Early days shortly, but the Chinese varieties seem to want to be much larger. I have some plants here for you if your interested.

[Stillman]

OK so some updates, I fertilised some and burn some of the ones that didn't have aerials so that was a learning curve, but what is growing well is still looking OK, will be interesting to see if some of these try and race to flower or if they will die back as it cools off and the days get shorter?

[shortly]

A trick to fertilizing these is to get the stickiest clay you can find, kneed it so that is nice & pliable and make golf ball to tennis ball size lumps.

Push your thumb into the balls forming a good sized hollow and 3/4 fill with your favorite fertilizer.

Work the clay over the opening & smooth out. Place in dry spot to dry over few weeks, once thoroughly dry you can push A ball or two under the surface of the substrate keeping the nutrients in the substrate where you want them & not in the water column.

Just my 2c worth.

[Scarecrow]

i had been thinking about growing some of these myself, but had decided it wouldn't be possible without a pond... but having seen your setup i'm reconsidering! especially seeing how quickly they seem to be growing (how often do they flower...?)

so i'm wondering what kind of maintainence this kind of setup needs? do you have to change the water often/at all? need to supply nutrients or some kind of fertilizer?

[Stillman]

yeah just fertilise them when they grow aerials they are apparently heavy feeders. They recon 1 plant to a big drum say with a 45cm diameter and about 35 cm high. Some species grow massive some are a bit smaller, just gotta find one that works. They do like it warm and actually grow really fast in little buckets that the temp was getting up to over 40 degrees. They' interesting plants , I really don't know much about them just kinda winging it, so far so good. But I will have to do some serious upgrading of buckets and pots in the coming spring.

[Stillman]

The lotus are waking up. I even have a tiny flower! Petty weird this early in the year I hope it doesn't abort.

Will post some pics in few days as it gets more impressive.