Latest Prices for Lotus Root Seeds and a Detailed Guide to Cultivation Methods

Lotus root is the enlarged underground stem of the lotus, a plant in the water lily family, also known as Rongyu node, Yu Linglong, Yu Bilong and so on, and has extremely high cultivation value. It was already cultivated in our country as early as more than three thousand years ago, and carbonized ancient lotus seeds have now been found in both Liaoning and Zhejiang, showing how long its history is. Let us take a look together below at the price of lotus root seeds and the cultivation methods!

How much do lotus root seeds cost?

The price of lotus root seeds is about 20 to 30 yuan per jin, with very large price differences depending on variety, place of origin, quality and so on, but in production they are mostly propagated asexually, such as by daughter-lotus propagation, terminal bud propagation and so on. Lotus root is commonly cultivated throughout our country and is suited to growing in hot, rainy seasons. South of the Yangtze River it is mostly planted in early March to April, while in the Beijing area it is mostly planted in early May. Its cultivated types can be divided into three major categories: lotus root lotus, seed lotus and flower lotus, among which flower lotus belongs to aquatic ornamental flowers, while lotus root lotus and seed lotus belong to aquatic vegetables.

Cultivation Conditions for Lotus Root

1. Temperature: Lotus root can only sprout when the seed lotus is above 15°C. During the vigorous growth period it requires a temperature of 20 to 30°C and a water temperature of 21 to 25°C. In the early stage of root formation it also requires a relatively high temperature, while later it requires a relatively large day-night temperature difference. During dormancy it requires remaining above 5°C, and below 5°C it is prone to freezing damage.

2. Light: Lotus root is a light-loving plant and does not tolerate shade. During the growth period it requires sufficient light, and it is not strict about day length. Sufficient light in the early stage is beneficial to the growth of stems and leaves, while sufficient light in the later stage is beneficial to flowering, fruiting and the plumpness of the lotus root itself.

3. Water: During the sprouting and growth stage of lotus root, a water level of 5 to 10 cm is suitable; during the vigorous growth stage a water level of 30 to 50 cm is required; afterward, as the plant flowers, fruits and forms roots, the water level should gradually become shallower; for dormancy and overwintering it is only necessary for the soil to be fully moist or to maintain shallow water.

4. Soil: For lotus root growth, loam and clay loam rich in organic matter are most suitable, and the organic matter content should be at least above 1.5%. The soil pH requirement is between 5.6 and 7.5, with 6.5 being most suitable, and equal importance should be given to the three elements nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Propagation Methods for Lotus Root

1. Seed propagation: Lotus seeds are covered with a hard shell. First, break open the recessed end of the shell, then soak it in water at 26 to 30°C to promote germination. After the sprout grows, it must still be kept in water to prevent dehydration and shriveling. When it grows to 4 leaves and 1 runner, it can be planted out in the field.

2. Whole lotus root propagation: Whole lotus root propagation means planting the entire main lotus root together with the daughter lotus roots and grandchild lotus roots at a certain row and plant spacing, inserting the top end into the mud, leaving the tail tip exposed above the mud surface, and inserting it at a slant.

3. Daughter lotus root propagation: Daughter lotus roots refer to the lateral branches that branch off from the main root. Daughter lotus roots may have one node, two nodes, or even four nodes, which is related to the position where the daughter lotus root grows on the main lotus root, but no matter which node it is, it can be cut off and used alone as a lotus root seed for propagation.

4. Lotus head propagation: Lotus head propagation means cutting off the top node of the main lotus root to use as seed, and the top node lotus head of a daughter lotus root can also be cut off to use as seed.

5. Lotus node propagation: Lotus node propagation means cutting a 5 to 6 cm section from a node to use as seed, which uses the axillary buds on the lotus node for propagation.

6. Terminal bud propagation: Terminal bud propagation means cutting off the terminal bud of the main lotus root or daughter lotus root together with the basal node and inserting it into a soft mud seedling bed for propagation.

7. Lotus runner cutting: After the buds on the lotus root extend out as lotus runners and grow to branching, completely dig up two nodes of the lotus runner with the terminal bud and transplant them into the field.

Cultivation Methods for Lotus Root

1. Select good varieties: For seed lotus roots, choose shallow-layer lotus root varieties that are uninjured and disease-free, good in varietal character, large in individual size, complete in the bearing head, complete in tail tip, with complete terminal buds and lateral buds, thick and plump in lotus nodes, and early-maturing and high-yielding, and try to make them uniform in size.

2. Fertilizing and preparing the field: It is better to choose fertile fields with relatively deep mud layers, convenient drainage and irrigation, and where rice was planted the previous year for planting lotus roots. Fifteen days before planting lotus roots, apply per mu 2000 to 3000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer, 150 kg of cake fertilizer, 70 kg of superphosphate and 80 kg of quicklime.

3. Planting time: Choose a sunny afternoon to first arrange the seed lotus roots in the field according to the required row and plant spacing, then dig furrows by hand according to the size of the lotus root body and plant them, with the front end of the seed lotus root slanting downward and the rear end slightly exposed above the soil surface, which helps receive light and air and promotes sprouting.

4. Planting method: The depth of entry into the mud should be such that the mud covers the lotus root body and lotus buds. When planting near the field ridges around the field, note that the lotus heads should all face toward the center of the field. When the field is level and the mud is settled, open furrows or open ponds for planting.

5. Weeding and leaf removal: About one month after planting lotus roots, when the floating leaves gradually wither, remove the withered leaves. Before the rows close, weed together with topdressing. When weeding, walk on both sides of the rolled leaves. When flower buds appear or flowers bloom, often bend the flower stems but do not break them off.

6. Reasonable topdressing: When there are 3 to 5 standing leaves, apply per mu 25 to 30 kg of high-nitrogen-and-phosphorus compound fertilizer; when standing leaves fill the field, apply per mu 30 to 35 kg of high-nitrogen-and-potassium compound fertilizer; when the terminal leaf appears, apply per mu 15 to 20 kg of high-potassium compound fertilizer or 10 to 15 kg of pure potassium fertilizer.

7. Adjusting the water level: From planting to before sprouting, irrigate lotus roots with shallow water of about 5 to 10 cm to raise the ground temperature and help emergence. As the standing leaves and branches grow, gradually deepen the water layer to 15 to 20 cm. During the root-forming period and before harvest, it is suitable to irrigate with shallow water.

8. Straightening the lotus heads: In June, lotus vines grow rapidly in all directions, so manual vine training is needed. At noon, dig away the mud, lift up the lotus vines, turn the heads toward empty ground and bury them back into the soil.

9. Maturity and harvest: When most of the aboveground standing leaves have withered and yellowed and the lotus roots have fully matured, they can be harvested successively. Lotus root harvest is divided into green lotus root and withered lotus root. Green lotus root is mostly harvested in August, while withered lotus root is harvested from after the beginning of autumn to March to April of the following year.