Caring for Lucky Bamboo Plants
July 14th, 2003 | By: Kelly Curtis
The so-called Lucky Bamboo has become quite a popular houseplant in recent years. With a resurgent interest among the public in Eastern spirituality, lucky bamboo plants have found a welcome spot in many homes, where they are valued for their interesting, sculptural shapes as well as for their symbolism.
Lucky Bamboo
Brief History of Lucky Bamboo
With it’s fresh, green hues and it’s vigorous tenacity, bamboo has been considered a symbol of good fortune in Asian cultures for at least 4000 years. It has the ability to thrive in a variety of conditions and to adapt to its surroundings. The ancient Chinese practice of Feng Shui seeks to create a balanced arrangement of the elements of earth, water, wood, metal and fire in order to bring harmony to our living environments. Bamboo is valued as a perfect representative of wood, with its tall, vertical shape and verdant color. This element is said to have an influence on life energy, growth, vitality and physical activity. Because Lucky Bamboo is able to thrive in many areas of the home or workplace where other plants would not, it is frequently cultivated as a means to enhance the positive flow of energy or “chi” in these areas.
Ironically, the plant which is commonly sold as Lucky Bamboo is not really bamboo, but in fact a member of the Dracaena family (Dracaena sanderiana), plants which are well known for their durability under adverse indoor conditions. Because of its ease of care and it apparent resemblance to the true bamboos, this Dracaena is now widely grown.
Lucky Bamboo Care
Caring for lucky bamboo plants is very easy. Typically, they are grown in a few inches of clear water, perhaps supported by small pebbles, stones, or marbles. It is important that the water be kept clean and fresh and not allowed to stagnate. In areas where the local water is heavily treated with chlorine or fluoride, the leaf tips or edges of the lucky bamboo may become yellow or brown. This condition can also be caused by too much salt in the water, known as in “softened” water. Thus, it may be advisable to allow tap water to stand in an open container for 24 hours, allowing the chlorine and flouride to dissipate, before using it with your plants. In the presence of salts, it’s best to used filtered or distilled water.
Lighting
Appropriate light levels are also an important factor in caring for lucky bamboo. The plants grow naturally under the shady canopies of taller rainforest trees. Thus, they prefer an indoor location with bright, indirect light. They will perform well under artificial lighting. Too much direct sun can cause burning of the leaves. Too little light will lead to weak growth, stretching and poor coloration. Normal household temperatures are ideal.
Fertilizer
Since water contains no nutrients, per se, the best care for lucky bamboo plants includes the occasional use of a dilute solution of plant food. Without soil to buffer the fertilizer salts, the roots are susceptible to burning if the solution is too strong. Use any standard house plant food at about one-tenth the recommended dilution rate each time you change the water.
Getting Lucky Bamboo to Twist
Lucky bamboo is frequently seen growing in unusual twisted, curved, or spiraling forms, which seem to enhance its appeal and sense of mystery. The plant does not grow this way naturally. In fact, the curving shapes are produced by laying the plants on their sides, with light directed from the top and shielded from each side, causing them to grow in one direction only toward the light and opposite gravity. The plants are rotated regularly to encourage the spiraling form. Naturally, this is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process which justifies the somewhat higher prices commanded by lucky bamboos.
Your local florist can provide you with your very own lucky bamboo plant, and with just a little simple care, you too can bring a bit of harmony as well as elegant style to your living environment which will last for years. May good fortune smile upon you!
Print Story
Email Story
September 20th, 2011 at 1:01 pm
hello. my bambo is turning yellow from up parts to down. im worried a lot about it. please help me about my bambo . its my tallest bambo and i realy like it.
September 20th, 2011 at 1:27 pm
Yellowing is usually a lighting or fertilizing issue. Have you fertilized it lately? Have you moved it closer or farther away from a light source?
January 21st, 2012 at 8:59 am
Mine is doing the same, it looks like it’s drying up and dying. I’m afraid I waited too long to do something and may done irreversible damage. Do I just cut it to save what isn’t yellow? It has a new shoot with green healthy leaves growing from the base of it too?
January 23rd, 2012 at 10:22 am
Sophia, When lucky bamboo is in this advanced state of yellowing it will not come back, so it is best to cut the yellow parts off. If there is any green part to the stem then there is the possibility of starting a new plant. It’s hard to tell without a picture, but most likely you can just cut off the green healthy part to start a new plant. After you cut the stem, dip it in the rooting hormone and let it dry overnight then place it in a container with water (use distilled water, or let the water sit overnight to release the chlorine). In a few weeks you will see new roots form. Check out this article for more details: We Are Not Always Lucky With Lucky Bamboo. If you need more help, send a picture and description to our expert via Ask The Expert!
February 8th, 2012 at 5:59 am
Can we put a little soil in the pot or water is enough because my bamboo is having roots.
February 8th, 2012 at 9:50 am
Yes, it’s perfectly normal for lucky bamboo to only be in water. The roots are normal, and they will absorb all the nutrients they need from the water. Check out this great article all about How To Care For Lucky Bamboo. It goes into a lot of detail. Hope this helps!
February 18th, 2012 at 5:24 pm
I have a bamboo plant and lately i’ve noticed the water has a moldy or mildew smell to it. Do you have any suggestions on what this may be and how to correct it I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks
February 20th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
You should replace your bamboo’s water with fresh water, preferably distilled. Thoroughly clean your container to remove any bacteria or mildew that might be there. Make sure your container is well-rinsed of any cleaner before adding the bamboo and water back to the container. Good luck!
March 10th, 2012 at 5:05 pm
I have a lucky bamboo that is shaped as a heart and the very top of it is turning yellow , I use filtered water and change it completely every week i went away on vacation and came home to the yellowing what can i do to save it?
March 12th, 2012 at 9:41 am
Lynn, it’s likely that light is your problem. Depending on the location of your lucky bamboo, it may be getting too much or too little light, my guess is too much. The solution for too much sun is changing out the water and not fertilizing for a couple of months. Move the plant into a bright area without direct sunlight. Now, if you’re bamboo is going through the opposite, you can move it into a brighter area to try to solve the problem, but not into direct sun. The other possible problem with your lucky bamboo could be the water. Every two weeks change the water with fresh distilled or tap water. Let your water sit out overnight in an open container before mixing it to your current water. Mark the level of the water on your container and try to keep the level consistent. Hope this helps! Good luck!
You may also want to read: Top Questions About Lucky Bamboo – Answered!
April 4th, 2012 at 7:24 pm
ok so I just got my bamboo a day ago so im really new at this. Ive been looking at different websites trying to learn as much as I can. Some of them say I should put them into soil and some say pebbles. I really want it to be put in pebbles but I just want to make sure nothing will happen to my bamboo if I do. I really would be thankful if someone could give me some help. Thank you so much.
April 5th, 2012 at 8:31 am
Tayler, Lucky Bamboo can be kept in both water and soil. However, it’s a good idea to keep it consistent, so if your bamboo is in water and pebbles now, keep it that way. You can find more care instructions in this post: Your Top Questions About Lucky Bamboo Answered! Hope this helps!
April 25th, 2012 at 7:53 pm
WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL LUCKY BAMBOO. BACK IN OCOBER IT WAS IN A VERY COLD HOUSE FOR A WEEK. THE GREEN LEAVES GOT SPOTS ALL OVER THEM, BROWN AND WHITE. THE NEW LEAVES COMING IN BRIGHT GREEN HAVE SPOTS ALSO. I DO MANAGE TO CHANGE THE WATER , IT’S IN PEBBLES AND I LET THE WATRER RUN FOR QUITE A WHIILE SO IT GETS NEW FRESHWATER. I ALSO FERTILIZE ONCE IN A WHILE. SOULD I CUT OFF ALL THE SPOTTED LEAVES???
April 26th, 2012 at 9:44 am
Lorraine, there are several things it could be, including a fungal problem. If possible, please send a photo so we can examine it further.
April 29th, 2012 at 12:11 pm
DO YOU HAVE ANY ANSWERS FOR ME ABOUT THE LUCKY BAMBVOO PLANT WITH SPOTS. I DID SEND THE PHOTOS YOU REQUESTED
May 12th, 2012 at 7:24 pm
I was given a bamboo plant from a college student a week ago. I believe it was neglected because it was kept in the laundry room. When i got it there was dried loose yellow skin. I pealed it off and it also has a couple dried up looking stalks. Could they be saved? Also the leaves it does have are kinda droopy. The tops of the green stalks look yellow and dry. The plant itself is trying to soak up the water because it feels squishy. I want to know if this plant can survive. What do you think?
May 14th, 2012 at 7:33 pm
Ive had my bambooo plant for bout a year now, hasnt grown much but gots a lot of roots have it in marbles. My concern is the roots are turning brown or like a dark red. Hope its not dieing????? I love my bamboo!!! :(
May 15th, 2012 at 9:17 am
Tana, if your roots are bright red, it’s possible they are growing red slime. It’s easy to tell for sure: simply touch the roots to see if they are slimy. If so, you should clean your container and marbles thoroughly and use distilled water. If your container is clear, you should consider switching to a container that is opaque. The clear container can cause red slime to grow. If the roots are more of an orange and not slimy, you are probably fine unless the bamboo itself starts looking bad.
May 15th, 2012 at 9:42 am
Sounds like your little bamboo plant is in rough shape. First of all, you’ll need to cut off the top of the stalks where it has dried and turned yellow. Next, is there ANY part of the plant that isn’t squishy? You want to cut away the squishy down to the healthy part. If there is no part of the bamboo that is not squishy, there’s probably nothing you can do to safe the plant.