What to Do If the Water for Lucky Bamboo Smells Bad? 4 Solutions to Help You Fix It, Plus Water Culture Methods

Gardeners keep this plant because it has high ornamental value and good feng shui symbolism. In offices, bosses will also keep a few bottles for career development or a comfortable office environment. But when changing the water, they often find that the water for the bamboo stems smells bad, which is simply unbearable. So what should you do if the water for lucky bamboo smells bad? How exactly should the odor problem be handled? Next, let's talk about what to do.

Cause of the Odor

The roots smell because the water has become foul, and the water becomes foul because anaerobic bacteria have developed in the water. This is not a good sign. If left untreated for a long time, root rot is likely to occur, and the leaves will also turn yellow.

Solutions

1. Take the lucky bamboo out of the water and check whether there are any rotten or moldy roots. If there are, cut them off directly, drain off the water, and then air-dry them in a dry environment for about 20 minutes (this step is to eliminate the anaerobic bacteria on the roots).

2. While doing the previous step, replace all the water and thoroughly disinfect the hydroponic container with 84 disinfectant.

3. Add new water to the disinfected jar. The new water should use tap water that has been exposed to direct sunlight for more than a day and a night. If conditions do not allow sun exposure, purified water can be used.

4. Go to an ordinary large pharmacy and buy metronidazole tablets. They are very cheap and are specifically used to kill anaerobic bacteria. Grind them into powder or just throw them in whole into the container holding the plant. The number of tablets used depends on the size of the container. Use them without worry; one more or one less tablet does not matter much.

Water Culture Methods for Lucky Bamboo:

1. For lucky bamboo bought with roots, first cut off the roots, then place it in a ventilated place for three to five hours so the cut surfaces can dry and heal well. In this way, bacteria will not enter the roots and cause them to rot.

2. Put the air-dried lucky bamboo into a vase filled with water for water culture. During the first few days before new roots grow, the water should be changed frequently, and the roots should be cleaned thoroughly. Once new roots have grown, there is no need to change the water anymore. Just make sure the water in the vase can cover the roots. There should not be too much water, otherwise the roots will not get oxygen.