Lotus Plant Description

Slim Red Fingers Lotus

Slim Red Fingers Lotus has lovely, single-petal blooms adorned with frilly, yellow stamens and yellow receptacles, along with attractive green foliage. Slim Red Fingers Lotus has classic, single-petal blooms and is stunning when placed in large containers on your deck or patio or used as a focal point in your pond or water garden. Slim Red Fingers Lotus grows 4 - 5 feet tall in very wide containers (24 - 48 in diameter or wider)

Tall/Red/Single-Petal

Lotus Planting Instructions

Lotus should be planted in the month of May when all danger of frost has passed. Temperatures should be consistently in the 50's or warmer at night and daytime temperatures should be consistently in the 70's or warmer. Plant this tall lotus specimen in a wide, no-holes container (24 - 48 inches or wider). Fill the container 2/3 full using loam soil. Dig a shallow trench across the surface of the soil and place your lotus tuber in the trench. Cover all but the growth tips with an inch or two of soil, leaving the growth tips exposed. Carefully add 3 - 4  inches of water above the soil and place your container in a sunny location (8 hours sunlight) outdoors. In a week or two you should have coin leaves on the surface of the water--a week or two after that, you should have aerial leaves growing out of the water. Once you have aerial leaves, it is time to fertilize your lotus. We recommend only 1/2 the dosage for fertilizing the first time. Simply press  3 - 5 fertilizer tabs into the soil near the roots of your lotus, taking care not to damage the roots.

Fertilizing Instructions for Lotus

Lotus are very heavy feeders! We recommend Waterlily World Fertilizer Tabs Humates for ease of use, vigorous growth and best bloom! Feed your tall lotus 6 - 10 fertilizer tabs each month throughout the growing/blooming season, June through August. 

Pondmegastore Tip There are many factors that will determine the successful growth of your lotus.

1.) Wide, no-holes containers-Make sure your container is wide enough for the type of lotus you have purchased. If you cram a tall lotus in a small container, you will inhibit the growth of the lotus and reduce the number of blooms. 

2.) Full sun-Your lotus will have far fewer blooms with less than 8 hours of sunlight per day, the sunnier, the better! If able, place your lotus where it will receive 8 - 12 hours of sunlight daily!

3.) Fertilizer- Fertilizer is important for lotus as they are very heavy feeders. Make sure to fertilize your lotus throughout the growing/blooming season for strong plants, healthy, green leaves and best bloom!

4.) Temperatures-Warmer temperatures will help your lotus to grow quickly!

5.) Variety-The variety of lotus chosen will also determine the growth traits of your lotus. We sell

• Exquisite of Bowl Lotus which grow to 13 inches or less
• Dwarf Lotus, which grow 1 - 2 feet tall
• Medium Lotus which grow 2 - 4 feet tall 
• Tall Lotus which grow to 4 feet tall or taller

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!