I've a couple varieties of Lotus that's hardy in our climate. They're making many seeds each year. This year, I tried to sprout some seeds, some night creatures promptly found the seeds float in water, and chewed them up. Have you success in germinating Lotus seeds? Please share your tips.
This seed was sure to sprout, but something chewed it all up. :((
I sand a small spot off of the hard shell of the seed and put the seeds in fairly deep water (like bucket deep, I often times use the plastic fologers coffee cans) Change the water every few days or they can get fungus. A few drops of an anti-fungal can also prevent that. I just use fish anti-fungal drops. After a week or 2, they sprout and send up a leaf that floats on the top of the water. Most leaves for the first year will float on the surface and not pop up above the water level. Once I saw a few roots, I added a little sandy soil to the water to cover only the seed and roots.
I used a jeweler's file (triangular one) to file a slot into the very hard shell. Basically did the same thing as MerryMary said for germination but I did mine indoors. Seems like I used a large plastic butter bowl with sand only and enough water to keep above the sand on the kitchen windowsill until it was up enough to move it to a larger container and eventually to the outdoor pond. Ordered seed from Park Seed such a long time ago along with tropical water lily seed. I wished they still offered that...
This is the one that I try to propagate, it's a lovely pink that's hardy here.
Thanks all for the tips. I'll keep y'all posted of the result.
The pink is beautiful! I ordered pink many times, but they always end up white ones, which I aleady have. I'd complain, but it takes a year or 2 to get them to bloom, and by then I forget who I ordered them from! :)
Mm, what's the possibility of cross pollination? I currently have two varieties. I afraid cross pollinated hybrid will occur. Here is 'Green Maiden' a cultivar that I purchased last year. I love it. The subtle green and pink tinged edges on the white flowers enhanced its beauty.
'Green Maiden' lotus.
I carefully sanded a spot on mine with a Dremel tool, and then I took a 2 liter bottle and cut the top off (any clear jug will do. Juice bottle. water bottle. )Fill it with water. Drop the seed in. Then I put it in a sunny spot, Drain the water off every day and fill with fresh water. I think it took about a week to sprout but that was in Feb. It should sprout quicker in warm weather. Once you get a few leaves, you can move it to a larger container.
Thank you Nanny23, I'll try as suggested. I'll compare the 2 types of offspring and post result to share with everyone.
I have succeeded in sprouting a few lotus seeds by burying them in my 40 gallon aquarium's substrate. But as soon as they sprout, the fish eat them because that's like candy to them.
I'd like a few more lotus in my pond. Who wouldn't? I have started germinating about 8 seeds 2 days ago. I filed the shell until I could see creamy white showing through the notch in the shell. I used a heavy steel file and held the seeds in pliers. Why I didn't think of my Dremel is beyond me.
I change my seeds' water every day. I am "soaking" them in a large clear plastic jar. As soon as they show signs of germination, I will fill an empty 20-gallon aquarium with about 5 inches of genuine topsoil mud topped off with about 5 inches water and plant the germinating seeds in there, in full Florida sun. They grow in mud and muck in nature; I'll try to replicate that. If I don't succeed this time, I will declare myself inept at germinating those seeds and try to arrange a trade with someone who grows them on DG. Someone has got to have a glut of them. I'd just like a few more in my pond. Anyhow, that's my current experiment right now.
Sylvain.
I have the green maiden. This year they tripled in size/width and bloomed more than ever before. I really wanted pink, but at least it's a start! I'm sure they can cross pollinate like most other flowers.
That sure is pretty.
Sylvain.
Sounds like I need to give up on water lilies and try lotus. I do have 1 lily that came from Mitsy and it is living but not growing. I have it in a small tub in full sun. Don't dare put it into either pond cause fish eat it right away.
Lotus are very pretty also.
