Plant description
Pink-a-licious Lotus is a NEW, SUPER PINK! This HEAVY BLOOMER grows to 5 feet tall when planted in a large, 24 - 48 inch in diameter container! Flowers are "HUGE" at 10 - 12 inches across! Pink-A-Licious Lotus is a real STANDOUT in a pond or container. The beautiful, large flowers of PINK- A- LICIOUS are held high above the dark-green foliage. PINK-A-Licious Lotus has large, attractive seed pods along with heavy tuber output. Pink-A-Licious Lotus is excellent in every way!
Pink-A-Licious Lotus is great when grown as an edible vegetable or as a beautiful ornamental flower. Tubers are quite large on Pink-A-Licious Lotus and are excellent as edible tubers. PINK-A-LICIOUS Lotus grows to 5 feet tall when planted in very wide containers
Tall/Pink/Single-Petal
Plant in large sized, wide container (24 - 48 inches in diameter) using loam soil. Dig a trench in the surface of the soil and gently place the tuber in the trench taking care not to bruise or damage the growth tips. Cover all but the growth tips with an inch or two of soil while keeping the growth tips exposed.
Add 5 - 6 inches of water above the soil and place in full sun outdoors (at least 8+ hours of sunlight each day) Always replace water that has evaporated. Soon coin leaves will appear on the surface of the water.
Fertilizing Instructions
DO NOT fertilize until you have aerial leaves growing out of the water. Fertilize at half strength for the first time--then at regular strength throughout the growing/blooming season.
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 inexpensive / poor 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!
