I have heard that if you take a file and nick the seed down to the white layer and drop it in a glass of warm water that you replace daily, it should sprout. When you get a few leaves on the sprout, you can carefully sit it in a pot on soil and cover with water and let it root. Haven't done it myself, but it is worth a try. I heard the seeds are viable for many, many years! Good luck!

Thanks, Pat. I actually didn't have a problem starting the seeds a few years ago and did as you advise. I just wondered what kind of plant I might get from seeds from lotus pods bought at Michael's craft store. It's not likely I'll get a dwarf variety--I'll probably get a huge Asian variety :-)

I'm going to try it anyway. I bought 3 pods at Michael's today and have about 15 seeds to 'play' with. I think I love the lotus leaves as much as the flowers.
Marcia

I have grown lotus plants from seed pods for several years. I always file down the end without the tiny stem sticking out.The end you see when looking at the seed while its still in the pod is the one you should file. I have at least a 80% sprout rate. The problems growing from seeds is that you do not know what you will get as far as variety.I start with distilled water and only change it when it gets cloudy.I usually start them in a sunny window indoors. The water needs to be kept warm. My pods come from a grower so I know what variety they are but I can not know for sure that I have a true plant because of cross pollination. To get a true variety it must come from the tuber of a plant unless strict growing conditions are used and documented..

I thought I would pass along something I read elsewhere. One of the things I had a problem with was rot with arrangement seeds and with purchased seeds. The advice was to soak the seeds in 1 cup warm water with 1 tbsp. of Hydrogen peroxide and to change the water daily. It probably wouldn't hurt to double the peroxide for the first couple of days. I would keep them covered with a dome too since they seem to be very susceptible to many diseases if your growing area is not perfectly cleaned. Seeds recovered from arrangement lotus have sometimes been in storage a long time. Sandy

Thanks for the additional tips. I plan to start a few of my seeds in March. I don't want to start them too soon because I can't put them outside for about 4 more months. But I'm itching to give them a try so I might not be able to withstand the temptation!
Marcia

I start mine in June and keep them in the pond overwinter and they bloom the next year. I know you're itching to get started but they can be tricky to grow in the small stages indoors. They do great in the pond in the small stages however, as long as you don't have big hungry koi. Then you'd need to fence them off.

Thanks for the hints, Sandy. I'll do as you suggest and wait to start them :-) I know I can satisfy my lust for growing things with other garden plants until June.
Marcia

About one week ago, I drove to Michael's and bought some lotus pods. I have been soaking them in water for about a week, but just recently put a heater around them. One day after they were heated, all three of them sprouted. Just to be safe, started one more which also sprouted within two days of soaking. I was amazed! I can even see that they have developing leaves. Can't wait to stick 'em outside and try to figure out what type they are.
Brian

Brian, that sounds great. I have read how lotus have been grown from seeds that are a thousand years old :-) Who knows what we'll get from our Michael's seeds!
Marcia

I did this last year. I started 3 but only 1 survived. It didn't flower yet but it did put out lots of leaves, I don't think any of them were aerials yet. I hoping this year the aerials & flowers will happen.

Wasn't really too hard .... just had problems because I tried to do what others said & start them in their own containers outside the pond. Once I took the last one & put it into a good sized container & placed it in the pond it did much better.

I'll try to let you know what happens this year with it.

Hi, Missa,
How large was your plant when you put it into your pond? When you put your container into your pond, did you elevate it so that the lotus leaves were closer to the surface?

Thanks for sharing.
Marcia

Yes, I did elevate it so that the leaves it had floated & weren't submerged.

It was still small, I had lost 2 & was afraid this one would go too so I put it in the pond but raised it so the leaves weren't under the water. I was afraid it would "drown" if I left the leaves under the water.

Thanks, Missa.
Marcia

Lotus come out of dormacy as a tuber when the water temperture is at 72 f or above. The heater was a good idea. I start my Lotus seeds in a warm sunny window indoors. After 2 to 3 leaves I plant them and place in my pond with the leaves floating in April. I am around Houston area. tomsg

Thanks, Tom. My pond won't be seeing 72 degrees for some months yet. It's 16 degrees here this morning :-)
Marcia

hooray....i got some lotus seeds from Michaels arts and crafts.....and my first one sprouted today....time to do more

Congratulations, BB! I have put off trying to start my seeds until later this spring. It was 7 degrees here just a few days ago (and 70 degrees on Monday, but 35 today!)--PA has very variable winter and spring weather.

If anyone has seeds from smaller lotus (I am sure the seeds from Michael's crafts will grow to be huge plants if they survive), I would love to have a couple!
Marcia