A Detailed Guide to the Latest Lotus Seed Harvesting Methods and Precautions

Lotus seeds have been recognized since ancient times as an excellent nourishing tonic. Nowadays, lotus seed pods and fresh lotus seeds are widely sold on the market, with more ways to eat them and rich nutritional value. There are also quite a few farmers growing lotus seeds these days, so do you know how lotus seeds are harvested? Let's find out together.

I. Lotus Seed Harvesting Methods

1. Harvesting Timing

The best time to harvest is when the lotus seed pod turns greenish-brown, the seed holes open, and the edges are tinged with black, and the seed coat of the lotus seeds is grayish-yellow or grayish-brown with plump grains.

2. Meizi Harvesting

Seed lotus is harvested in batches. In the Yangtze River basin, flowering generally occurs around the summer solstice, and the first batch of lotus seeds is usually harvested in July. The fruits harvested at this time matured during the plum rain season, so they are also called meizi. They generally mature 30-40 days after flowering. At this time, temperatures are relatively high and lotus seeds mature quickly, so harvesting is usually done every 2-3 days.

3. Fuzi Harvesting

From Minor Heat to Major Heat, flowering continues. The fruits that mature during the dog days at this stage are called fuzi, also known as fulian. They are generally harvested when mature 30-35 days after flowering. Because of intense sun exposure, the lotus seed pods tend to be dark in color, so they should only be harvested once they turn black. They mature extremely quickly in hot, dry weather, so harvesting every 2-3 days is recommended. Fuzi seeds are large and plump, of good quality, and high in yield, accounting for 65%-70% of the total lotus seed output. It is the key to determining the yield and quality of seed lotus and must be harvested promptly.

4. Qiuzi Harvesting

Lotus seeds harvested in September-October, whose fruits mature in autumn, are called qiuzi. During the maturation of qiuzi, temperatures are relatively low and sunlight is not very intense, so the lotus seed pods do not easily turn black. As long as they turn greenish-brown, the seed holes open, and the edges are slightly tinged with black, they can be harvested. Qiuzi matures slowly, so harvesting can be done every 5-7 days. Qiuzi output generally accounts for 20%-30% of total output, higher than that of meizi, but its quality is far inferior to that of meizi.

II. Precautions

When harvesting lotus seeds, follow the same route for each harvest. Pick the lotus seed pods by hand, or use a small hook with a handle to pull down the pods, bring them out of the field, and extract the lotus seeds. When harvesting deep-water lotus, when the water level is at 70-80 cm, harvesting must be done by boat. One person stands at the stern and poles the boat slowly forward, while another person stands at the front of the boat and uses a small hook with a handle to pull down the lotus seed pods.

  The above is an introduction to lotus seed harvesting methods and precautions. We hope it helps you. For more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.