Find Your Ask the Expert: my bamboo plant is turning yellow
My bamboo plant’s leaves are turning yellow, and it seems to have some kind of oily slime building up on the surface of the water. I have emptied the water, run warm water over the roots, and bleached the pot it was in. When I put water back in, I boiled it and let it return to room temp. to cleanse it before adding it to the plant. Now the slime is coming back! Help! I love this plant and don’t want to lose it!!! Lisa
Reply:
Lisa,
You may have an algae problem. The best thing to do is place the lucky bamboo in an opaque container. Algae must have sunlight to grow. By placing it in a container that does not allow light, you will keep the algae from growing. Clean the new opaque pot with soapy water and rinse thoroughly. While the pot is drying, gently clean the lucky bamboo stalks with a moist towel. Place the lucky bamboo stalks back in the container and fill with distilled water. Do not fertilize the lucky bamboo.
If this does not work, we will need to examine the stalks for insects which can also produce a sticky substance.
Good luck and keep me posted.
i don’t think it’s algae, as the pot that it is in is not see-through… and it is in indirect sunlight… i think my mistake may have been fertilizing it with miracle-gro… this plant is about 3 feet tall and has a pretty large root system. it’s about 8 or so stalks all wound together by the root system, so it is impossible to separate them from one another.
the slime that i removed had an odor to it that was rank! whew… awful… it’s never been outside, but i did take a couple of rocks from outside and put them in the pot to help keep it from leaning over so much… (i have since removed these and just tied it loosely with some hemp string.) maybe this info will help you determine what i should do… thanks!
Lisa,
You might have a bacteria problem. Cleaning the container is the first course of treatment. It may take a couple cleanings before you eliminate all of the bacteria. Check for any decaying material caught in the roots or on the stems. It could be causing the bacteria Also make sure that any bottom leaves are not touching the water. The rocks that you picked up from outside could also be the problem. Any time you do this be sure to wash them first in a light bleach solution and rinse them well.
You can separate the roots and even trim a little off of them if they have become to massive. You can leave them wound together but still trim a little off the roots. It is strictly up to you. Just make sure that decaying material is not also caught in the roots.
Let me know if you think I on the right track with the bacteria.
Hey I know they sell seaweed fertilizer for lucky bamboo but I do t have any . What I do have is blue green algae from Klamath lake. Could I use this or would it create a problem.i just want to know a good product to add to the water. I got unhealthy plants and I’m trying to bring them back. I currently have them in s glass jar with the red clay looking round hydroponic stones. The stones that float a bit.
Pat,
Lucky bamboo doesn’t require much fertilizer and can survive in pure water for quite a while. Fertilize your lucky bamboo every couple of months (you can go longer). You can use a little dirty aquarium water (if you have it) or a diluted (tenth of the normal strength) water-soluble houseplant fertilizer. I wouldn’t suggest using the blue green algae as a fertilizer. Also the best time to fertilize is going to be when you change the water. Since you said your plants are unhealthy, I would suggest you read the article linked below. It will explain the various requirements for growing lucky bamboo. Hopefully after reading you may have an idea of what you can do to bring your plants back. I hope this information helps!