How to grow a lotus in your garden | homify (2024)

Whether you have agarden pond or manicuredlawn, it will look unfinished without a lotus plant. With dancing pink andwhite petals and leaves catching the dew, a blooming lotus is a sight thatbrings serenity to our thoughts! Rather than buying one, it’s great to know howto grow a lotus on your own.

Historically, we’ve always been inclined toplace objects in our home that have a symbolic value in our life. Rising frommurky waters, a lotus symbolizes us overcoming obstacles in life. It stands asan inspiration suggesting that you can have a pure, beautiful and sincereheart, overcoming the gloom from which you have risen. Even the leaves, whichdon’t hold water signify that we don’t let troubles stay too long.

The lotus embodies religious and culturalsignificance in many communities. Also called the ‘Lian Hua’ in Chinese, it isa universal symbol of purity and enlightenment. Many Feng Shuimastersbelieve that the flower brings good fortune, turns bad luck to good luck andheightens your sense of joy and peace.

Have you been wondering how to growlotus? Many people choose to directly buy lotus plants from a local nurseryas the plant requires quite a bit of patience (another virtue!) to tend andgrow. But a true gardener knows in his heart that there is no bigger pleasurethan watching a seed sprout the first sign of life, showering it with love and watching it grow into a wonderful plant. With a little time and care, here is how you can grow lotus from seed. Enjoy!

You can get lotus seeds from your localnursery. Though most label the color ofthe lotus, you may not really know the shade for sure until that bud blooms.You can also check on the age of the seeds. Typically the plant will grow fineeven if the seeds are 2-3 years old. The next step is to choose which seeds youwant to use. Not all seeds are made equal. Check for your seed to be nice andbig in size with no cuts or blemishes. Avoid the thin and skinny ones as theymay not have the nutritional content to support a healthy plant. Compare theseeds side by side to know the difference.

Next, use a file or a bench grinder to filethe tip of the seed. Put a scratch towards the top node of the seed. Rub theend with sandpaper. Then hold the seed with a plier and use the other to removethe outer shell covering from the part your scratched to expose the white innerseed. If you do your lotus seed preparation right, you will be able tosee 4 layers on the seed – the outer black shell, the inner light brown shell,the dark brown layer and the small white core from where the germination willtake place.

If you are a rookie, be sure to get a fewextra seeds as it will take some practice to cut them right. Doing this in witha bench grinder will take just about a minute but you’ll need to be verycareful not to overexpose the seed or get your hand stuck. To grow lotusfrom seed the good old fashioned way will take a bit of time and effort butcan be done with patience and care.

Place the seed in a cup of water where itis completely submerged. Do not use boiled water – just regular water will do. Hereare some important lotus growing tips for your next steps. When you dropthe seeds in water, check whether they sink or float. Good seeds will sink andbad seeds will float. There is a 90% chance that a floating seed will notsprout. Leave the bowl in a place where it catches sunlight and replenish thewater a couple of times.

In two days you’ll notice that the seedshave bloated to almost double their size. Rub off any mold you see on theseed’s surface. And viola! Nature’s magic takes over and you see the first signof life that has been hiding inside all along. A small green sprout is visiblein 36 hours or less after you’ve dropped the seed in the water.

Now that the magic has begun, you need towait and watch as the small sprout grows into a stem. Don’t forget to changethe water frequently and expose the water to sunlight. At this stage, the plantdoesn’t require any fertilizers. The seed in itself is a reservoir of nutrientswhich will support the plant’s growing needs. In a couple of weeks, you’llstart to notice the leaves sprouting from the stem. It amazing to see how sucha tiny patch of green can take such a huge space in your heart.

Once you see the leaves growing well, theclear white roots and the runner, it is the timeyou shift your lotus plant to its permanent home.

This lovely sight is a creation ofWasserpflanzen Appenzeller based in Uedem, Germany.

You can now shift your prized processioninto a bucket or a garden lotus pond where it can find a new home thatfits its size requirements. If you are choosing the sacred lotus, yourcontainer or garden lotus pond should be at least 2 feet in diameter and1 and ½ feet in depth.

This home should have mud at the bottom andwater on top in a 1:3 ratio. Even better if you can find clay and fill thecontainer with around 9 inches of it. Place the tuber into the mud with the growingtips pointed up so that the leaves come to settle and float on the surface.

Lotuses that start from the seed are lesslikely to bloom in the first year. In the meanwhile, you’ll need to ensure theleaves don’t take over your container. With proper sunlight, good lotusgrowing tips, the right season, perfect care and some good luck you shouldbe able to have a handful of blooms smiling at you soon!

More more delightful outdoor ideas seeGet your garden ready for March.