I started these seeds in mid May. I sanded the wrong end of the seed I found out later but seen in a video's comment section apparently others have made that mistake and it will still grow it just takes longer for it to take off. So I sprouted it in a glass of water in my north facing kitchen window and when it had about 2 inches of green shoot I placed it on top of some garden soil and about 3 inches of water. That was a week ago, it doesn't appear to have grown hardly at all but looks ok other than that.

So do they grow this slow? I am afraid it won't be sizeable enough to over winter, Southwest MO, zone 6 by say the mid of October. ? Do I change the water every day? I seen some skeeter larvae in there, don't want that, but though that changing the water everyday would disturb it too much? I do have a small aquarium net, maybe I could just scoop them out?

Should it be this much work or am I doing things wrong? I just want this lily so bad and I couldn't find it for sale in stock or at least not at a reasonable price. The only local plants were not hardy, so that was out. But I didn't realize the seeds would take so long. Should I fertilize it at what point in it's growth?

Hard to make out from the picture, but looks like the leaf hasn't opened yet? My experience is that growth accelerates after the first leaf opens, and the seed has enough energy to push out 2-3 leaves no matter how you treat it. But by then it's good to have it rooted into media, in warm water with full sun so that it can get enough energy to keep going.

So, probably too early to worry about it at this point. It looks like you're doing the right things for it (don't bring it back inside). Mosquito dunks or crumbles are the most effective way I know to handle the larvae in small containers like this--it doesn't take much. I have been known to decant and refill when I got behind on such things, though.

For overwintering, the important thing is to get that tuber going, which won't happen for a couple months, but then should grow quickly if you have enough leaf surface area. Warm water increases metabolism, and lots of sunlight provides the energy. I tend to put half a pond tab in the soil after a few leaves have been produced, when the seed is running out of stored material.

thank you, so helpful! no, there are not any real leave yet, but I am hoping soon. I have it in morning sun-until about 1 pm, bright shade after that. I thought full on sun might be too hot on it just yet, it's been near 90 here in the afternoons now. Do you think that is okay to put it in sun full time? well it is a bad photo, but the seed is basically just kind of sitting on top of the soil, I didn't push it in, just set it on since it already had growth on it. Is that okay or should I bury it some?

I usually put the seedlings in the same places I put the adult lotus, but would be interested to hear if anyone has different techniques or experience.

If you put the seed on the media before it sends out roots, they should be able to reach down into it. If roots have already come out, though, I think they should be gently surrounded by media. I don't have empirical data on this, though. I usually dimple the seed into the media (not completely submerged) when the first green shoot comes out. The roots go down and eventually a thin rhizome reaches out horizontally to put roots in a second location, and then finally fattening to form the first tuber.

okay thank you, that helps me alot! I will try to remember to post updates if it ever decides to grow