Find Your Ask the Expert: Luck of the Bamboo Plant
My bamboo plant was given to me in a pot with an elephant head on the side. I was told that the elephant trunk had to face northwest for the plant to be lucky????
Thank you.
Nancy
Feng Shu and Lucky Bamboo
August 3, 2007 by
Nancy,
I’m not sure about the direction the lucky bamboo and elephant container should face, but I know that the elephant’s trunk should be raised for good luck. Feng Shui has four different schools of thought and one places emphasis on direction. However, from what I know it doesn’t specifically address which way an elephant should face. This school of thought does reference the Four Celestial Animals and the direction associated with them.
Bluegreen Dragon – East
Red Bird – South
White Tiger – West
Dark Turtle – North
This doesn’t not necessarily mean these figure should face those direction.
I do know that the amount of stalks in a container can symbolize different kinds of luck.
For example, 2 stalks can symbolize luck in love. For luck in general happiness use 3 or 6 stalks. For health use 5 or 7 stalks. 8 stalks is said to help achieve wealth. If you want to promote general good fortune use 9 stalks. For the ultimate blessings use 21 stalks.
HELLO,
I DID NOT KNOW THAT LUCKY BAMBOO STALKS NEEDED FOOD. I WAS TOLD JUST PUT IT IN WATER AND FORGET ABOUT THEM. I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION.
CAN BAMBOO STALKS BE PLANTED IN DIRT?
Marilyn,
Lucky bamboo can be planted in soil. Although lucky bamboo can be potted in soil, transplant shock will be greater going from water to soil. I would not recommend potting a lucky bamboo in soil if previously potted in water.
When potting lucky bamboo in soil it is essential that it drain well. Place broken pottery in the bottom of the container and use a airy soil mixture.
My bamboo has one shoot at the top. I would like to produce more shoots. How is this done? Also, the shoot is getting tall. Is there a way to shorten it? Can the stalk be cut and rerooted?
What do I do if I have a few bamboo stems that have gone yellow and even one is brown? Also, how do I keep that from happening again?
Thank you.
Annette,
There are two way to reproduce lucky bamboo vegetatively. First — the plant will produce off shoots (babies) which can be cut from the mother and started in a new container. Second and faster — cut the stalk an inch above the node (raised ring) — the plant will regrow leaves from that spot. After a fews days lightly mist the top of the stalk to encourage growth. Take the top that you cut and dip that end in root hormone and it will grow new roots.
Michaela,
Too much fertilizer usually causes lucky bamboo stalks to turn yellow from the bottom up. Fertilizer can also cause root rot which can turn the stalks brown. To keep this from happening use fertilizer sparingly.
Thank you for your quick response. I have only used water in my bamboo plant, its a smaller version of the tiered plant, most of it is growing quite well, yet I have a few shoots that are yellow and even one that has turned completely brown. Do you have any other suggestion?
Thank you again,
Michaela
Michaela,
Remove the brown stem and clean the container then fill it with distilled water. I would also mist the lucky bamboo every couple of days. Also, make sure an air vent is not blowing directly on the lucky bamboo.
Hopefully these things will help.
I have a question about my Bamboo–I’ve had mine for a few years now & it’s not growing. I went by the instructions. It’s just there. What do I do? Thanx!!
Janice
Janice,
Sometimes a plant will simply not like where it is. Try moving it to a different location — however don’t move it in too much light to quickly. You may also want to try a different type of fertilizer.
Can you help me decipher exactly what the shoot is and where to cut it? my plant is very tall and has many sets of leaves. pictures would be greatly appreciated. my plant has grown a lot and is very healthy and beautiful and I really don’t want o hurt it. thanks! Adrian B
The shoots are new leaves or growths that come out of the stalks. You can cut lucky bamboo in many different places, but it must always be above a node. The node is the raised ring on the stem of the lucky bamboo. To see photos of the different parts of lucky bamboo and where to make your cuts go to We Are Not Always Lucky With Lucky Bamboo. Good Luck. Let me know if you need anything else.