Fertilizing

Lotus are heavy feeders. They require twice as much fertilizer as water lilies to reach peak blooming. However, timing is important. You need to start and stop feeding them at the right points in the growth cycle.

After planting, when you have either three floating coin leaves OR your first aerial leaf, it’s time to start fertilizing. At Ubu, we use Pondtabbs, applied every three weeks. But there are other equally suitable products from companies like API and CrystalClear. Follow the dosing recommendation for your product. Keep in mind that your lotus will use more fertilizer as it grows, and use your instincts to adjust the dose with the level of growth. If you see yellowing in the newly sprouted leaves, you are feeding too heavily.

Stop fertilizing your lotus a few weeks before the end of the season. Give it enough time to exhaust the supply in your soil. This will encourage the plant to begin bulking up its rhizomes for winter storage.