How to Grow a Lotus Plant Inside a Home

The lotus is an exotic aquatic plant of which all parts are edible. It produces an attractive bloom that opens in the morning, with the sunrise, and closes in the late afternoon. Because of this blooming pattern, ancient Egyptians believed the lotus plant gave birth to the sun. This majestic plant is usually found growing in shallow garden ponds, but you can also adapt it to grow inside a home. Select an appropriate container and provide adequate environmental conditions to successfully grow your lotus plant indoors.

Plastic container

Water

Plastic planter

Potting soil

Pea gravel

Lotus fertilizer tablet

Soak a lotus tuber in a plastic container of warm water until it begins producing sprouts. This may take up to two weeks.

Fill a plastic nondraining planter with 3 inches of clay soil. The diameter of the pot should be 18 inches and the depth should be at least 6 inches.

Very gently place the lotus tuber into the pot. Use caution in regards to the sprouts growing from the tuber. They can easily be damaged.

Gradually add soil over the tuber so that there is a depth of 1 inch of soil above the top of the plant.

Apply a thin layer of pea gravel on top of the soil and fill the pot with warm water. The gravel will keep the tuber from floating out of the soil.

Place the pot in a sunny window sill where the plant will receive a full day of sunlight. The recommended amount of sunlight is six to eight hours per day.

Keep the temperature warm to induce blooming. The air should be above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Check the water level of the lotus plant every day. All parts of the plant, except for the growing tip, should be exposed to water constantly.

Add a lotus fertilizer tablet to the lotus container every two weeks.

Avoid planters with drain holes as the lotus roots are very robust and may grow through the holes.