CLOSED: Wanted: Lotus seed

Is there anybody that can supply me with some lotus seeds? I can do a trade or P&P.

Thanks,
Elsa

I bought some seeds...

I don't seem to do a good job of catching the lotus pods at the right point -- too soon, and the seeds just shrivel; too late, and they've been dropped into the muck. I think I managed to get just 3 seeds this year. I'm glad you found a source!

I've heard they need serious scarification, as they may not sprout for years under "natural" conditions. You might try rubbing them back and forth on a cement or brick surface until you've worn a little hole through the outer "shell" (rub on one side, not on the top or bottom points of the seed, so you don't damage the embryo).

For what it's worth, the lotus plants I've purchased have been good multipliers. I have one that gives me at least a 12:1 increase each year. So if the seeds don't work out, you may only have to buy one or two plants in order to end up with a lot of them! :-)

I bought two different colored flower seeds, and started 3 of each. It took for ever to get through the outer layer of the seed, but they germinated (lost one that never really got past the first stage), and I have some lovely plants. I put them in 2 pots (one I will give to my mom when they are flowering size), and so far, each pot has 1 leave that has grown out of the water. I hope to have some flowers next year...

That's great! Do you have a pond, or are you growing them in containers? I hope you'll share photos when they bloom!

I am growing them in containers. I would love a pond, but I just don't have enough space. I will definitely post photos...

:-)

No pond here, either, but when I realized I had 20+ big containers (about 30 cm across), I decided that my "pocket ponds" added up to a small "real pond." The frogs think so, anyway!