How to grow potted lucky bamboo? A detailed guide to the latest cultivation methods

Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana), also known as Wan Shou Zhu, Kai Yun Zhu, Fortune Tower and so on, is a perennial evergreen small tree-like foliage plant of the genus Dracaena in the family Asparagaceae (Agavaceae), native to the Canary Islands and the tropical regions of Africa and Asia. It has been introduced into China in large quantities since the late 1980s, and is generally mostly used for home bottle arrangements or potted care, with extremely high ornamental value. Now let us take a look at how to grow potted lucky bamboo!

The growth habits of lucky bamboo

Lucky bamboo likes shady, humid and high-temperature conditions, tolerates waterlogging, has strong fertilizer tolerance and strong cold resistance, and prefers a semi-shaded environment. It is suitable for growing in well-drained sandy soil or semi-muddy sand and alluvial clay. It likes a warm environment, with a suitable temperature of 18-24°C, and can grow all year round. Below 13°C the plant goes dormant and stops growing. When the temperature is too low, due to insufficient water absorption by the roots, yellow-brown patches will appear on the leaf tips and leaf margins, and the minimum wintering temperature must be above 10°C. It is not strict about light requirements and is suitable for growing under bright scattered light. Too strong light or exposure to the sun will cause the leaves to turn yellow, fade green, and grow slowly.

Propagation methods of lucky bamboo

1. Soil propagation: For soil propagation of lucky bamboo, cut a thick and strong stem of at least 10 cm with leaves, cut the incision at a slant to encourage aerial root growth, insert it into a sand bed, and maintain the temperature at around 25 degrees; it will take root and survive in one month.

2. Water propagation: For water propagation of lucky bamboo, first cut a thick and strong stem of 10 cm with leaves, make a slanted cut, then insert it into water. Note that one third of the whole plant should be immersed in water, and because the nutrients in water are scarce, nutrient solution needs to be added to increase the survival rate.

How to grow potted lucky bamboo?

1. Soil: Lucky bamboo has a very good ability to adapt to the environment and is suitable for growing in clay and sandy soil. It grows best in loose, fertile, well-drained humus sandy soil. You can also use special plant nutrient soil, leaf mold and river sand mixed together for planting. During cultivation, change the pot once every two years, which is beneficial for the healthy and vigorous growth of lucky bamboo.

2. Watering: In summer, spray water once a day on lucky bamboo to wash away dust on the leaf surface and increase humidity. It usually likes moisture; during the growing season the soil should be kept moist, and water should often be sprayed or sprinkled on the leaves to increase the temperature of the air. However, too much water will cause excessive growth and affect the appearance, so generally keeping the soil moist is enough.

3. Fertilizing: Lucky bamboo is not so strict about environmental requirements, especially fertilization requirements, but some topdressing should still be carried out during the growth process. Use chemical fertilizers and organic fertilizer liquid for fertilizing; use chemical fertilizers little but frequently, and water a little after fertilizing.

4. Temperature: Lucky bamboo is relatively cold-resistant, and the suitable growth temperature is 20-28°C; it can tolerate a low temperature of 2-3°C. But in winter it is necessary to prevent frost, as too low a temperature will cause frostbite and lead to withering. Summer and autumn are high-temperature and high-humidity seasons, which are very favorable for the growth of lucky bamboo and are its best growth period.

5. Light: Lucky bamboo likes to grow in a warm environment but fears high temperatures, and cannot grow under direct sunlight in summer. For potted cultivation it can be placed under a window or on a balcony to avoid direct sunlight, and a certain amount of light can be given, which is beneficial for its healthy growth; otherwise the leaves will become dull or turn golden yellow and have no good ornamental value.

6. Diseases and pests: During the growth of lucky bamboo, viral diseases such as leaf spot, root rot and stem rot may occur. You can spray 100-fold Bordeaux mixture on the leaves to prevent and control them. Pests include thrips and scale insects; when these occur, you can spray 50% omethoate and emulsifiable concentrate 1000-fold solution, which can help effectively kill the insects.

What to do if the leaves of lucky bamboo turn yellow?

1. Too much watering: Newly grown leaves are relatively dark yellow and have no luster, while old leaves show no obvious change. The branches are relatively small and rather yellow-green, and the new shoots are somewhat shrunken. These are all caused by too much watering. It needs to be placed in a ventilated and hidden environment to dry out, and then the pot soil should be tidied up.

2. Lack of water: When lucky bamboo lacks water, the leaves will also turn yellow. The leaf tips and leaf margins will dry out and wither, and the old leaves will fall off from bottom to top, but the newly grown young leaves are relatively normal. Water thoroughly and give sufficient water.

3. Too much light: Too much light will cause the leaves of lucky bamboo to turn yellow, the leaf tips and leaf margins will become withered, and yellow spots will appear on the leaves. It needs to be placed in a relatively hidden place for cultivation. For potted cultivation it can be placed under a window or on a balcony to avoid direct sunlight, and a certain amount of light can be given, which is beneficial for its healthy growth.

4. Too little light: If lucky bamboo is placed in a relatively hidden environment for a long time, the leaves cannot absorb sufficient light, the leaves cannot form chlorophyll, and the leaves will also turn yellow. It needs to be placed in a place with relatively sufficient sunlight for cultivation, but avoid direct strong light.

5. Too much fertilizing: When growing lucky bamboo, too much or too concentrated fertilizer will cause the leaves to turn yellow. Generally, dry brown color will appear at the tips of new leaves. Although the leaves are thick, they have no luster at all, and the leaves do not fully unfold. The old leaves will turn yellow and then fall off naturally. Stop fertilizing and water more, so as to wash out some of the nutrients.

6. Insufficient fertilizing: When fertilizing is insufficient, the leaf color of lucky bamboo will be relatively pale, generally light green or yellow. At this time you can check the pot soil, and if the soil is dry and caked you can replace the soil, and apply more thin fertilizer or alum water, mainly with nitrogen fertilizer as the main fertilizer.