Ask the Expert: How do I get rid of the mildew on my lucky bamboo?
Help! I have found white powder on my lucky bamboo. I have had this plant for over 4 years now and this is it's first problem. From my web searches, I found out that it is mildew. None of the sites really have told me how to get rid of it on lucky bamboo.
Thanks! Vienna

Plant Expert Reply:
It depends on what you are calling mildew.

If you have an algae build up in the water or around the roots of the lucky bamboo, you need to clean the container and any pebbles with soapy water and wipe off the roots and the stalks with a moist cloth and refill the container.

If you have lesions on the stalk, you will need to remove the lesions. In this case you may need to create new stalks from the top of the stalk. You might want to read this lucky bamboo post, it details how to remove diseased parts of lucky bamboo.

If you have white cottony substance on the stalks, it could actually be an insect called scale.  You can wipe this insect off and clean the container as a method of control.  If the scale persists, use an insecticide that is safe for houseplants.

If you have a type of fungus that is rust or sooty in color, we have a whole other ballgame.   These would need to be treated with a fungicide.  The hardest part is finding a fungicide safe for Dracaena.  You could try daconil. It is a general purpose fungicide.

If you are not sure what type of  "mildew" your lucky bamboo has, send me a picture.  I'll be happy to help any way I can.

Please keep me posted.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 20th, 2009 at 9:40 am and is filed under Lucky Bamboo. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.