Festive Deal Apricot Yellow Lotus <br> Sunny Yellow Color! Economy Pack [Wi4EMOxP]

Lotus Plant Description

Apricot Yellow Lotus looks as delicious as it sounds! Cheery, flying-dancing blooms in shades of sunny-yellow will simply delight you! The petals, stamen and receptacle are all in bright-yellow, adding sunshine to any area of your outdoor living space! This is a medium sized lotus with large flowers. Apricot Yellow Lotus will be a welcome addition to your water garden this year!             

How to plant your lotus

Plant your lotus in a wide,  no holes container (14 - 24 inches wide or wider) using loam soil. Fill the container 2/3 full of loam soil. Dig a trench across the surface of the soil. Gently place your lotus tuber in the trench, taking care not to break or damage the growth tips. Add 3 - 4 inches of water above the soil and place in a sunny area outdoors (8 - 12 hours of sunlight). 

How to fertilize your lotus

Once your lotus plant has aerial leaves, you may fertilize your lotus. The first dose of fertilizer should be 1/2 a dose. Fertilize your lotus plant two weeks after the first dose with the recommended dosage of fertilizer. After the second dose, you may fertilize your lotus plant once each month during the growing/blooming season, with the last dose of fertilizer in early September. This will allow your lotus plants to go into dormancy naturally. We recommend Waterlily World Fertilizer Tabs for optimum growth, best bloom and ease of use.

Please see our 'Complete Lotus Planting Guide' included with your lotus purchase!

What Is Loam Soil?

Loam soil is a good mixture of Topsoil and Sand

If you are lucky enough to have good topsoil in your backyard, by all means, use your topsoil. All you will have to do is add fertilizer. If you are not so lucky--and your backyard is sand or heavy red or yellow clay, you can mix up a batch of loam soil.

 You can create your own loam soil by mixing these two ingredients together

• 2/3  Inorganic Topsoil (Little or no organic material added)
• 1/3  Pool Filter Sand

 Mix together thoroughly with a little water. Your soil should clump when squeezed. If your soil is mixed properly, it will not muddy your pond water.

You can purchase inexpensive bags of Topsoil at Lowes or Home-Depot. Good soil clumps together as a ball in your hand with only a little moisture. 

Don't buy brands like Scott's or Miracle-Gro, as they will contain too much organic matter that can foul your water. Buy an unbranded bag of topsoil instead.

You can purchase Pool Filter Sand at any store that sells pool supplies.

Loam soil is well suited for all aquatic plants (except oxygenators). Oxygenators rarely need to be planted, just anchored in the substrate or in a container filled with sand or 1/8  inch pea gravel.

Sand holds little water but does allow for aeration and drainage.

Some DO's and DON'TS regarding Aquatic Planting Soil  

DO NOT use potting soils ( as they are too light and will float right out of the pot). Potting Soil has organic material that will rot and foul your water!

DO NOT add too much composted material (as it is too rich in organic matter and it will ferment underwater and destroy the ecology of your pond).

DO NOT use 100% calcined clay as there is no nutritional value in calcined clay.

DO NOT add rocks, stones or pebbles to the top of your planting container as this will inhibit the growth of your plants. Plants do not grow in rocks and stones in nature!

DO NOT purchase API Aquatic Planting Media or Microbe-lift Aquatic Planting Media as these products are NOT suitable for waterlilies, lotus or most other pond plants. They are suitable for submerged grasses ONLY!

Bog Plants (Wetland Plants) prefer poor, acidic soil.

The texture of loam soil will retain nutrients and water as well as bind to the nutrients in your fertilizer, where they can deliver these nutrients to your plants. The Pool Filter Sand will allow some drainage and aeration Once you have created loam soil for your pond plants, you are ready to plant waterlilies, lotus and marginal plants in your water garden or pond. Enjoy!