Baby lotus are too small to winter in a pond, this first season. Plant each baby in a 4 inch pot with a mixture of 1/3 soil, 2/3 sand and about a tablespoonful of cheap kitty litter ... for the clay. Sink them in an aquarium or deep tub so they are about 4 inches under water.

Grow lights are helpful, but not too close. You will dehydrate the little leaves. Add an air stone bubblier to circulate the water slowly, and if the set up is in a basement or cold area, a in-tank heater will keep the temperature constant. Don't worry about the baby lotus going dormant. Just let them decide when that happens. As the days get shorter, turn your grow lights off as the sun goes down and on at sunrise.

Keep your water clean. Never use softened tap water. Too many chemicals will do the babies great harm. Catch rainwater or use well water. If you add some floating plants and a few fish, you will have created a mini-pond environment to enjoy throughout the cold winter days.

Tooooooooo much work you say! I bet you will change your mind when you see that baby lotus put out the first new spring leaf, and your now teenage lotus is ready for the big pond the first warm day in spring. Remember to treat them like children. Keep 'em clean, warm and resist overfeeding them. May you enjoy each Lotus to it's fullest as they grow and mature and shower you with beautiful blooms.