Plant Description
Drop Blood Lotus has alluring, deep-red lotus flowers and exotic, almost black buds on this enchanting specimen. The beautifully formed, symmetrical blooms amidst the tall, green foliage on this captivating lotus specimen will surely 'cast a spell'. Rich, honey-gold centers are the perfect complement to the dark-red color of this incredible lotus. Drop Blood Lotus will look fabulous in large containers on your deck, porch, patio or terrace. Drop Blood Lotus also makes a spectacular focal point in the shallow end of your pond. Your Drop Blood Lotus can grow 4 - 5 feet tall, if you plant in it a very wide container! Brilliant-Red/Tall/Multi-Petal
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How To Plant Your Lotus
Tall varieties of lotus should be planted in wide, no-holes containers (24 - 48 inches or wider), using loam soil and placed in full sun (8 - 12 hours of sunlight daily). Fill your wide container 2/3 full of loam soil, dig a trench across surface of the soil and gently place your lotus tuber in the trench. Cover all but the growth tips of the lotus with soil, leaving the growth tips exposed. Gently add four or five inches of water above the soil. In a week or two you should have coin leaves growing on the surface of the water. A week or so after that, you should have aerial leaves growing out of the water. Once you have aerial leaves growing out of the water, it is time to fertilize your lotus.
How To Fertilize Your Lotus
Lotus should not be fertilized until you have aerial leaves growing out of the water. If you fertilize too early, you may kill the plant. We recommend Waterlily World Fertilizer Tabs + Humates for strong, healthy plants and best bloom! The first time you fertilize your lotus, us 1/2 the dosage. Simply press 3 - 5 fertilizer tabs into the soil near the roots of your lotus, taking care not to damage the roots. After the first dose of fertilizer--Fertilize once a month with 6 - 10 fertilizer tabs throughout the growing/blooming season, June through August. Your lotus may bloom into October, depending on zone. We recommend not adding fertilizer after August, as your plant will be preparing to go dormant for the winter months.
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!
