Lotus - A Symbol Of Purity

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

The lotus is truly a wonderful plant. It is not for nothing that he is considered a symbol of purity - being born in muddy swamp waters, he manages to remain pure and spotless. For several centuries he was worshiped in the East, it was he who was given a place of honor in fascinating legends, traditions and various religious rites. And since the end of the 18th century in Europe, the lotus has been grown as an ornamental plant. He is also well known in folk medicine, cosmetology and cooking

Getting to know the plant

Lotus is a herbaceous amphibian perennial plant, the only representative of the luxurious Lotus family. There are only two species of this unsurpassed plant on the globe: the yellow (also called American) lotus can be found exclusively in the New World, and the delightful nut-bearing lotus is a famous and beloved inhabitant of the Old World.

The stalks of this marvelous plant form rather thick and very powerful rhizomes immersed in the underwater soil. One part of the lotus leaves are above-water leaves, raised high above the water or floating on it, and the other part of them is scale-like underwater leaves. Rounded, flat floating leaves are equipped with flexible, rather long petioles, and the towering leaves are somewhat larger, located on standing petioles and resemble funnels 50 - 70 cm in shape in shape.

Large flowers of a handsome lotus (up to 30 cm in diameter) on slender pedicels soar above the water surface. Their numerous petals, white or pink, are amazingly beautiful, and the center is dotted with a large number of bright yellow stamens. Below the places of attachment of flowers there is a kind of reaction zone, which allows the lotus to change its position following the heavenly body. The aroma of the flowers, although not strong, is incredibly pleasant. In shaded areas, as well as in too deep places, the lotus, unfortunately, will not bloom.

Both flowers and lotus leaves are covered with a very thin waxy coating and playfully shimmer under the sun's rays, like expensive mother-of-pearl. Water droplets, rolling over the leaves, resemble balls of mercury.

The lotus fruit is a funny reverse conical type of many-roots, somewhat reminiscent of the mouth of a garden watering can. They are equipped with rather solid nests with dark brown seeds the size of a medium-sized acorn located inside - it is worth noting that one fruit can contain up to thirty such seeds. If the seeds are in dry places, they may not lose their germination for a very long time - there are cases when the seeds stored in the historical collections of museums managed to germinate 150 and even 200 years later.

How to grow

The ideal water temperature for lotus growth will be 25 - 30 degrees. In addition, he needs constant sunlight. In artificial open-type reservoirs for this beautiful aquatic man, a special soil is made from clay, as well as sand and silt. First, sand (or pebbles) is poured onto the bottom with a layer of 10 cm, and on top of it - earth (40 - 60 cm). Although the lotus grows very well in stagnant water, it is still better to try to ensure that the water for it is low-flowing, as soft and clean as possible. When growing a flower in aquariums or in small ponds, rainwater (well settled) should be topped up from time to time.

This plant should be propagated in March-April by dividing its dense rhizomes or by seeds. When propagated by seeds, their hardened shells are slightly filed with a small file, and all the seeds are thrown into containers filled with lukewarm water, and then placed in a warm place. From the seed shells that have burst after a few days, tiny leaves will first appear, and 20 days later, thin roots will appear behind them. Young plants should be planted either in pots placed in containers with water, or immediately in reservoirs, provided that the water in them has had time to warm up properly. When planting in pots, the initial water level should be maintained at around 6 cm, gradually replanting (as it grows) the plant in slightly larger containers and increasing the water level to 20-40 cm. It is important to pay attention to the fact that lotus leaves float on surface. In new seedlings of the first year, only floating leaves develop, and the emerging leaves grow later, in the second or third year (at the same time the cherished buds are formed).

If you provide the lotus with the most favorable conditions and proper care, then it will bloom in the same year in which it was planted. Reservoirs with a growing miracle flower should be periodically cleaned of duckweed, and too thick lotus thickets should be thinned out. A wonderful flower does not need feeding, it is also very resistant to diseases and pests, but sometimes it can still be affected by aphids.