Lotus Fertilizer
Lotus fertilizer for full blooms and strong pads in ponds and patio bowls. Aquatic lotus plant food that is easy to feed all season long.
Use it as directed as part of routine pond or water-garden care for consistent feeding during the active growing season.
Why You'll Love It
- Steady Growth Potassium-led feeding for the vigorous summer growth lotus put on.
- Bloom Support For established lotus and water lilies producing few or small blooms.
- Healthy Foliage Deliberately low nitrogen, so pads green up without feeding algae.
Made by growers
More than a bottle on a shelf.
- Talk to real plant people. The team that mixes the formula answers your email.
- Made in-house, in the USA. Every bottle mixed and filled by us, not a third party.
- We're growers, not resellers. We use this on our own plants before it ships.
- Bundle savings only here. Pair any two TPS formulas — your order ships free.
Lotus Fertilizer with a low, potassium-forward 1-0.5-3 NPK and a full micronutrient package — made to feed lotus and water lilies for bigger blooms and lush pads without turning the water green. Lotus are heavy feeders, so the potassium-led formula fuels their vigorous summer growth and flowering, while the deliberately low nitrogen keeps nutrient levels in the water low enough that algae doesn't take over.
How to Use Lotus Fertilizer
| Method | Amount | How Often |
|---|---|---|
| Water plant pots | 1 tsp per gallon of water; gentle stir to help nutrients circulate | High light / Summer: once a week |
| Water plant pots | Same dilution | Low light / Winter: once monthly |
| Ponds / larger water features | 1 tsp per 10 gallons of water, ideally in a high-flow area | High light / Summer: once a week |
| Ponds / larger water features | Same dilution | Low light / Winter: once monthly |
Dose by water volume, not by plant — use the stronger per-gallon rate for a potted lotus and the per-10-gallon rate for a pond. Add it to the water, never to dry soil.
What's Inside
The 1-0.5-3 ratio is low in nitrogen and led by potassium, which fits how lotus grow — they're vigorous, heavy-feeding aquatic plants that push enormous leaves and blooms in warm weather, but because they grow in water, too much nitrogen or phosphorus feeds algae instead. The modest 1% nitrogen and 0.5% phosphate cover growth and bud formation, while the 3% potash drives the flowering and leaf vigor lotus are known for. The nitrogen is nitrate nitrogen, taken up directly so it doesn't linger in the water.
Beyond NPK: sea kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum) for natural growth compounds, plus 0.5% calcium and 0.25% magnesium and a full trace-micronutrient package — iron, sulfur, manganese, zinc, copper, boron, and molybdenum. Iron is especially important for lotus and water lilies: it keeps the pads deep green and supports rich flower color, and it's used up quickly during their fast summer growth. The low overall concentration is what lets you feed a hungry lotus while keeping the surrounding water clear.
Made For
Built for lotus (Nelumbo) and water lilies (Nymphaea) grown in container water gardens, pond pots, and larger ponds — including bowl lotus and dwarf varieties kept in patio containers.
Problems It Solves
- Pale or yellowing lotus pads
- Few or small blooms on an established plant
- Weak, slow growth through the summer season
- Wanting to feed a heavy-feeding lotus without algae
FAQs
How often should I feed my lotus?
In high light or summer, feed once a week; in low light or winter, once monthly. For a lotus in a container water-plant pot, use 1 tsp per gallon and stir gently to circulate. For a pond, use 1 tsp per 10 gallons of water in a high-flow area. Lotus are heavy feeders during their warm-season growth, so steady weekly feeding through summer supports their big leaves and blooms. They need little to nothing while dormant in winter.
Why won't my lotus bloom?
The most common reason is not enough sun — lotus need full sun, ideally six or more hours, to bloom, and won't flower well in shade no matter how you feed them. Warmth matters too; lotus are heat-lovers that bloom in the hottest part of summer and stay dormant until the water warms. Young or newly divided lotus also often spend their first year establishing before flowering. Feeding with potassium supports blooming, but sun and warmth are what drive it.
Why are my lotus leaves turning yellow?
Some yellowing of older pads is normal as they age and are replaced. Widespread yellowing on newer growth more often points to an iron shortfall, which this blend supplies and which lotus burn through quickly in strong summer growth. In very alkaline water, plants can struggle to take up iron even when it's present. Feed on schedule and check that the plant has enough sun and warmth, since a lotus growing slowly in cool or shady conditions will also look pale.
Do I fertilize my lotus in winter?
Barely — lotus go dormant when the water cools, dropping their leaves and resting in the tuber, and they need very little then. Cut back to once monthly at most in low light and cold, or stop entirely if the plant is fully dormant. Overfeeding a dormant lotus just loads the water with nutrients the plant isn't using, which feeds algae. Resume regular weekly feeding in spring once new growth appears and the water warms up.
When will I see results?
During warm, high-light conditions lotus grow fast, showing stronger pads and better bloom on new growth over a few weeks. Iron and potassium uptake improve leaf color and flowering as the season progresses. Results are minimal in cool or dormant periods, when the plant isn't actively growing. Existing yellowed pads won't re-green, so you're feeding the new growth and blooms that follow through summer.
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