Lucky bamboo care

The lucky bamboo it is not properly a bamboo, it is a member of the lily family and grows in tropical rainforests located in parts of Asia. It has become a very popular houseplant, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding it in nurseries, supermarkets, or large construction stores that sell plants.

It is a very easy to grow and care from inside your home, they don’t need potting soil, they just need to have enough water to grow well. In addition, you should know that it can grow both with natural light and in spaces that have, on the contrary, artificial light.

The lucky bamboo It comes in the form of a stem, and to determine which one is healthy and to be able to buy it without problem, it is convenient that you look at some aspects such as those detailed below:

• Both the water and the plant must have a fresh smell. If it has a strange or unpleasant smell, please do not buy it.
• Look for a firm stem and healthy white roots, black or brown spots on the tips are not good.
• Choose a stem with bright green leaves.
• You may notice a wax at the end of the stem cut, this is to prevent the fungus from penetrating the stem and help the plant to thrive.
• If you want a curved plant (some believe that luck is stronger if the plant is curved), it is best to buy it with the curves already marked, since it takes a long time to “train” the plant to grow that way. These plants can be very expensive because the growth is more elaborate, but you always have the option of growing your own curved lucky bamboo although it will take patience and a lot of time to achieve this. Later in this article we will explain a technique to do it.
• Keep in mind that the stem you buy will not grow in height; This will stay the same but what will grow will be the shoots that develop on the sides of the plant.

For plant a lucky bamboo correctly, first take the stem and wash it along with the roots. Look for any signs of deterioration and, if you find them, cut them out; Also remove any yellow leaves.

Fill the container where you want to grow the plant with stones at least 2 inches deep. The container can be anything from a glass, a vase, a delicate vase, or a decorative jar. Place the stem in the container and fix it on the support stones and add distilled water at room temperature (about 3 centimeters deep). You can plant multiple stems together in a container if you wish.

If instead of using distilled water you prefer to use tap water, it is important to let it sit for at least 24 hours before they come into contact with the stems. This will remove chlorine, fluoride and other minerals that can end up damaging the bamboo.

The clear glass containers They are very popular because you can see the stones and fresh water. However, direct light encourages the growth of algae in the water, so if you choose a container of this type you should be very careful and change the water regularly.

If, instead, you prefer to change the water less frequently, then choose one colored flowerpot. The downside to this is that you won’t be able to see the stones or control the water quality and quantity as easily.

You may want to plant your lucky bamboo in a pot with soil, but you need a good drainage mix to help you stay healthy. Use a mixture of sand, peat and soil (equal parts) and keep the soil moist; you should plant the stem at least 5 cm deep. Make sure you have a few drainage holes in the pot, as well as pottery shards or stones under the soil to ensure good drainage. We advise you to prevent root rot by allowing the top of the soil to dry out between watering and watering.

To take care of lucky bamboo, it is essential that, mainly, you carry out the following instructions:

• Provide fresh and clean water regularly to prevent the growth of bacteria.
• Change the water every week; some suggest that the change even be made twice a week.
• Check the state of the water, if it turns dark or cloudy, or starts to smell bad, you know that it is definitely time to change it.
• When you change the water check the state of the roots off the plant and cut off any that you see is starting to decay. Wash the container and the stones too, keep the same water level every time you fill it.
• Give your lucky bamboo a treat every now and then by sprinkling it with distilled waterThis will help the leaves not become too dry, as well as simulate their natural habitat.
• Every two months or so, you can feed the plant with a mild fertilizer.

This plant transplants very easilySimply take a cutting that has at least one leaf in it and place it in a cup of distilled water. The new roots should appear after a few weeks. While you wait, be sure to change the water frequently to keep it clean.

Once the roots have appeared and the cutting looks healthy, place it in the container with the stems of other plants following the instructions above.

This plant grows upwards and for make it grow curved it is something that requires patience and some skill.

The plant naturally grows towards the light, so the trick is to expose the plant to light in one direction only. Keep the plant in the container you have been using and select a box large enough to cover the plant and give it some room for growth. Cut the bottom and one side of the box, then put the box on the plant; This will cover the light of the bamboo, except for the side that you cut.

The position of the opening of the box should face the light, after some time the plant will begin to grow towards it (forming a curve). Once you see the curve, turn the box 2 centimeters as the plant will adjust and grow with a more pronounced curve.

It may take up to a year to achieve the curved shape or even longer, this explains why curved bamboos are so expensive.

The lucky bamboo is associated with the practice of Feng Shui because the plant is very resistant and symbolizes good health. It is considered to bring more luck when it is received as a gift.

Depending on the stems that the plant has, it is established that it serves to attract luck in certain aspects of life. You can look at the following guide:

• 1 stem: simple life.
• 2 stems: love, double luck.
• 3 stems: happiness, good luck, longevity.
• 4 stems: prevent disease.
• 5 stems: wealth, health, creativity, enthusiasm.
• 6 stems: health, happiness, harmony.
• 7 stems: health.
• 8 stems – growth, wealth, prosperity, abundance, business success.
• 9 stems – good fortune, better luck.
• 10 stems – complete perfection.
• 21 stems – powerful blessings.

• If the leaves turn yellow: remove the leaves just before it spreads to the rest of the plant. It can be a problem with too much light or if you are using tap water, switch to distilled. Avoid using too much fertilizer.
• If the edges of the leaves are brown: the air is too dry or the water is not filtered enough; although it can also be caused by an excess of fertilizer.
• If the stem turns yellow: caused by too much fertilizer. Remove the stem from the pot or container if it grows with other stems and let it grow on its own for a while. Return the stem to the others if it regains its health; this is to avoid affecting the other stems in case one of them is dying.
• If the stems are too soft or brown: means the stem is rotting, remove it from the container immediately and change the water. You can try to save the top of the stem by cutting it off.

If you want to know more about bamboo and other plants, we advise you to discover Green Ecology, the most up-to-date ecology and gardening website.

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