How to Cultivate Lotus
In the midst of summer, a pond full of elegant lotus flowers can bring a cool and poetic touch. As one of China's top ten famous flowers, the care of lotus requires adherence to its aquatic characteristics and growth patterns. This article will provide a detailed analysis of the complete maintenance system from soil selection to pruning, helping you easily cultivate an exquisite view of "endless green lotus leaves reaching for the sky."
I. Basic Environment Creation
1.1 Soil Disinfection Treatment
It is recommended to use unpolluted river mud or special aquatic plant soil, which needs to be steamed at high temperatures or exposed to sunlight for 3-5 days before use. Special attention should be paid to removing harmful organisms such as apple snails from the soil, and 50g of quicklime can be mixed into each cubic meter of soil for disinfection.
1.2 Scientific Fertilization Ratio
In the disinfected soil, add bone meal and decomposed soybean cake in a 3:1 ratio, and mix 200g of superphosphate into each cubic meter of substrate. Control the thickness of the fertilizer layer to 5-8cm, and after thorough mixing with the cultivation soil, let it sit for 2 weeks to activate the nutrients.
II. Light and Temperature Management
Lotus is a strong positive plant that requires 8 hours of direct sunlight per day during its growing period. In the summer, it is advisable to provide 30% shading at noon to avoid scorching the leaves with high temperatures. During the winter, maintain a water temperature of no less than 5°C, and in the north, it is recommended to transfer the plants to a sunroom for care.
III. Precise Water and Fertilizer Control
3.1 Water Level Stage Management
Maintain a shallow water level of 3cm during the seedling stage to promote ground temperature rise, increase it to 15cm during the leaf formation stage, and deepen it to 30cm during the full bloom stage. The water change cycle should be every 7-10 days, using tap water or rainwater that has been exposed to sunlight for 2 days or more.
3.2 Fertilization Cycle Control
Apply a special liquid fertilizer for lotus (N-P-K=7-11-13) every week during the growing period, combined with foliar application of 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate. After September, switch to applying decomposed sesame cake fertilizer once a month, and stop fertilizing during the winter to protect the roots.
IV. Shaping the Plant's Form
Begin thinning when the floating leaves reach a diameter of 15cm, keeping 1-2 main stems per pot. Promptly remove old and yellow leaves, and 7 days after flowering, cut off the spent flowers down to the base of the petiole. Regularly clean the surface algae to maintain a water transparency rate of >60%.
Through scientific soil preparation, precise water and fertilizer management, and reasonable pruning, the lotus can not only display its "unstained by the mud" elegance but also achieve continuous blooming for many years. Mastering these key points, even beginners can create their own pond with the moonlit beauty of lotus flowers.