How to grow Lucky Bamboo? The latest care methods explained
Lucky Bamboo is an evergreen small tree. The beauty of Lucky Bamboo is inseparable from its auspicious name. It has slender, elegant leaves and emerald-green foliage, and its stem nodes resemble bamboo joints, though it is not a true bamboo. In China, there is the well-wishing phrase “flowers bloom for prosperity, bamboo brings peace”. Because Lucky Bamboo has delicate stems and leaves, is soft and elegant, and is full of bamboo charm, it is very popular. Lucky Bamboo is easy to manage, has few pests and diseases, and is easy to cultivate, and it symbolizes “great fortune and prosperity”.
Growing Methods
Remove leaves from the base and cut a slanted opening. Before putting the cuttings into a bottle, remove the leaves from the base of the cuttings, and use a sharp knife to cut the base into a slanted opening. The cut should be smooth to increase the area for absorbing water and nutrients. Replace the clean water once every 3-4 days, and add a few small pieces of charcoal to prevent decay. Do not move the position or change the direction within 10 days. After about 15 days, silvery-white fibrous roots can grow.
⟦NL>Propagation Methods
In spring, cut the removed stems into 5 cm to 10 cm leafless stem nodes, or cut off branched shoots with stem tips that have grown from the base, insert them into clean coarse river sand, water thoroughly, cover with a plastic bag, keep the medium moist, and place in a bright indoor location. Roots can grow in about 25 days. Or insert the cut branches into water; at 25℃, roots can grow in about half a month.
Precautions
If Lucky Bamboo grown in water is not managed well, it is prone to developing yellow leaves. During care, attention should be paid to the following issues:
1. During the care process, it should be placed in a bright and ventilated environment. Too little light can easily make the branches and leaves turn yellow.
2. Urban tap water should be left to stand for two days to reduce the chlorine content in the water. Only after impurities have settled can it be used for growing.
3. Once it turns yellow, cut off a section from the base with a sharp knife, and cut the base into a slanted opening with a sharp knife. The cut should be smooth to facilitate the absorption of water and nutrients, and then insert it again.
4. In summer, when temperatures are high, the oxygen content in the water is low and it is prone to spoiling. Reduce the concentration of the solution, change the water frequently, do not move the position or change the direction within 10 days, and after about 15 days silvery-white fibrous roots can grow.
5. After rooting, it is better to change the water less often. Only when water evaporation reduces the amount should water be added promptly. Frequent water changes can easily cause yellow leaves and withered branches.
6. After rooting, a small amount of compound fertilizer or nutrient solution should be applied promptly, so that the leaves are glossy green and the stems are thick and strong. If no fertilizer is applied for a long time, the plant will grow weakly and the leaf color will easily turn yellow. However, fertilizer should not be applied too much, to avoid "burning the roots" or causing excessive growth. In spring and autumn, applying compound fertilizer once a month is enough.
7. Be careful not to place Lucky Bamboo next to a television or in places where air conditioners or electric fans often blow, to avoid drying out the leaf tips and leaf edges. When the weather is dry, appropriate misting should be done on the leaf surface to keep the leaves spread out and the leaf color emerald green.
8. In water culture, in addition to controlling light and fertilization, mastering the temperature conditions is also key to growing Lucky Bamboo well. Lucky Bamboo likes warmth and fears cold. If it is exposed to cold wind in winter, the leaves will turn yellow due to the cold. After cold damage, if the stem is still green, it means it still has vitality, and after the temperature rises and becomes warmer the following year, it can still sprout new leaves again.
9. Time for water culture. The most suitable time for bottle water culture is from April to September each year, that is, from late spring, because the temperature is suitable and it is easiest to root and survive. At other times, if the temperature is above 15 degrees, it can also root, but it takes longer. In addition, the tied and shaped “lucky bamboo” is mostly grown in water. On ordinary days, it should be placed in a bright indoor location. When the temperature is lower, change the water once every 7 to 10 days. In spring and autumn, during the peak growth seasons, change the water once every 3 to 5 days. Complete element compound fertilizer can be added to the water.
In summer during high temperatures, it is best to use cooled boiled water for water culture, to avoid root rot or the breeding of algae. Stop fertilizing in winter. In severe cold seasons in the north, indoor water culture without heating facilities is prone to freezing damage. In early October, it can be planted in river sand. When it is cold, cover the whole pot with a plastic bag and place it indoors where cold wind cannot reach it. It can overwinter safely at around 5℃.
In spring, it can be potted in culture soil or grown in water after washing off the river sand. During care, if there is rotten stem or rotten root, remove it promptly, and soak the roots and stems in a 75% chlorothalonil 1000-fold aqueous solution for 30 minutes. After rinsing with clean water, continue water culture. If the plant is already very weak, it should be planted in soil to restore its vigor.