Plant description
YELLOW BIRD LOTUS is native to the American lotus, Nelumbo Lutea. Yellow Bird Lotus has very large flowers in shades of lemon-chiffon! Blooms are often 8 - 10 inches across with lemon-yellow receptacles. Stately and statuesque! Yellow Bird Lotus can grow to 5 feet tall when planted in very wide containers.
Yellow/Tall/Single
Planting instructions
Plant in very large, wide container( 24 - 48 inches in diameter) in loam soil with 6 - 8 inches of water above the lotus tuber.
Place in full sun on patio or in pond and fertilize AFTER two aerial leaves are growing out of the water.
Fertilize monthly with for optimum growth, best bloom and ease of use.
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.
We can no longer find any worthybags of inexpensive / poor Topsoil at Lowes or Home-Depot. All bagged soil we are finding is full of organic matter that floats and rots in water. Sifted loose (not in bags) topsoil might be available in large quantities at some landscape centers. In 80% of the USA soil from your backyard is great unless it is mostly sand or rock.
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!
