How should lucky bamboo be cared for and grown in a study to thrive?
Lucky bamboo, also known as wan shou zhu and silver-edged wan nian zhu, is a foliage plant with high ornamental value. Generally speaking, it is a plant placed in the study. So how do you grow lucky bamboo well? Below, the editor of Tuliu.com tells everyone.
1. Botanical characteristics
For commercial ornamental use, the cultivation height should be 80~100cm. It is mostly cultivated in gardens and nurseries, likes shade and humidity, and has thick stems and leaves. Its varieties include green leaves, green leaves with white edges (called silver edge), green leaves with yellow edges (called gold edge), green leaves with silver centers (called silver center). Green-leaf lucky bamboo is also called wan nian zhu. Its leaves are deep green, it grows vigorously, and it is relatively widely cultivated.
Growing lucky bamboo has the advantages of high yield and high economic benefit. 667 m2 can plant 18,000~25,000 plants, and the annual output value of 667 m2 can reach 30,000~50,000 yuan. Cultivation of lucky bamboo begins in spring around Jingzhe and can be harvested in mid-to-late December. This variety is easy to manage. You can choose loose, fertile paddy fields or sloping land for cultivation. It survives easily when grown in water and is generally mostly used for household bottle propagation or potted care. Lucky bamboo grows coarsely and vigorously, with upright stems and deep green leaves, remaining evergreen in winter and summer. Whether potted or with stems cut for bottle propagation, or processed into “fortune bamboo” and “curved bamboo”, it all appears sparse, upright, and noble, with delicate stems and leaves, soft and elegant, with a natural and unrestrained posture and a rich bamboo charm. In particular, the “pagoda-shaped” form that spread from Taiwan, China, also known as “fortune bamboo", has high ornamental value and is quite popular in the international market.
2. Key cultivation points of lucky bamboo
1. Land selection
Because lucky bamboo is a shade- and humidity-loving ornamental plant, in order to accelerate its growth, shorten the production cycle, and create better economic benefits, it is best to choose paddy fields with convenient drainage and irrigation and loose, fertile soil for cultivation. It can also be hydroponically grown.
2. Fine land preparation and rational close planting
When preparing the land, the bed height is 15-20cm, the bed surface width is 120-150cm, and the bed ditch is 25cm. Apply 1500k of decomposed farmyard manure per 667 m2. After fully raking level, insert the plant seedlings. The planting spacing is 25cmx16cm or 20cmx16cm. 667 m2 can plant 15,000-20,000 plants. Generally, planting should not be too dense. The planting depth is best at 2.5-3.5cm (that is, for seedlings with 4 nodes, inserting 2 nodes is enough), maintaining appropriate space for ventilation and light transmission.
3. Scientific fertilization
20 days after planting, the plants begin to send out new roots, and 1500-2000kg of manure water can be poured once per 667 m2. After 30 and 40 days, depending on the growth of the seedlings, apply 1 seedling-promoting fertilizer, with 15-20kg of compound fertilizer, and then earth up after application. When the plants grow to 35-45cm tall, their nutrient needs also increase, and this is the beginning of the peak growth stage. Therefore, topdressing at this stage should be heavier. At the same time, foliar fertilizer can be sprayed in combination, using plant growth regulators such as Xinzhi Suo or Penshibao, to promote balanced growth, lush leaves and thick stems, and improve stress resistance.
4. Pay attention to drainage and irrigation and pest control
When growing lucky bamboo, pay attention to draining water on rainy days, preventing drought on dry days, and preventing frost on cold days. If dry days occur, pay attention to running-water irrigation to keep the field bed surface moist. In lucky bamboo field plots covered with shade nets, adult Lepidoptera have difficulty flying in to lay eggs and reproduce, so there are also fewer pests. So far, only a small number of stem borers have been found, and no diseases have been found. From cultivation in early March to harvest in mid-to-late December, it is enough to spray pesticide 2 times.