Lucky Bamboo
Dracaena sanderiana
Star-Tip
1048
Gardening Tips for successful and beautiful Landscapes and Gardens
You should know that the plant we call “Lucky Bamboo” is not bamboo at all; it’s Dracaena.
It only looks like bamboo. Lucky Bamboo a plant often recommended by Feng Shui
masters, is known as 'fu gui zhu' in Chinese. Fu means rich, gui noble, and zhu bamboo.
Lucky Bamboo is popular in Taiwan since it is believed that it can bring good luck.
As millions of "lucky" consumers around the world have discovered, Lucky Bamboo makes
the perfect house or office plant, needing little care but an inch of water and little direct
sunlight to keep it happy and thriving. Bright indirect light to Light shade work just fine.
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WATER POTS OR SOIL? CHARACTERISTICS
BRINGING YOUR LUCKY BAMBOO HOME
WHERE TO KEEP IT
CARING FOR YOUR LUCKY BAMBOO
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Light & Temperature
Water
Humidity
Nutrients
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SHAPING YOUR PLANT
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IF THE STALKS GET TOO TALL
TROUBLESHOOTING
- Leaf tips turning brown, - Leaves turning yellow, - Stalks turning yellow from the bottom,
- Stalks turn brown or mushy, - Insects or larvae in the water, - Algae growing in the water
POTTING UP
Imported from Taiwan,
Lucky Bamboo is extremely
hardy.
New plants
are often in decorative pots
They will grow indoors for
years with very little care,
requiring only an inch or
two of water. To get new
plants, you can break off a
stem and re-plant it in
water. Then by changing the
water every three days, it
will quickly root and can
then be passed on to a
friend.
You may want larger
plants in soil
Because Lucky Bamboo grows so well in water, you can even grow it in a water fountain!
You’ll need a fountain with a not-too-shallow bowl, so the root end of the stalks is in about
2” of water. Use pebbles or marbles to hold the stalks in place. (top)
BRINGING YOUR LUCKY BAMBOO HOME
Moving can be a little stressful, even for resilient Lucky Bamboo. To help it adjust to its new
environment, place it near a window where it will be close to – but not directly in – bright
light. Unless the water level is very low (or the soil is dry, if your plant is in soil) don’t
water for two to three days. Allow the plant to adjust before giving it fresh water. If you
plan to keep the plant somewhere rather dark, move it farther from the window for a
couple of days before moving it to it’s final location. (top)
WHERE TO KEEP IT
Lucky Bamboo can be poisonous to pets. If you have pets in the house, especially pets who
like to chew on plants, you’ll want to keep it where these pets won’t get at it. This may
mean getting a smaller plant that will fit on a high shelf, rather than splurging on a large
arrangement for your living room coffee table.
It is a very easy plant to have almost anywhere in the house from shady to bright rooms.
The canes when old lose the smooth light green surface and begin to develop an attractive
light brown paper like 'bark'.
Other practical considerations include making sure the plants will not be in much direct
sunlight, and that they won’t get too dry or too cold. In other words, avoid putting your
Lucky Bamboo arrangement right in front of the heating or A/C vent or on your sunniest
windowsill. While need to avoid these extremes, Lucky Bamboo will do fine just about
anywhere else. Since Lucky Bamboo can tolerate a wide range of living conditions, you
have a lot of flexibility about where to display it. (top)
CARING FOR YOUR LUCKY BAMBOO
Like any other plant, Lucky Bamboo does need some light. It of course needs water, and
nutrients to survive. It will do better with little attention than if you fuss over it, however.
This plant likes to be admired but not pampered. Here are some guidelines to help you give
it the best care:
Light & Temperature: Lucky Bamboo will do best with moderate levels of indirect light.
Sustained direct sunlight is too strong. It will tolerate low level light more easily than too
much light. If you want your Lucky Bamboo to grow, however, it will need to be at the
higher end of its light-range. It may survive very low light, but it won’t put out new leaves
or get any taller. Lucky Bamboo prefers room temperatures at 65-70o. (top)
Water: Lucky Bamboo grows very well hydroponically with its roots submerged in water,
but it doesn’t like the chemicals – chlorine and fluoride, to name just two – present in most
tap water, or salts that are quite high in Las Vegas water. Filtered water or rain water will
keep your Lucky Bamboo healthy longer. If you don’t have a water filtration system, plan
ahead and run tap water into a container the day before you water your Lucky Bamboo
plants, and let it sit out, uncovered, at least overnight or for 24 hours to allow the
chemicals to disperse. If you use distilled or reverse osmosis water, use a small amount of
Dr. Q’s Plant tonic to reinstate the necessary minerals for plant health.
Keep an eye on the water level in your Lucky Bamboo container, and add a little more as it
gets lower; how often will depend on the size of your arrangement and the humidity in your
home. Keep the water level at approximately an inch from the base of the canes. Every
week or so, pour all the water out and refill the container with fresh water.
If you happen to have a fresh water aquarium in your home, save some of the dirty
aquarium water when you clean it, and use that to water your Lucky Bamboo. Your fish
may be sensitive to all the microscopic stuff that builds up in the water, but your Lucky
Bamboo will love it! DO NOT USE SALT WATER! (top)
Humidity: Routine misting of your Lucky Bamboo may be necessary if you live in a dry
climate. Read troubleshooting tips for symptoms of dryness.
Nutrients: Lucky Bamboo is pretty hardy, but it needs modest amounts of macro and
micro nutrients occasionally. If it gets spindly and pale, try moving it a little closer to a light
source and give it several drops of Plant Tonic. However, if it turns yellow shortly after you
bring it home that’s often a sign it was over-fertilized before you purchased it. Change the
water immediately, and don’t fertilize at all for several months.
The best time to feed your Lucky Bamboo is when you change the water. Just add a couple
of drops of Plant Tonic to the water you use to refill the container. If your Lucky Bamboo is
growing in soil, you can use a stronger solution (1/2 teaspoon diluted in a quart of good
water).
Don’t feed every time you change the water! Every 2 months—or longer-- is often enough.
Water-grown plants do not need to be fed as frequently as soil-grown plants, and feeding
too much or too frequently is more harmful to plants than not feeding enough! Lucky
Bamboo is naturally a very slow-growing plant, so don’t assume it needs to be fed just
because it doesn’t seem to be growing.
(top)
SHAPING YOUR PLANT Lucky Bamboo stalks are naturally straight. If you want curls, you
have to encourage them by manipulating the plant’s position relative to its light source.
You’ll want to place your plant where there is not much overall light, but with a strong light
source from one side (avoid too much direct sunlight!).
Try cutting the end and one side from a cardboard box, and set it over the entire thing so
the open side is toward a window and the other three sides and top are shaded. After a
while, you’ll notice that the stalks are starting to turn or bend toward the light. Once a
definite bend to the stalk can be seen, turn the plant slightly by rotating the pot an inch or
so. The plant will keep growing toward the light, and if you keep rotating the pot from time
to time eventually you will have a spiraling stalk. Be patient, this process can take time.
(top)
TROUBLESHOOTING
In case your plant needs some extra attention here are some signs of trouble and what you
should do if you see them:
- Leaf tips turning brown: fluoride or salts in the water, or the air is too dry. Try
switching to distilled or filtered water if you’ve been using tap water. If you’ve been using
fertilizer a little too often, change the water and skip the plant food for several months.
Low humidity can also cause the leaf tips to turn brown; remember that this is a tropical
plant, so it likes high humidity. Don’t over water the plant (if in soil); it’s the leaf tips that
are drying out, not the roots. Fill a plastic squirt-bottle with water and mist the leaves
every day to keep them healthy.
- Leaves turning yellow: too much light or too much fertilizer. Change the water
immediately, move the container further from the light, and don’t feed at all for several
months. (top)
- Stalks turning yellow from the bottom: too much fertilizer. Change the water and
don’t feed, and there’s a chance the plant may recover. You can also cut off the stalks
above the yellow part and root the tops. If one stalk turns yellow and the others look fine,
just remove that one from the arrangement.
- Stalks turn brown or mushy: the roots have rotted, probably from overfeeding, or
from over-watering soil-grown plants. You CAN NOT save the bottom, but you can cut off
healthy tops and restart them. (top)
- Insects or larvae in the water, or white sticky-looking stuff on the stalks: remove the
stalks from the container and soak them in soapy water (Dove is fine, a few drops is
enough), then wipe each stalk and rinse well. Wash out the container and the rocks or
marbles, and then replace the stalks and add fresh water.
- Algae growing in the water: too much light and/or fertilizer. An opaque container is
better if you are using plant food. Wash everything (plant stalks, container, rocks) and
start over with clean water. Keep glass containers away from bright locations.
(top)
IF THE STALKS GET TOO TALL
Your Lucky bamboo may grow to be three feet tall. It likes to be crowded, so don’t be in a
hurry to move your arrangement into a bigger pot. Lucky Bamboo grows tall rather than
wide. When it does get too tall, you can cut off each stalk an inch above one of the nodes
(the rings around the stalk), and it will restart from there. Lightly misting the tops of the
stalks with water can encourage new growth – but wait a few days before doing this, so the
cut surface can dry out first. (top)
POTTING UP
Although Lucky Bamboo grows well in water, you may decide you’d like to grow yours in
soil. If your Lucky Bamboo has been growing in water for a long time, it may not survive
the transition to soil unless you keep it quite moist until the roots have adapted. Use a soil
mixture that drains well. Make sure the pot has holes in the bottom, and use rocks or
similar media in the bottom to assure uniform drainage. If the soil does not drain well, the
roots can rot and the plant will suffer or die. Use a container that’s no more than about 2”
larger than the stalk group.
Lucky Bamboo grown in soil should be keep slightly moist, not soaking wet. Don’t allow it
to dry out completely. Use a moisture meter to determine when to water, don’t let the
surface fool you. Often the soil will still be damp a half-inch or so below the surface.
(top)
© 2009, Star Nursery, Inc.
www.StarNursery.com
Copy Provided courtesy of Star Nursery