1. Natural and Artificial Pools
　　The bottom of the pool is mud with difference in depth less than 0.5m. The water should be not more than 1.5m deep in rainy season and not less than 0.7m deep duning dry seasons. Without drainage and irrigation systems, deep-water cultivars should be used and supplemented with some floating plants. Small pools may be built in a large natural pool, each planted with 1 cultivar. The edge of the small pool should be 0.5m deep in the mud and 0.3m high from the mud surface.
　2.Potting and sinking
　　A pool of concrete structure can be shaped in any form, positioned in desired place, and is suitable fpr cultivating many cultivars each having its own place without interfernce and competition from fthers.
　3.Garden Display and Room Decoration
　　Exquisite containers can be used to beautify the environment.People will enjoy the bdautiful crafts-manship of the containers as well as the charming lotus plants. They are convenient to arrange for display. The small-sized bowl lotus can be put on roof of high-rise buildings, in balconies or in light rooms for decoration. The small lotus pot can be positioned on an elaborate supporting shelf, and the lotus blooms will match the pictures and the wood-carvings in the room, with an elegant effect of combinde natural beauty and artificial elegance.

　(II) Planting Methods

　1. Pool Planting
　　Planting at equal distance will give the effect of 'boundless green leaves reaching the sky,and un-even dotted planting will give the effect of 'the little lotus leaves having just come out of the water by their tips'.
　　(1) Equal-distance planting. The water should be drained and the fertilizer should be applied before the soil is dug up thoroughly and leveled evenly. The spacing between rows and in the rows is 1.5m.Conse-quently about 4444seed rhizomes will be planted in l ha. The rhizomes should be inserted slantingly, 10--15cm deep in the mud, with their terminal buds in the same direction, and their ends just above the mud sur-face. After planting, shallow water should be introduced and gradually deepened as the plants grow, to allow the leaves float on water surface. The final depth of water is reached when standing leaves come out.
　　(2) Uneven dotted planting. Holes should be dug and rhizomes be planted according to the design plan.The management is the same as above.
　2. Container Planting
　　(1) Selection of container size. Containers over 50cm in diameter are used for large-sized cultivars. Containers 40-50cm in diameter are used for medium-sized cultivars. Containers 20-25cm in diameter are used for small-sized cultivars.
　　(2) Preparation of growing media. Mud from a pond or river, or a self-made medium of evenly mixed field soil and sandy soil (4:4:2) can be used for growing lotus.
　　(3) Fertilizers.Base fertilizers most often used are hoof and horn manure of horse, pig,sheep, goat and ox.,soybean cake and sesame cake, and dung of chicken, duck, and pig, femented for over l year. Bone meal and fish meal, plant ash and chemical fertilizers are also usable. The amount of hoof and horn manure used for each plant is:
　　　　500g for large-sized cultivars;
　　　　250g for medium-sized cultivars;
　　　　50g for small-sized cultivars.
　　Put the manure at the centre of the container to prevent the new rhizomes from contacting the manure and becoming rotten.
　　Other fertilizers, such as the sesame cake and the chicken, duck and pig dungs, should be applied in amount 10%-15% of the total soil by volume.
　　(4) Planting methods. Space for water should be left when soil is put into a pot.The water is then added and mixed with the soil. Protect the terminal bud by one hand and hold the end of the rhizome by the other hand while planting. Put the rhizome head(the thicker end) down and add the mud slowly, till the rhizome tail (the thinner end) is standing out of the mud at 20-25degrees. If there are 2 plants in l pot, the head and the tail should meet. The depth of the rhizome head inside the mud depends on the condition of the terminal bud?0cm for strong buds and 5cm for weak buds.
　　The rhizome of bowl lotus is slender and vulnerable. It should be dug out and planted late. Growth can be promoted indoors and moving out can wait till floating leanes emerge.

　(III)Management

　a. Sunlight
　　lotus is a long-day plant and should be grown in a sunny position wit good aeration, without shading by tall buildings in the east, south and west.
　b. Water Requirement
　　Although lotus is an emergent aquatic plant, its water requirement varies in different growing stages. In the early stage after planting, the water should be shallow and clear to let in the sunshine to wnrm the mud in the container and promote the growth.When floating leaves appear, the water level should be gradually raised so that the leaves will remain on water surface. When standing leaves have come out, the full dept of water should be maintained. In spring, water is better warmed before being added to bowl lotus. During the initial stage of the growing season, adding water through a sprinkling nozzle will reduce the speed of the wa-ter and prevent the soil being washed out.
　c. Fertilizers
　　It is unnecessary to add fertilizer at the initial growing stage, because there are enough nutrients in the mixed soil. In the flowering season quick-acting phosphate fertilizer should be added every 7-10 days to promote flower bud differentiation. Phosphate and potash fertilizers are needed later to promote fruit ripening and seed rhizome growth.
　　The fertilizers, 5g for small pot and 10 g for lare pot, are wrapped in tough paper and inserted into the centre of the pot, 10-15cm deep in the mud.
　d. Weeding
　　Remove weeds and algae once every month to prevent competition for nutrients and sunlight. Excess floatin leaves and withered standing leaves should also be removed to improve aeration and lighting.
　e. Delaying Blooming
　　Some flowering cultivars do not bloom very well in hot summer. These include 'Thousand-petals' and 'Jade Bowl'. Keep their rhizomes at a low temperature and plant them in mid-May, and the blooming will be delayed to late August and mid-September.
　f.Prevention and Control of Pests and Diseases
　　The main diseases are leaf spot , brown spot and black spot . The diseases occur in the rainy season , and are more severe in southern China than in the north . Poor aeration and lighting favour the develop-ment of the diseases , which can be prevented by removing infested leaves and reducing the density of the plants . If the disease is very serious , zineb or topsin diluted by 800 times of water in volume should be sprayed.
　　The main insect pests include aphids , chafers , cochlids and bagworms . Aphids can breed 20 genera-tions eithin l year . The mymph and adults of aphids live in groups on leaves , petioles and tender flower buds , sucking sap from the plant . Rogor (40%emulsifiable concentrate) diluted by 1000 times of water should be sprayed for their control . Chafers destroy leaves and flowers from June to August . Their adults show phototaxis and death mimicry , and can be trapped or manually caught and killed.
　g. Winter Storage
　　Lotus can overwinter in the open in southern China , but should be stored in cellars in northem Chi-na . The structure of the cellar is semi-underground . The work of putting lotus into storage should begin in late October and end by 15 Norember . First cut and remove the leaves and scapes , put the lotus to-gether with the containers into the cellar , then add water , and keep the water full and the containers covered during storage . Without being exposed to air , the rhizomes will not go mouldy and rot . They will not suffer from cold if the temperature in the cellar is above freezing point . Some ventilation should be given at noon time in fine days , and the entrance to the cellar should be covered at night to keep the cold air out.