Plant description
QINLING RED LOTUS has huge, bowl-shaped blooms in an attractive shade of red with classic single petals. This tall, red, single-petal lotus, Qinling Red Lotus, is a good seed producer and blooms very well. Qinling Red Lotus honors the district in China where it was initially grown. Qinling Red Lotus grows 4 - 5 feet tall when planted in 24 - 48 inch wide containers.
Tall/Red/Single
Planting instructions
Plant your tall lotus tuber in a wide container (24 - 48 inches wide) using loam soil. Fill your container 2/3 full with loam soil. Dig a shallow trench across the surface of the soil. Gently place the lotus tuber in the trench. Cover all but the growth tips with an inch of soil. Gently add 4 - 5 inches of water above the tuber and place in full sun (8 - 12 hours of direct sunlight daily). DO NOT fertilize until you have aerial leaves growing out of the water.
Fertilize monthly once established with two aerial leaves growing out of the water.
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!
