How to Plant Lotus Seeds

The lotus is regarded as one of the more regal plants to have in your pond or garden, and they also carry with them a reputation of being difficult to grow. These unique water plants can be grown quite easily, once you understand the unique steps for germinating the seeds.

Things You'll Need

• Lotus seeds
• Razor blade (or sharp knife)
• File
• Small plastic container
• Water
• Bucket with a height of 10 to 12 inches
• Soil

Instructions

1. Firmly hold one seed and carefully score the outer covering with the razor blade--just deep enough to break the surface on one side.

2. Using the file, gently enlarge this cut until it is deep enough so that you can see the cream-colored insides of the seed.

3. Fill the small plastic container with water and place the seed inside. Keep the container at room temperature, and the seed will swell up within the first 48 hours. The sprouting time will vary, anywhere from one day to one week

4. Fill the bucket with soil to a height of 3 inches.

5. Create a 1-inch deep hole in the soil, and place the seedling inside. Gently cover the seedling with soil, but do not pack it down.

6. Fill the bucket with water to a height of 6 inches above the soil. Once the leaf stem has grown higher than the water's surface, the seedling is ready for planting or potting.

7. Plant the seedling in a pond or a large planting pot, where the water height is the same as the length of the leaf stem (the leaf stem should reach the surface).

Tips & Warnings

• Planting the seedling before root growth can prevent root damage.

• Pyrethrin-based pesticides may kill the lotus plant. Flowers are not generally produced until the second year.

References

• Growning Lotus From Seed
• Growing Nelumbo (Lotus) From Seed