How To Plant Lotus Seeds: A Guide To Growing Lotus Seeds

It’s enjoyable and not as tough as you may imagine How To Plant Lotus Seeds. There are many kinds of lotus you can plant in your garden. Learn more. 

Planting lotus seeds are not as tough as you may have thought before. The flower is beautiful when it finally blossoms, making the entire process very rewarding.

There are many kinds of lotus, and growing them from seed can provide many plants for relatively little outlay of cash.

Planting lotus seeds is quite simple, although growing lotus seeds from tubers are far more effective. To plant from seeds, you must ensure sufficient sunlight, good quality soil, and enough water changes for the plant to grow well.

Some essential preparation items are all you need to learn how to plant lotus seeds. Here’s how you can get started.

Understanding The Lotus Seed

  • Before you grow lotus seeds, you have to know that they’re oval and approximately the size of a hard shell pea or round and around the size of a walnut.
  • They’re used for cultivating lotus from seed. 
  • The seed bears a tip at one end and a little indentation at the other, the latter marking the place where it was originally connected to the plant. 
  • The shells of these very tough seeds range in color from gray to dark brown to black. 
  • There are two brown and two cream coatings within the shell. Brown seed coatings are almost impenetrable. 
  • This property of the lotus seed ensures that it will not germinate for many decades.

Conditions For Planting Lotus Seeds

How To Plant Lotus Seeds

Harvest Time

  • Easy lotus cultivation is possible in USDA plant climate ranges 4-11. 
  • It is hardy in warm and cold climates, making it ideal for use in tropical and subtropical areas. 
  • In contrast, lotus plants cannot survive in freezing or roasting temperatures.
  • It does best in locations where the average summer temperature’s around 15-40 degrees celsius. 
  • Propagating lotus plants is best done in the spring.
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Planting Soil

  • Lotuses thrive on a combination of sandy and clayey soil. 
  • Don’t use garden soil, even sandy loam, or another variety. 
  • It is preferable to use sandy or clayey soil, although regular garden soil can do in a pinch.
  • The sole drawback of regular dirt or loose soil is that it might begin to float in water. To make garden soil for growing lotus, use 60% clayey soil and 40% sand.

Consider Two Options for Containers 

  • There are two basic options for containers for planting lotus seeds. A tank or bathtub, whichever is larger. 
  • The second, smaller one may be used to store soil and plant roots. Make sure there aren’t any leaky spots.
  • The smaller container should have a diameter of four to eight inches and a depth of seven to nine inches. 
  • The bigger container must be at least two to four inches deeper than the smaller one. 
  • The larger tank may be any diameter or horizontal length, and it will still be able to contain water.
  • Keep in mind that lotuses like somewhat shallow water, so your pond or bathtub shouldn’t be too deep. 
  • But the larger pond has to be deep enough to cover the expanding branches while allowing the leaves to dry in the air.

How To Plant Lotus Seeds: Propagation Steps

Growing lotus from rhizomes, tubers, or seeds is possible. However, if you start with seeds, the shrub will take almost a year to bloom.

1. Lotus seed growing instructions

  • You may get lotus seeds online if you want to cultivate your own. 
  • After purchasing the seed, you should use scrap paper or a knife to remove the sharp tip.
  • When the white center becomes apparent, you may stop scraping. 
  • This procedure must be carried out with extreme caution to prevent injury. 
  • After scraping, place the beans in a clear bowl or other suitable container and cover them with water. The ideal water temperature is between 24 and 27 degrees Celsius.
  • Do this indoors, and the following day look for seeds that have floated up to the top of the water. 
  • Pick out the seeds floating to the top, and return the rest to the container.
  • Seeds that float about in the air are sterile and won’t grow.
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2. Water Changes For Lotus Plant

  • You must maintain regular water changes. 
  • In 7–10 days, you should see the first signs of seedling growth. 
  • Carefully replace the water in the container daily after the seeds have grown. 
  • Transplant your seedlings about 6 inches tall and have one or two little leaves.

3. Does Planting Lotus Seeds Require Soil?

When learning how to plant lotus seeds, you need to remember that they require a lot of sunlight, a minimum of 6 hours every day is necessary for the seeds to grow properly.

Also, any kind of soil can be used. Soil options for ponds include topsoil, clay, and pond-specific mixes.

Put together a soil consisting of 80% clay, topsoil, and 20% decomposed earth. However, you may improve your soil by adding a tiny quantity of compost.

4. To What Extent Does Sun Exposure Aid The Lotus?

To bloom, a lotus flower needs at least five hours of exposure to sunlight. If your lotus only gets afternoon light, the sun’s rays may not be strong enough to cause it to bloom.

The tubers of a lotus plant are killed by frost. Your lotus should survive the winter if you plant it deeper below the freeze line in your pond and the water does not completely freeze over.

It is possible to bring your lotus tubers inside to overwinter in a cool location if frost is a concern.

5. Lotus Plant Transplantation

  1. Transplanting lotus seedlings is necessary after they have emerged from their pots. Sadly, this premature transfer of lotus seedlings is a common gardening faux pas.
  2. The seeds are ready for transplantation after having at least one or two leaves.
  3. Put the germinated seeds in the tiny container and cover them with potting soil. To protect the seed, bury it under an inch of dirt and surround it with pebbles. 
  4. Gently put this saucepan into the bath water.
  5. Leaves should float on the water’s surface while the branches remain submerged. 
  6. Until your plant is well-established, keep the tub in partial shade. After two or three days, you may place the tub in direct sunshine.
  7. If your tank is too big to move about easily, you may also do this step outside in the sun. Once you’ve successfully transplanted your new plants, you may skip daily water changes.

Growing Lotus Plants from Tubers

How To Plant Lotus Seeds
  1. In the spring, visit your local plant nursery or shop online to get a lotus tuber. Once you have the tubers in hand, the real fun can begin.
  2. Put water in the larger tank and potting soil in the smaller one. Soak the soil equally in the smaller container with water. Plant the tuber with the growth parts facing up, like the leafy tops. Don’t bury the tuber too deeply; just enough dirt should cover it.
  3. Covering the tuber with little stones will prevent it from floating in the water. 
  4. After this, you must put the smaller pot into the larger tank or tub. Two to four inches more should be in the bigger container than in the tinier one.
  5. Put the container in direct sunshine for four or five days, and the lotus tuber will begin to sprout.
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How To Plant Lotus Seeds FAQs 

Q: What Is The Best Method For Growing Lotus Seeds?

The best way to grow lotus is from the tubers.

Q: Where Do You Recommend Planting Lotus Flower For The Best Results?

The lotus flower is common in many Asian countries.

Most regions with moderate summer temperatures are suitable for growing perennial lotuses.

Although they do not perform well in extreme temperatures.

Q: Can You Recommend Good Soil For Growing Lotuses?

Use clay soil or potting mix formulated particularly for pond plants since the roots of lotuses are easily rotted in biologically rich soil.

Put enough dirt in the lotus pot so it’s approximately 4 inches deep.

Lift the lotus tuber with care since damaging the tender new growth might quickly end the plant’s life.

Q: What Might Be Killing My Lotus Plant?

O2 is essential for the survival of all plant life.

Typically, a lotus leaf will not touch the water while it is developing.

They may rot if thrown into the water without their will. Use fertilizers to treat the issue if a fungus is at blame.

Final Thought

This concludes our advice on germinating lotus seeds. Lotus flowers are beautiful, and you can grow them in your own home lake or water garden with a little time and care.