The lotus is well known for the large number of runners it produces. I had a large one, and in my experience with the plant I have found they only produce a maximum of three runners at a time, each time a runner is cut from the mother plant, a new one grows. Anywho, as the mother plant sends out its runners, it only grows leaves to the surface and the ones that were down the bottom soon die off (replaced by the runners' leaves). My theory with this plant is that you keep cutting off the leaves that go to the surface it forms a dense bushy plant with leaves close to the ground, along with its runners' leaves. That's what happened with my one anyway...as for 'training' the plant to grow at a certain height..what height do you want them?