Lucky Bamboo Cultivation Techniques and Daily Management Methods
Lucky bamboo, also known as sword-leaf dragon tree, is an evergreen small tree that can be grown as a potted plant or used as cut flower material. In recent years, the "tower-shaped" form, also called "fortune bamboo," along with braided forms and curved bamboo, has high ornamental value and is quite popular in the market.
Lucky bamboo prefers shade, humidity and high temperatures; it is shade-tolerant, waterlogging-tolerant and highly fertilizer-tolerant; it prefers a semi-shaded environment. The suitable growth temperature is 20-28°C, and it can tolerate low temperatures of 2-3°C, but frost protection is needed in winter. High temperature and humidity in summer is the best period for growth. The cultivation site should have a 1.8 m high shade shed with 75% shading rate to avoid direct strong sunlight and exposure, otherwise it will cause leaves to turn yellow and scorch, affecting growth and reducing value.
Propagation Methods
Lucky bamboo stem nodes have strong rooting and sprouting ability, and cutting propagation is commonly used, which can be carried out year-round in Yunfu.
Generally, leaf-free stem segments are cut as cuttings, 5-10 cm long with three nodes, inserted into sand beds or semi-muddy soil. Roots and buds can sprout in 20-30 days, and they can be transplanted to the field or potted in 30-35 days. Terminal buds can also be cut into 10-15 cm lengths and inserted directly into the field or pots. The most suitable cutting period is spring.
Field Cultivation
Field cultivation of lucky bamboo is mainly for harvesting upright, tall stems as material for shaping and cut flowers. The main purpose of cultivation is to produce upright, thick stems.
1. Land preparation: Choose deep, fertile sandy loam or semi-muddy soil. Apply 2500-3000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure or 2000 kg of decomposed livestock and poultry manure per mu, 250-300 kg of phosphate fertilizer. Plow and deep-turn twice, make beds 1.2-1.5 m wide, 20-30 cm high, with 40-50 cm spacing between beds. Dig irrigation and water storage ditches 40-50 cm deep around the perimeter.
2. Planting: Open shallow furrows with row spacing of 20-25 cm and plant spacing of about 15 cm. About 14,000-17,000 plants can be planted per mu.
3. Fertilizer and water management: 10-15 days after planting, apply a light application of quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer once, using 15 kg of urea per mu, dissolved in water and poured on. During the seedling stage, fertilize every 15 days, using 15-18 kg of urea, 15 kg of potassium fertilizer, 20 kg of phosphate fertilizer per mu, or 35-40 kg of NPK compound fertilizer, or 2000 kg of decomposed human manure water fertilizer applied as liquid. This promotes strong buds and growth. Loosen the soil appropriately in the early stage and weed promptly. Keep 2-3 thick buds per plant and remove weak young buds promptly to prevent excessive density from affecting growth. When temperatures warm up in April, apply 40-50 kg of NPK compound fertilizer 1-2 times per month to promote stem and leaf elongation and thick stems. In May-June, apply a heavy fertilizer once: 40-50 kg of bran powder, 50 kg of phosphate fertilizer per mu, or 600-800 kg of decomposed chicken manure, then appropriately earth up and level the beds to prevent lodging. After that, apply additional fertilizer as needed based on the growth of lucky bamboo, avoiding excessive nitrogen which causes leaf overgrowth. Spray foliar fertilizer plus plant growth regulators once every 15-20 days to promote stem height and thickness, dark green leaf color and thicker leaves.
During the growth period, lucky bamboo prefers moisture. Keep a shallow water layer in the furrows. In high temperatures, sprinkle water to cool and maintain moisture. After each fertilization, water once to promote fertilizer dissolution and facilitate root absorption, making the plants grow vigorously.
4. Insert stakes and run lines. When plants grow to a certain height, their upper weight can easily cause lodging, affecting growth and causing stem bending. Insert bamboo stakes every 1.5-2 m along the bed edges and run lines along the stakes to prevent lodging. Watch out for typhoon strikes, reinforce the shade shed and do a good job of wind protection.
Potted Plant Care
For potted lucky bamboo, use a mix of leaf mold, garden soil and river sand, or a mix of coconut coir, leaf mold, coal cinder ash with a small amount of chicken manure, soybean cake and compound fertilizer. Quality pond mud can also be used as growing medium. Plant 3-6 rooted cuttings or 6-12 terminal-bud plants per pot. During the growing season, keep the potting soil moist at all times; do not let the potting soil dry out and turn white. In midsummer, spray frequently to cool down and avoid dry leaf tips and leaves. In winter, do frost and cold protection work well to prevent leaves from yellowing and premature aging. Apply NPK compound fertilizer once every 20-25 days, evenly around the edges of the pot. Repot potted lucky bamboo every 1-2 years, remove old roots and old soil, add new growing medium to encourage early sprouting of new shoots.
Pest and Disease Control
Lucky bamboo is commonly harmed by spider mites, scale insects, cutworms, earthworms, rice grasshoppers, etc. Carbofuran can be applied along with dichlorvos spraying. To control anthracnose and leaf spot disease, use thiophanate, kasugamycin-plus, banana spot remover, and anthracnose fumei for spraying, alternating the chemicals. Apply once every 10-15 days.