Lucky bamboo: bought 10, 9 died - what's the reason?

How do you handle lucky bamboo right after buying it and bringing it home?

1. If the lucky bamboo you bought and brought home starts developing yellow leaves within a few days, a large part of the reason is that the lucky bamboo sold outside has its roots sealed with wax, which is not good for water absorption and causes the leaves to keep turning yellow.

2. Find a pair of sterilised scissors and first cut off all the yellowed leaves of the lucky bamboo.

3. Find a sharp knife and make a 45° diagonal cut across the base of the lucky bamboo. This not only cuts away the waxy layer at the base of the lucky bamboo, but also increases the contact area between the lucky bamboo and the water, so it roots faster.

4. Prepare some rooting solution. If you don't have rooting solution, a 1:10 sugar solution or willow branch infusion used as a rooting agent will both work. Soak the lower end of the lucky bamboo in the rooting solution for about half an hour.

5. Put clean water in the bottle, preferably clean mineral water, and shake it gently 20-30 times to increase the oxygen and carbon dioxide content in the water. Then put the lucky bamboo in, with the water level roughly kept at 3-4 nodes up from the cut.

6. Place the lucky bamboo in a well-ventilated spot with good indirect light, do not move the bottle around casually, change the water about once every 10 days, and roots will grow in about 20 days. Once the roots have grown to more than 4-5cm, you can add a little hydroponic nutrient solution.

How do you protect lucky bamboo from freezing in winter?

1. If the temperature at home is above 15°C, the lucky bamboo is basically still growing normally; change the water about once every 5-7 days and just let it grow normally.

2. If the temperature at home is relatively low, you can find a larger plastic bag and wrap up all the leaves to keep them warm and moist.

3. Don't waste old newspapers if you have them at home either - directly use old newspaper to wrap up the entire leaves of the lucky bamboo, and at the same time find something like cotton cloth to wrap up the whole hydroponic bottle for warmth.

How do you care for lucky bamboo in winter so it doesn't turn yellow?

1. Lucky bamboo is especially afraid of cold. Indoors it is best to keep it above 15°C. In winter, do not place it in relatively cold places near balconies or windows, and do not let the water freeze.

2. In winter, place the lucky bamboo indoors in a spot with good indirect light, but try not to put it next to a TV or air conditioner, to avoid the leaf tips drying out easily. Also do not put it in too dark a place, or the lucky bamboo leaves will also easily turn yellow.

3. In winter, try to change from changing the water to topping up the water, because frequently changing the water will cause yellow leaves and wilting. Just add water after the water in the bottle evaporates. The water added is best mineral water or well water, to ensure the water quality is fresh and clean. If it is dirty water, hard water or water with oil in it, it is very likely to cause the lucky bamboo to rot at the roots.

4. If the lucky bamboo has yellow leaves caused by iron deficiency, you can choose to add a 0.1% ferrous phosphate solution to the hydroponic bottle, or simply drop in a rusty iron nail - both can solve the yellow leaf problem.

Besides lucky bamboo,

such as Guanyin bamboo, tower bamboo and the like,

can all be cared for using the same method!