A clear container works well for water and will show off your plant and pebbles.
You can grow your lucky bamboo in standing water or in soil—it’s just a matter of personal preference. Water the plant just enough so that the soil is moist. Don’t overwater. Bear in mind that too much soil or fertilization can harm your plant.
Note that tap water contains fluoride and other chemicals that can give your plant “tip burn,” or yellow leaf tips. If you plant your bamboo in water, use bottled or filtered water. Alternatively, you can let the tap water sit out for 24 hours to eliminate some of the chemicals before using it for your plant.
People often tie a gold or red ribbon around the stalks of lucky bamboo plants to hold them together, and as an extra symbol of good fortune.
Lucky bamboo’s need for indirect light is one reason they’re great office plants: even if you don’t have many windows at your workspace, your lucky bamboo can thrive. Keep the plant in a spot where the temperature is stable.
If your plant is growing in water, rinse the vase, pebbles, and plant each time you change the water. If your plant is growing in water, it’s essential to refresh the water regularly to prevent the plant from rotting.
It is especially important not to overfertilize potted plants because the fertilizer will not become diluted by rain and can’t run off like it will for plants in the ground. Check the NPK value of the fertilizer you use. NPK refers to the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium in a fertilizer. The NPK ratio for lucky bamboo fertilizer should be 2 to 2 to 2. If you can, use organic fertilizer. Many synthetic fertilizers contain salts and high phosphorous concentrations that can cause tip burn. [7] X Research source
Begin with younger stalks: they are suppler than older stalks and therefore easier to shape. You can also wrap some wire around younger stalks, crisscrossing them. As they grow, they’ll intertwine to form a trellis shape. Keep adding wire as they grow to support them.
Burned tips could be caused by a few factors: your plant isn’t getting enough water, there’s too much soil or fertilizer, or your plant’s getting too much direct sunlight. You can remove whole leaves by simply pulling them down off the stalk at the base of the leaf.
Take your longest stalk and remove the smaller leaves at the top of the shoot. With a sterile knife or scissors, cut the shoot so at least two nodes, which are the raised part of the stem, are on the new cutting. Place the shoot in a bowl of clean, distilled water. Keep it in a shady area for about one to two months until it begins to sprout roots. Once you see roots, you can plant your new lucky bamboo. You can also propagate your plant if the main plant has begun to die. Rather than toss the whole plant out, cut off healthy growth and replant them.
If your plant is growing in standing water, its roots may have tangled around the pebbles; gently cut away the roots if you cannot untangle them from the pebbles. If you want, you can divide your plant into multiple plants. Use your shears to cut through the root ball to divide your stalks and plant them in separate containers. If you are transferring a plant that was growing in water to soil, keep the soil moist for the first 2 weeks to allow the plant to acclimate. After 2 weeks, only water when the top inch or so of soil feels dry.
The plant may be labeled one of the following ways: Lucky Bamboo, Ribbon Plant, or occasionally its true name, Dracaena sanderiana.
If you’re planning to train your bamboo at home, you want a younger plant. Younger plants will be bendier than more mature plants, but they should still be smooth and unwrinkled, and they should still stand straight.
Bamboo plants don’t have a fragrance like flowers do, but if they haven’t been watered properly, they can grow bacteria and develop a stink. Check the current water levels, and check to see if it has soil or fertilization. Many bamboo plants are grown hydroponically, just in water with small rocks or pebbles to hold the stalks in place. Some may be in soil; however, check to make sure that it is at least half full of water, or the soil is moist, but not soaked.
