How to grow lucky bamboo? A full breakdown of the latest care tips
Lucky bamboo can be shaped into a pagoda form and given as a gift, symbolizing good fortune, wealth and prosperity; when growing it, pay attention to controlling the top and side buds so that the lucky bamboo grows well and has greater ornamental value. Do you know what the care tips for lucky bamboo are? Let's take a look together below!
Tips for controlling the top and side buds of lucky bamboo
The branches and leaves of lucky bamboo tend to grow wildly and endlessly. If left untreated, this will affect its ornamental effect. Ways to inhibit excessive branch and leaf growth include:
1. Control watering. Keep it in a low-temperature spot below 18°C, and change the water frequently to prevent the roots from rotting.
2. Pinching. When the top bud of each stem section grows to 1 cm, pull out the tip: hold the bamboo tower steady with your left hand, and with the thumb and index finger of your right hand carefully pinch the two small leaves at the tip and pull outward with force to remove the central leaf. Be careful not to damage the other small leaves.
Tips for shaping lucky bamboo
⟦NL>Lucky bamboo carries an auspicious meaning. Whether given as a gift or kept for your own enjoyment, it is a beautiful pleasure, and you can also shape it according to your preferences.
1. Pagoda shape: lucky bamboo grows vigorously, has strong vitality, propagates easily and is easy to manage. Based on these characteristics, you can propagate many new bamboos and cut numerous stems of different lengths to form a pagoda. The upper end of each stem must carry a shoot, and the buds must be retained so that the top of each pagoda tier can sprout and grow branches and leaves, forming a new living pagoda.
2. Bottle-style bonsai: cut a lucky bamboo stem to about 20 cm long, insert it into a vase or hanging bottle, then add water to a depth of 5 cm and change the water once every few days. Normally it can be placed on a cool, ventilated indoor table, and it can keep its leaves emerald green for a long time, offering a special charm.
3. Green pillar: place two pots of lucky bamboo on either side of a hall screen. If they are not moved or pruned for a long time and are allowed to grow freely, they can rise straight up and grow taller than 1 m, forming a green pillar.
4. Forest-style bonsai: after the new bamboo grows, the old, weak and densely packed bamboo can be cut away, and with proper pruning and shaping it can be made into a forest style. After the shape is set, peel off the dead stalks and old leaves on the lower part of the bamboo stems, revealing the green, bright and glossy nodes. Set against rocks, this can enhance the ornamental effect.
Care tips for lucky bamboo
1. Water: change the water more often in summer than in winter. Clean water, greasy water, dirty water and hard water can all cause root rot.
2. Fertilizer: do not use chemical fertilizers on water-grown lucky bamboo; just add a little nutrient solution each month.
3. Light: lucky bamboo is a shade-loving plant, so the light must not be too strong, but it is best if it can receive scattered sunlight. Do not place it next to a TV or in places reached by fans or air conditioning, to avoid causing the leaves to wither.
4. Temperature: lucky bamboo grows between 20—35°C. Pay special attention in winter, as lucky bamboo is prone to cold damage that causes it to wither and its leaves to turn yellow, so it must not be placed outdoors.