Lotus: The Plant With A Superpower!
The Lotus Water Lily Plant is unlike any other plant in that it grows in still standing water ponds, with its roots anchored in the mud and their leaves growing up to the surface where it floats…and the flower has a superpower! It has the unique ability to submerge under the water in the evening and resurface the next morning, fresh and clean!
It is this ability to re-emerge from the mud to something clean, fresh and beautiful that holds a lot of symbolism for the process of life and death and then new life again. In a lot of cultures, it has the meaning of spiritual enlightenment and purity.
To grow the seeds of the Pink Sacred Lotus Water Lily (Nelumbo Nucifera) or the Mixed Colour Pink and Yellow Sacred Lotus Water Lily is not that difficult. You can simply file a little patch off from the brown seed coat until you see the white inside of the seed – this lets water penetrate easier. Place the seeds in a clear glass so that you can see their progress and fill with water. Place the glass on a heating mat that you can keep the temperature between 24 and 30 degrees. Then place the mat with the glass in an area with a lot of natural light. You will need to change the water daily.
The seeds will swell twice their size and after a few days the seeds will split, and a small seedling will appear! Be sure to handle with care but still change the water daily and continue to keep the glass/mat in a room with good light. After 2-4 weeks the seedlings would have produced their first leaves. Once the leaves are growing the stem will grow fast.
When your seedling has developed roots, it can be planted in a bigger container with clay soil at the bottom, to secure the roots. Your container should have no drainage holes and should be filled with water. Keep the water level about 30cm above the roots. You don’t need to fertilize in the beginning of your lotus plant’s life, just keep the water clean and the temperature warm, for the first three months, initially through a heating mat then later by placing it in a sunny position inside or in the garden, in the warmer months. The plant should flower at the end of the first season, however depending on growing conditions, it can take an extra season to flower.
Wait for a few floating leaves before you start to fertilize. You can use the Talborne Organics Vita Veg granules and simply push it in the growing medium. In the wintertime make sure they are not in an area that gets frost. Depending on the area they can go dormant in the wintertime but will start sprouting again as soon as the water warms up. The flowers last 3 to 5 days, but it is worth the wait!
The Lotus Water Lily can be grown in a container inside on a heating mat or on a veranda in a lovely pot or in a garden in a pond. They multiply in the water by spreading tubers, and you will soon have more and more! Start germinating your seeds now to have your first plant growing vigorously this summer and it might surprise you with a flower by the end of the season.
The Lotus Water Lily brings blessing to your home and your garden and is something to be enjoyed!
About the Author
Adele Siemssen is the Seeds for Africa Operations supervisor. Adele is a qualified horticulturist with 30 years of hands on experience and loves pets and assisting customers to make their garden dreams come true!
