ask the expert
I was interested in learning how to take care of my lucky bamboo plant. You give good advise although you did not specify how often to water the plant or how much water is sufficient.
LJ
Watering Lucky Bamboo
June 21, 2007 by
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LJ
Watering plants is a lot like salting your soup. I could tell you to put a teaspoon of salt in your soup every time but conditions change. The same holds true with watering plants, but here are a few rules to go by:
For lucky bamboo grown in water
Keep eye on water level — every time it gets to the half full mark add more water. Remember humidity and container size will effect water usage. Every two weeks change the water and then fill with fresh water (be sure to use distilled water or tap water that has set overnight in an open container).
For lucky bamboo grown in soil
Soil should be kept slightly moist. I test mine by sticking my finger about an inch into the soil. If the soil feels damp but not wet then I leave it. If the soil feels chalky I water it then test it with my finger to see if it has gotten enough water.
How do I know when to transplant my bamboo?
I got 4 little one inch pots 2 yrs ago, the plants are 6-8 inches tall, healthy and green.
Do I need to trasplant them into a bigger container, and if so can I combine more than one of the plants.
Daryl,
Lucky bamboo likes to be crowded. I transplant mine only when it gets to tall for the container. I start by cutting the stalk about an inch above a node. Nodes are the raised rings that grow around the stalk. Leave the stalk in the original pot and after a few days start misting the stalk until new growth appear. Take the top of the stalk that you cut off and dip it in rooting hormone (nursery centers will have this product). Let the plant with the rotting hormone dry overnight then place in a container with water. Roots will eventually form and you will have new plants.
If you decide to place your lucky bamboo in a different container, it should not be more than 2″ larger than the lucky bamboo.