Lady Bug Lotus
Mini!

Lady Bug Lotus<br> Mini!Plant Description Lady Bug Lotus is a delightful little lotus with bright pink flowers all summer long, once established! Lady Bug Lotus is an Exquisite Of Bowl Lotus which grows 6 12 inches tall in small containers. This little pixie is classified as a Bright Red lotus but we have found the color on the single petal blooms is closer to bright pink! Tiny but mighty Lady Bug Lotus often has multiple blooms! This is a charming little lady that looks

Plant Description

Lady Bug Lotus is a delightful little lotus with bright-pink flowers all summer long, once established! Lady Bug Lotus is an Exquisite Of Bowl Lotus which grows 6 - 12 inches tall in small containers. This little pixie is classified as a Bright-Red lotus but we have found the color on the single-petal blooms is closer to bright-pink! Tiny but mighty--Lady Bug Lotus often has multiple blooms! This is a charming little lady that looks sweet in a sunny spot on your porch or patio!

Planting Instructions

Plant this Exquisite Of Bowl Lotus in a 10 - 15 inch wide container. The smaller the container, the smaller your lotus will grow and the fewer blooms you will have. Fill your container 2/3 full using LOAM SOIL. Dig a shallow trench across the surface of the soil and gently place your lotus tuber in the trench. Take care not to damage or break the growth tips on the tuber. Cover the tuber with an inch of soil while leaving the growth tips exposed. Gently add two inches of water above the soil and place where the lotus will receive 8 - 12 hours of sunlight daily. Replace any water that evaporates from the container throughout the growing/blooming season. (Water can evaporate quickly on hot summer days!) DO NOT fertilize until you have aerial leaves growing out of the water.

How And When To Fertilize Your Lotus

Once your lotus has aerial leaves--you may begin to fertilize your lotus. We recommend a slow release fertilizer like 'Waterlily World Fertilizer Tabs' for optimum growth, best bloom and ease of use. Simply press the tabs into the soil near the roots of your lotus plant, taking care not to damage the roots. Do this June through September, making early September the last fertilizer application. This will allow your lotus to go into dormancy naturally.

*Please see our complete 'Lotus Growing 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 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!

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!