Lucky Bamboo Roots Turning Black: Causes and Solutions

Lucky bamboo is a very popular and well-loved plant. Besides dedicated gardeners, even people who don't usually grow plants will keep one, because its name carries excellent symbolism: growing it at home is believed to bring wealth and prosperity. And it's not just the auspicious meaning - its plant form looks very attractive too, with good ornamental value. During cultivation, if the roots turn black, its ornamental value suffers. What causes this? Below, Shuashuai will explain the causes of lucky bamboo roots turning black and the solutions!

1. Not changing the water for a long time

1. Cause:

Many gardening enthusiasts like to grow lucky bamboo in a water basin. Because it goes unattended for long periods, a lot of bacteria breed in the water. The metabolic waste that accumulates in the water over time, plus the lack of oxygen, affects its survival and causes its roots to turn black.

2. Solution

First, we need to cut off the black parts with scissors. Be sure to cut them off cleanly with nothing left behind, otherwise the remaining parts will harbor residual bacteria. After cutting cleanly, change the water and add fresh water, then pour in nutrient solution. From then on, keep changing the water this way consistently - don't just leave it unattended.

In addition, we should soak the bamboo in a diluted potassium permanganate solution to disinfect it. The dilution should not be so strong that the solution turns purple - it only needs to be a watermelon color. After soaking, rinse it with clean water and place it in fresh water to grow. The water is best boiled and cooled, or purified water.

2. Infection

1. Cause

If the plant is not cared for properly during normal maintenance, it can become infected by some pathogens, which can also cause its roots to turn black.

2. Solution

If the plant has been infected by a virus, we need to cut off the infected parts. But sometimes the blackened area is not the infected site - other causes may have led to the infection. We should gently pinch the plant with our hands; if some parts are soft, that means they need to be cut off.

There is one requirement for our cuts: the cut surface must be kept clean, and the cut area must not develop a secondary infection. Place it in a ventilated spot to let the wound dry, and then it can be returned to the bottle for normal care.

3. Fertilizing

1. Cause

If fertilizing is not done correctly, this phenomenon can also occur, because over-fertilizing is more than the plant can handle, and fertilizer that is too concentrated can burn the roots.

2. Solution

If this situation arises from fertilizing, what we need to do is add some brandy to it every three weeks - not too much - and we can also add some vitamin C. This can produce a certain effect, but there is no guarantee it will definitely cure the problem, so it still depends on everyone's careful daily care.

The above are the causes and solutions for lucky bamboo roots turning black. If you want to grow it at home, be sure to set aside time to manage and care for it, because these problems are all caused by improper care. For example, frequently not changing the water gives bacteria a chance to breed, so the plant gets attacked and the roots turn black. As long as you take good care of it, this situation is relatively rare.