Somehow the lazy bug crept up on me unaware and I can’t even finish the semi-technical post on auto solar drip system that I “invented” as my first post into balcony gardening.
So I will write on something equally exciting (at least for me) though not much technicalities are required; except perhaps dirty fingers and smelly mud.
The post, ladies and gentlemen would be on lotus plant.
I’m not sure about other Penangites but it’s kinda hard to get your hands on this water plant nowadays; not in the rage I guess.
But I managed to track this plant nursery down; it’s called Seng Huat Nursery at Penang mainland, Jalan Sungai Dua; which sells not only lotus but water lilies as well.
So after getting some needed dimensions and permissions :-), I drove all the way there; lo and behold, I saw one nice looking lotus plant with a cute flower bud (I know this sounds sleazy :-P).
Anyway, I saved (or rather bought) the plant from its watery gloom and brought it back where I duly begun the process of setting it up at the corner of my balcony.
I pulled the plant (plus the mud) from its pot and set it inside a small “balang” (small olden days fish bowl), stuck two NPK tablets for lotus plants into the mud and spread river sand on the top layer to prevent the mud from contaminating the big barrel and turning it into muck.
Then I propped the whole assembly into the barrel and that’s it. As easy as 1-2-3.
Oh, there are fishes in there as well; which I shall save the story for another day.
After 2 days, the lotus bud bloomed and by the next day, all the petals started dropping off.
So, the bloom is over before it even started. So sad :-S perhaps it is due to transplant shock. I was worried that the plant might die off on me without even saying goodbye.
But then, exactly one week later, there is a new growth from the bowl and now I’ve few new leaves sprouting from the base.
The plant thrives after all. I just hope it will flower one of these days.
