Find Your Ask the Expert: Bamboo plant
I bought a very small bamboo plant that needed some care. It seems to be coming back with some new growth. It’s in about a three inch square container. When do they need to be transplanted, can you use any type of container, does it take special rocks to put it in, how often does the water need to be replaced? Michelle
Reply:
I assume you are asking about a lucky bamboo plant and not real bamboo, since it is growing in water. The nice thing about lucky bamboo is that it is fairly easy to care for and does not require a lot of space to grow. This includes the amount of space inside the container its self. In fact lucky bamboo is happiest when crowded which is why it can remain for years in the same container. Lucky bamboo grows very slowly so unless the lucky bamboo is busting out of it container leave it alone. If the only the roots are the problem, you can trim the roots to better fit the container.
As for water, try to keep the level constant. To do this you might need to add water in between water changes. Of this will depend on the humidity level and size of your arrangement. The acceptable practice for changing water in your lucky bamboo container is every two to three weeks. To do this you will need distilled water or tap water that has been in an open container for 24 hours.
As for rocks, you will need clean and chemical free pebbles or rocks. Many people use river rocks that are available at your local nursery or garden center.
Good luck and please keep me posted.
I just bought lucky bamboo from lowe’s and realized that it is planted with pebbles on top that are glued together and soil below the pebbles it is also in a small container. I don’t mind the container it is in, I am just concerned for the plant and have three questions. (1) I was wondering if I should replant it and if the container is the right size? (2) How do I know when it outgrows its container? (3) Do I plant it in soil or pebbles with filtered water? Over the summer I tried replanting my first lucky bamboo plant from water to soil and it died in a week
Brett,
Despite the fact that lucky bamboo can be grown in both water and soil, taking the plant from one to the other is not a good idea. It is best to allow the plant to grow in the medium it is accustom to. Lucky bamboo doesn’t require a large container to grow. It is time to replace the container when the roots in the container take up more space than the soil or the plant becomes too top heavy for the container.
I just poured out all the rocks and water that my lucky bamboo was sItting in. I rinsed the rocks and the square vase. I then put some of the now clean rocks at the bottom of the vase. Then I put my lucky bamboo on top of those rocks. Then I returned the rest of the rocks back to the vase, around and over the plant. But then it occurred to me that the rocks might be crushing the roots. What shoot I do? Should I take the rocks back out and just put the plant in a tall vase no rocks with only 2 inch water?
Hi Erin,
Lucky Bamboo, luckily, are okay being in tight spaces. In fact, they like it. If you are worried about the roots and the container it’s in, then you can trim the roots for the bamboo to fit its container.
My lucky bamboo is getting yellow what should I do?
Hi Zara! A few things can cause lucky bamboo to turn yellow — too much light or too much fertilizer. If it’s turning yellow from the bottom up, that usually is a sign of too much fertilizer. In a case like this, your best course of action is to change the water and rinse the container. Refill with distilled water and do not add fertilizer. You can find more info here. Hope this helps!