Growing Nelumbo in small space

(danvers, ma USA)

I have just gotten 9 nelumbo seeds that i currently have in a small tupperware container. They have sprouted and are outgrowing their living space. I'm curious to see if possibly I can get some sort of 'shopping list' of all the things I need to grow them. I live in a small apartment with a small porch, but am determined to find a way to grow at least some of them, but am not experienced in making water gardens at all :)
any help will be much appreciated.

Doug says it sounds as if you're going to have to create a small bog garden. You can do this with large bins (no holes in bottom) and filled with a decent potting soil (or artificial soil if your balcony is above ground to reduce weight).

This will keep the soil damp (you may have to dump it out if you get heavy rainstorms but even that isn't a major problem)

You can grow each of these in around 2 square feet of space to start with. So one dishpan sized pan will take one plant.

Your issue is going to be overwintering and you're going to have to allow the plant to go dormant but not get to 5F or the roots will freeze solid and likely die.

So the list of materials isn't large but the growing conditions you're giving it are going to be the challenge

Good luck - let us know how you do