How to Grow Lucky Bamboo? A Detailed Guide to Care Methods
Lucky bamboo is an evergreen small tree. The beauty of lucky bamboo is inseparable from its auspicious name. It has slender, elegant leaves in a jade-green color, and its stem nodes resemble bamboo joints, though it is not a true bamboo. In China there is the well-wishing phrase "flowers bloom in wealth and honor, bamboo reports peace," and because lucky bamboo has delicate stems and leaves, is graceful and elegant, and is rich in bamboo charm, it is much loved by people. Lucky bamboo is easy to manage, has few pests and diseases, and is easy to cultivate, and it symbolizes "great fortune and great profit."
Cultivation methods
Remove leaves from the base and cut a slanted opening Before placing in a vase, remove the leaves from the base of the cutting, 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 a few small pieces of charcoal can be added to prevent rot. Do not move the position or change the direction within 10 days, and in about 15 days silvery-white fibrous roots will grow.
Propagation methods
In spring, cut the severed stems into 5 cm to 10 cm leafless stem sections, or cut off branched shoots with stem tips that grow 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 spot; roots can form in about 25 days. Alternatively, insert the cut branches into water; at 25°C roots can form in about half a month.
Precautions
Lucky bamboo grown in water is prone to yellowing leaves if poorly managed. The following issues should be noted during care:
1. During care, it should be placed in a bright and ventilated environment; too little light easily causes the branches and leaves to turn yellow.
2. Urban tap water should be left to stand for two days so that the chlorine content in the water decreases and impurities settle before it can be used for cultivation.
3. Once yellowing occurs, 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, then place it back in water.
4. In summer high temperatures, the oxygen content in water is low and it easily deteriorates, so reduce the concentration of the solution and change the water frequently. Do not move the position or change the direction within 10 days, and in about 15 days silvery-white fibrous roots can grow.
5. After rooting, it is better to change the water less often; only add water promptly after evaporation reduces the water level. Frequent water changes easily cause yellow leaves and withered branches.
6. After rooting, promptly apply a small amount of compound fertilizer or nutrient solution, and then the leaves will be glossy green and the stems sturdy. If no fertilizer is applied for a long time, the plant will grow weak and thin, and the leaf color will easily turn yellow. But fertilizer must not be applied too much, to avoid "burning the roots" or causing leggy growth. In spring and autumn, applying compound fertilizer once a month is sufficient.
7. Be careful not to place lucky bamboo next to a television or in places where an air conditioner or electric fan often blows, to avoid dry tips and edges of the leaves. When the weather is dry, spray water appropriately on the leaf surface to keep the leaves spread out and the leaf color jade-green.
8. When growing in water, in addition to controlling light and fertilizer, 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 shows it still has vitality, and after temperatures rise and warm up the following year, it can still sprout new leaves again.
9. Time for water cultivation. The most suitable time for vase water cultivation is from April to September each year, that is, in this period from late spring, because the temperature is suitable and it is easiest to take root and survive. At other times, if the temperature is above 15 degrees, it can also take root, but it takes longer. In addition, the tied and shaped "fortune bamboo" is mostly grown in water. On ordinary days it should be placed in a bright indoor spot. When the temperature is low, change the water once every 7 to 10 days; in the peak growing seasons of spring and autumn, change the water once every 3 to 5 days, and a complete-element compound fertilizer can be added to the water.
In summer high-temperature periods, it is best to use cooled boiled water for water cultivation, to avoid root rot or the breeding of algae. Stop fertilizing in winter. In severe cold seasons in the north, indoor water cultivation without heating facilities is prone to cold damage; it can be planted in river sand in early October, and when cold, cover the pot with a plastic bag and place it indoors where cold wind cannot reach it; it can overwinter safely at about 5°C.
In spring, it can be potted in culture soil or grown in water after washing off the river sand. During care, if there are rotten stems or rotten roots, remove them promptly, and soak the roots and stems in a 75% chlorothalonil 1000-fold aqueous solution for 30 minutes, rinse with clean water, and continue water cultivation. If the plant is already very weak, it should be replanted in soil to restore vigor.