Re: Loutus from Seed Help

 

Tinny Thillart wrote:

 Hello everyoneI have started some Lotus seeds.  So far I have sanded them along the side, put them in water, they have all sprouted, I have them under lights in a plastic margarine container, the first shoots are above the water and growing out of the container, some of them also appear to have white roots growing where the green stems are growing out of the round seed ball.  Can anyone give me my next step, how big of a container do I plant them in, and how deep should I plant these seeds.Please help, would love to have a Lotus in the pond. I also live in Ontario Canada if that helps.  Zone 5Thanks Penny
 
  Well you have done the easy part in growing lotus from seed. Gently take the seedlings and place them on the surface of a pot of a good heavy garden soil. Do this very gently because Lotus (Nelumbo) are VERY sensitive to root disturbance of any kind while they are in active growth. let the plants grow their way down into the soil and establish themselves there. I have found that potting the seedlings at this stage is a sure bet for failure. once the weather warms up (above 50F at night you can place the plants outside in a sunny area. Lotus prefer full strong all day sun. The more sun that you gice them the happier they will be. Althought Lotus are heavy feeders i would reccomend to wait until they are larger to start feeding them. Small plants can be sensitive to some fertilizers. Make sure that the pots you put them in are at least 5-6" across to give them some room to move around. Under good conditions from seed they can bloom in their second year. good luck.
 

Marc

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