Garden Decor

How to take care of lucky bamboo

Having your indoor garden is ideal, even if you only have a little room. Small indoor plants are the greatest for relieving stress and giving your home a fresh, green appeal. Indoor plants are ideal for not only filling empty areas but also for transforming your living room into a natural greenhouse.

Indoor plants come in a range of shapes and sizes. Would you like to try something new? If this is the case, keeping a tiny lucky bamboo in your room is the best option. You can arrange these bamboo plants in a tiny pot as you choose. It’s one of the few plants that can be counted as evergreen.

If you are a beginner and want to learn more about this unique plant, we have compiled the best tips and tactics to help you effortlessly care for your lucky bamboo.

Have a look at the following tips:

Tips for caring for lucky bamboo

Light- No direct sunlight

Lucky bamboo requires a lot of indirect light. This means it should be positioned where enough light can reach it, but not directly in the sun since this could cause it to burn. It can withstand indirect sunlight if kept in a subtle shade. When compared to other plants, it has a slight preference for light. It grows the best under a rainforest canopy. It is recommended to grow it in a well-lit room to complete its energy requirements. But you can also grow it outside. It all depends upon your choice.

Water- Need distilled water

You could say that lucky bamboo is a little water-sensitive. Water it with filtered or distilled water to keep it moist and fresh. Because tap water contains pollutants that can injure your plant, it is not suited for lucky bamboo. Chlorine and fluorine are two of the most toxic substances to lucky bamboo, and applying them might cause it to burn or turn yellow. Filtered water contains no dangerous chemicals, which is why it is ideal for lucky bamboo. It is said that the chemicals can be removed after boiling the water, but it is recommended even not to use the boiled tap water.

Temperature and Humidity

High humidity, such as above 50%, is ideal for growing Lucky bamboo. Because lucky bamboo is a tropical plant, it requires a warmer environment to thrive. Temperatures between 60 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal for lucky bamboo. Because the weather in tropical locations is hot, the bamboo plant isn’t adapted to the cold. Thus, it should be kept away from it or hurt. It is also recommended to mist the bamboo leaves once or twice so that it does not lack humidity.

Fertilizer- liquid fertilizer each month

To keep lucky bamboo safe and green, you can use a liquid fertilizer once a week. Usually, lucky bamboo doesn’t need fertilization for a while after being kept in freshwater. That’s why we don’t use fertilizer for a few weeks after bringing it home. However, after some time, you can use fertilizer, but prevent overfertilization as it can harm the plant.

Ways to grow lucky bamboo

In soil

The lucky bamboo can grow in soil. But the soil should be well-drained and should contain a rich potting mixture. Another condition to lucky bamboo in the soil is to keep it moist, but it shouldn’t be soaked. It is also recommended to water it once a week. Over time, algae can appear on the water. Try to clean and water and replace it with a fresh one. When the lucky bamboo grows out of the pot, place it into a bigger one.

In water

The best thing about lucky bamboo is that it can be grown in both water and soil. Take a pot with fresh filtered water and put it inside. The water should be changed often when it gets dirty, or fungus appears on it. It will also look pretty and can be used as decor.

Here’s a guide in this article How do I Choose and Use faux Bamboo trees for my home decoration? which you may like to see.

By propagation

Lucky bamboo plants can be grown by cuttings from the parent plant. You just need to get a healthy, lucky bamboo plant to trim all the excess leaves other than one or more. It is preferred to leave 3 or 4 leaves on the cutting to expose the growth of the node. Then let the roots grow, or you can also choose to use a rooting hormone so that the roots can grow fastly.

Note: After a cutting is taken from a plant, it shouldn’t be transplanted or moved to any other pot for at least four months.

Things to know

Lucky bamboo is toxic for cats and dogs.

Lucky bamboo needs filtered water to grow. It doesn’t mean that it is safe for all the animals. It does not harm humans in any way. Toddlers are however at a little bit risk of getting harmed from this plant especially if they are allergic to it.

Lucky bamboo is considered to be toxic for cats and dogs. They are highly toxic but not life-taking plants for pets. So you need to keep it away from them or cause vomiting, pain, or weakness. For this purpose, try to keep it where your cute pups can’t reach.

Note: It is not at all toxic for humans.

Lucky Bamboo Symbolism Under Feng Shui

It can be known that lucky bamboo symbolizes good luck; according to feng shui, it symbolizes growth, prosperity, and flexibility. If you decide to give it to someone as a gift, it means you’re wishing them a healthy life filled with prosperity.

Lucky bamboo can be molded.

The fact that bamboo is better than any other plant is because it can be molded into different shapes according to your own choice. You don’t even need help from any professional to do so. You just need to get the torch or any other light source. Then rotate the bamboo in the desired shape in front of the light source. It will naturally start to grow towards the light. But one thing you need to keep in mind is that you need to keep changing the direction of your lucky bamboo so it can grow in the shape you want it to.

Pro tip

You may also want to know about a way to get rid of the molds on your lucky bamboo, as you may not like it. The sooty molds in your bamboo can cause black spots to appear on it, which can be attractive to many insects, but you can easily wash it away. If you want to get rid of the molds on your bamboo plant, you can choose to soak them in the mixture of filtered water and baking soda for about an hour. It will help you get rid of them easily.

Leaves turning yellow

Are you lucky bamboo leaves turning yellow? It can be caused due to salty water or chemicals present in a chemical. Too much sunlight can also be one of the main reasons for leaves turning yellow. You need to remove all the yellow leaves so that new leaves can grow there. But make sure not to harm the green area and only trim the yellow part. Following the leaf’s shape, you’ll be able to cut the affected part of your plant without damaging it and disturbing its growth.

●     Solution: if you want to fix this problem, you should provide chlorine-free water to your plant and clean your bamboo bowls.

●     You should also remove all the yellow leaves so that the plant grows.

Plant not growing

Is your lucky bamboo not growing, and you’re feeling unlucky? It may be because it isn’t getting enough light or placed under artificial light. Your lucky bamboo will stay alive but will not grow in this condition.  If you’re not satisfied with the growth rate of your lucky bamboo or if you think that it is not growing properly, you can use a weak fertilizer in small amounts. Use the fertilizer once a month but giving it bright indirect light can be the best way to grow it naturally. 

Solution: to let your lucky bamboo grow, you should put it near a large window where the filtered sunlight can reach your plant in large amounts. Not using the right planter can also be an issue. Here’s a guide to help you find the best planter: How to Pick a Planter for Your Plant.

Fun facts about bamboo stalks

It is interesting to note that a lucky bamboo can have a minimum of 1 stalk and a maximum as much as you want, and each number of its stalk has its meaning, which makes you desire more knowledge about it and grow one in your home. 

●     Two stalks are said to represent the lobe. Fu means three stalks represent happiness.

●     Five stalks of the lucky bamboo represent wealth.

●     Seven lucky bamboo stalks are believed to be beneficial to health.

Bamboo trees can not be planted and grown everywhere in the world. Their growth depends upon the geographic location as well. You can find your area in this location guide for bamboo trees Bamboo plants add tropical flavor but can’t be grown everywhere. Here are some best of them for all geographical locations.

Benefits of lucky bamboo

There are a lot of benefits of growing lucky bamboo in your home. It is not only easy to grow but is also considered to be very lucky and bring luck and wealth to your office or home. The best thing about it is that it can be grown easily in both soil and water. It means it Is not important to grow in the soil so you can easily keep it anywhere inside your home.

You can also consider buying a faux bamboo tree for the decoration of your home. Here’s a guide to help you out: Design a relaxing corner of your home or office space with an artificial silk bamboo tree. Here are some best of them

It is also known as the best natural gift you can give to your loved ones as it is believed that lucky bamboo brings luck and prosperity. You can gift them to your mother and family members. Find some fantastic ideas in this article Surprise your beautiful mother with some lovely real looking flowers and plants

FAQS

Can you grow lucky bamboo from cuttings?

Yes, you can easily grow lucky bamboo from the cuttings. Take a healthy lucky bamboo and trim it. Make sure that the cuttings should have at least one or more nodes. For better growth, cut all the extra leaves.  You can also use a growth hormone to grow the roots of your lucky bamboo, or you can let them grow naturally. It all depends upon you.

How long does it take lucky bamboo to propagate?

Once you have put the cuttings into the water and set them in it, they will eventually start to grow. It takes almost 30 days for the root to grow. Once the roots have grown, you can also plant them into a pot with moist soil. Make sure to change the water of your lucky bamboo weekly to the fungus that will appear in the water, which can harm your plant.

How to braid lucky bamboo?

Isn’t it amazing having lucky braided bamboo? Just like you mold your bamboo in spirals in the presence of lights, you need to do the same while making a braided one. You just need to take 2 or 3 stalks of lucky bamboo and mold them in the shape of a braid under the light but keep in mind that you have to maintain it as it grows.

How to make a lucky bamboo spiral?

The lucky bamboo grows towards the light as the sunflower changes its position with the sun. Take the stalks of your lucky bamboo and rotate them towards the light, and they will grow in that direction to make spirals as much as you want.

Experts’ Advice

If you want to plant a new type of plant, you can use lucky bamboo indoors for decoration or outdoors in your garden. Another advantage is that it is easily replicated, allowing you to develop a new plant from it. It is also thought to be the best present. It doesn’t need much attention and grows swiftly. You can take care of it by following the tips we’ve suggested above. Happy Bamboos!

Leave a Reply