Lucky Bamboo
Dracaena sanderiana, better known as Lucky Bamboo is not a bamboo but belongs to the lily family. It grows under low light conditions in the rain forest canopy in Southeast Asia. This makes it an ideal plant for the office, or room with little sun. It is used in the Feng Shui system, as green is a lucky color attracting positive chi. Lucky bamboo is given on special occasions such as the New Year.
Care:
Lucky bamboo needs little care and should be grown in the shade/no direct sun at temperatures between 60-80F. It grows well under fluorescent lights. Keep the plant in at least 2 inches of water and change the water weekly. Use bottled spring (not distilled) or rain water. Tap water may have too many chemicals (salts, chlorine, and fluoride) which can lead to yellowing stem and an eventual slow death.
Feed only when leaves turn a light color. Use fish emulsion or a diluted organic fertilizer.
Keep the plant away from heating vents and air conditioners.
Troubleshooting problems
Brown tips 1. too much fertilizer or other chemicals such as fluoride in the water 2. low humidity
Yellowing leaves: 1. too much direct sun exposure 2. watering with tap water that is softened or fluoridated.
Webbing on the leaves– indicates spider mites. Wash the leaves can help control the problem.
The jel-like substance on the roots is a polyacrylamide, white crystal granules that swell up like a sponge and holds up to 200 times its weight in water. It is not harmful to the roots. In fact, it reduces the need for watering as it slowly releases the absorbed water over an extended period of time. Once all the moisture is gone, the gel shrinks back to its original size and will need to be rehydrated. This polymer will not harm the plant, perhaps save you some watering time. You can leave it or rinse off the slippery gel. Lucky bamboo stalks are often shipped in this polymer to maintain moisture on the roots.
I recently got a bamboo plant from my sister. It really thrived when it was with her and is huge. I didn’t really have a place for it in my house until I get my new bedroom all set up. The place a put it had no light and I eventually realized that the vent was blowing air directly on it. Now, my leaves are a little wrinkled. What is the best way to fix wrinkled leaves? Thanks.
i have a shoot that i got with some flowers and now my flowers have died and i have my one shoot that’s growing what should i do to keep it and it’s growing more shoots on the bamboo it self ?
Infected rotting stem
Hi… I hope you can help me… The stem near the roots of my plant is rotting.. it’s becoming soft and i think its infecting the rest of the stem. What should I do? The roots seem to be healthy. I want to save the plant.Furthermore, some of the edges of the leaves of the plant are turning yellow. Please help. Thanks!
I’ve had my bamboo plants for years, and only this past year I’ve been having trouble with it. The leaves started turning yellow, so I started fertilizing it. Now, the leaves are turning even more yellow and one has turned a little brown. Have I over fertilized? Also, there are deposits around the stems and opaque container. Should and how should I clean this? Note: The stems are still a nice deep green and new buds are appearing, however I do now noticed a crack in one stem towards the base. I’d love to nurse my plant back to help, so any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Gel-like substance
Hi, I got my lucky bamboo plant just yesterday. It was in a container with super absorbent polymer (gels). I’ve already read a few sites and I can’t definitely find the answer I’m looking for. Is it okay for the plant to live with super absorbent polymers only? and can you give me a few tips on how to take care of the plant, planted in those super absorbent polymers? thank you
Hi! I have a bamboo plant that I’ve had for over ten years; it’s been with me through several moves and has held up very well and been very healthy. Within the last few weeks I’ve noticed several leaves and stalks turning yellow and dried-out; I haven’t changed how often I water it or the type of water I use or moved the plant recently. What could be wrong and how can I save it? Thanks!
roots in upper part of stalkI bought this as an aquarium plant. I then read that it was slightly toxic and the fish have been nipping at it. So I removed it and was going to keep it in a vase with rocks and water. There are roots at the top of the plant that aren’t in water anymore. I don’t have a vase big enough to put them in water. Will it be ok if the roots are just in the air? There are roots at the bottom of the stalk too that are in water.
bamboo stalk smells bad
HI, I have a few ” bamboo stalks” and put them in seperate vases with rocks. I have notices that they smell bad and I have only had them for a few days. Please advise me on how this happend and what I can do? Thank you
I bought a lucky bamboo, and it hasnt been a yr since. Sme of the leaves were dried out and yellow, like two to three leafs. When i pulled them out, there were these weird bumpy looking things. Im not quite sure what they are. Theyre brown and the leaves that covered it dried out and turned yellow. I dont think theyre worms or anything.. i feel like theyre a part of the plant bt it kind of scares me. what is up with that stuff? Is that normal?
I have some bamboo that I keep around my snakes cage and it was fine until I had to move. During which, they wiggled and lost some roots. I used to give them water from a purifier but now i get it from the tap, is that bad? The stalks are yellow with dark moldy looking spots on them and are squishy, the leaves are also droopy and yellow with only about 3 leaves that are still greenish but they are fading. I currently have them in my room but it does get a bit hot in there. I also have them in a vase with rocks and the rocks are starting to get algae on them. I really don’t want them to die is there any help you can give me? Thank you so much!
Hey. I just purchased a lucky bamboo and put it in a vase with my new betta. I have a few questions concerning this:
1) Do I still need to add plant nutrients to the water or is that harmful to the fish?
2) The plant came in a plastic cup of sorts with slits on the side. Inside there is a green mossy substance around the roots. It doesn’t look very good, but I don’t know if it’s better for the plant and fish to leave it in that cup or if I should let the roots run free.
3) Are partial water changes weekly okay for the plant or do I need to do a complete water change?
Also, if you think of any other tips or care instructions please let me know! I had a lucky bamboo a while back that died on me because I didn’t know to change the water frequently or not to use tap water.
Thanks!
Hi. I have two lucky Bamboo plants in the same vase. The vase is pretty wide so the plants have space at the roots, but a little short so my plants aren’t stable. I decided to put some rocks in the vase to hold the plants. Will it damage the plant if the rocks cover the roots? Thank you so much for your help.
hi there…. i ve got this lucky bamboo in a big vase and it overgrown very healthy, thank god… but now its taking too much space… is there any way i can cut the stem and not ruin it????
Hi there. I just purchased a lucky bamboo from a grocery store. It was out of water for approximately 45 minutes, and the roots were dry when I got home. I placed it in water immediately, but I’m not sure if it was soon enough to save the roots. I was wondering if I should leave it in the water for observation, or if I should cut the stalk and try growing new roots? Also, if I leave it in the water for observation, what signs do I look for if this technique does not work? Thanks much for your help.
Leaf shoot cutting
One of three of my Lucky Bamboos,just the stock has turned yellow & soft and is soft but the leaves are a bright beautiful green (theres a tiny thin 1 inch branch with these beautiful leaves) is there any way to save it?
Tiny yellow spot
I have three bamboo plants that I’ve been trying to take care of. Unfortunately, I spaced and forgot to check their water one week and didn’t realize it until I checked it the next week and saw the water empty. Two of the plants seem to be doing fine, still green and only one or two leaves were effected by the lack of water. The third plant, though, started to have some leaves turn yellow and the stalks shriveled up a bit (they didn’t really shrink, just got small wrinkles) I’ve been careful about the watering since and the wrinkle seem to be getting a little better.
I cut off the yellow leaves and am watching the plant carefully, today I noticed that one of the stalks has a tiny yellow spot (about the size of a pinhead). Is it possible to save this stalk? I know the usual suggestion is to cut the stalk, but because of where the spot is it would result in half of it being cut off.
I have a healthy 5 stalk lucky bamboo plant with each of the 5 stalks having the leafy shoot toward the top. 3 of the stalks now have additional shoots starting in the middle and toward the bottom of the plant. Is there a way to cut off and transplant the “baby shoots” that are now growing further down on the stalks? I’d like to start another plant if possible with those shoots. Please explain if possible. Thank you!
yellowing stalk
hi…i have 7 bamboo stalks.all are good from the past 1 yr,but one of it is becoming yellow color and the stalk get some fungus nd it becomes soft.i dont know what to do.please help me.
When I first replanted my mothers lucky bamboo in water I didn’t think about rocks, so I took 4 Twist Ties, and just made one side like a hook and just had them go out to hook at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00 o’clock on the top of the glass, sure this isn’t the “best” way I know, but it did work and so far has continued to do really well, I’m sure there’s more answers but that’s what I did.
ive had many bambo plants and after awhile they keep dying, the stalks turn brown but i never replant them into bigger containers. my question is how to know when its time for them to be replanted into a larger container before they die.
Soft stems
Hi, my bamboo stalk is getting soft and the two stalks growing out of the main one ae not standing up straight. I propped up the stems bit what do I do about the softness of the stem? What does that mean?
Yellowing stem/black spots
Hey I brought my lb plant in late febuary its in a very complex pot a lower row of shoots and another row inside that one but taller growing around a green plastic pipe which is ment to be used when watering. So the water must go down to the pipe. The remaining space is covered in silver little stones. Recently some of the leaves began to yellow and one stem on the lower row has began to go yellow. There’s also some black dots on some of the stems, it’s out of direct sunlight and I water it everyweek with tap water. Please help how can I stop yellowing, clean it by emptying the old water as I cannot actually see the roots or anything because of the way it’s planted and how can I get rid of those black dots
Propagate lucky bamboo
hi,just bought a dozen 3-foot tall L.B. i was planning to use it as give-aways for my upcoming wedding. thinking i would cut it by stalk then put it in a glass container. is it possible for it to grow and root through the stem?
Stalk growth
Ok I know this is a pretty dumb question so I apologize now. I’ve read many sites and keep getting different answers. I’ve recently gotten a lucky bamboo and I was wondering if the actual plant keeps growing. Not just the leaves because those have gotten quite large already so I know they do lol. But I would like to know if the actual stalk continues to grow. And if they do about how fast does it grow? Thank you.
I’ve had my LB for a few years. Last year, the LB in question’s main stalk began to yellow from the top and die, but only at the top. In fact, the top and part of the side of the stalk died, but the rest is green and very healthy. There were two leafy stalks at the top, one higher and on the opposite side of the other leafy stalk. The higher one died with that part of the stalk, but the lower one didn’t die at all. (Now that I look back on it, the higher leafy stalk that ended up dying didn’t grow much even when there wasn’t any death. The other leafy stalk would grow more leaves, but this one wouldn’t. I remember worrying about it.) The death stopped RIGHT above that lower leafy stalk, but dipped down lower on the opposite side. The death hasn’t spread any more this past year and is hard and tan. Oh, and after the death stopped, it grew a new leafy stalk towards the bottom, which is very green and has grown a lot. The leaves on that bottom leafy stalk are acually bigger than the leaves of the higher one! Anyway, I’ve heard of plants doing okay even with a dead part, but If I can, I’d rather cut that part off. The problem is, the side opposite of that higher leafy stalk is dead, so I don’t think I can just cut just the dead part off since some of the cut would be vertical.
I’m bad at describing things so I took pictures of the death straight on (http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e48/Muryou/P3080030.jpg) and from the side (http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e48/Muryou/P3080029.jpg).
Question 1: Is the death really done spreading? It hasn’t moved in a year, so I’m hoping it’s done, but it stopped at such a strange place for it not to take that higher leafy stalk!
Question 2: Can I cut off just the dead part, even with the strange vertical curve, or would I have to cut it straight across in order for the plant to be okay? It’s just that I like the higher leafy stalk that survived…
Question 3: By the way, my LB’s roots are mostly green. Is that okay? It’s not just the one with the dead part, my other one with 3 green leafy stalks and no issues also has a lot of green roots. (Though the roots of the LB in question are a little more green than the other’s.)
Tall and lanky bamboo
Thank you so much for this blog! I spent about 30 minutes reading the various posts and answers before deciding that I should just post my own question, as I was really not having the same problems as everyone else.
Then, lo and behold I come to Katie’s post on Feb 8 and there is my exact situation! I too purchased my lucky bamboo well over a year ago from Walgreens and have been completely happy with it. I found this site by searching out how to re-plant it in a bigger pot(assuming I should do so). The plant is so beautiful, in a 3″ diameter, 5 1/2″ high round ceramic container with rocks in the bottom. About 6 to 8″ of stalk is above the container lip, and I too have never changed or drained the water, have always used tap water with Schultz 10-15-10 plant food from spring through fall, filling the vase to the top with water, and exposed it to sunlight everyday (by opening the vertical blinds). I did notice the roots have crawled up the insides of the vase, and they are orange.
The only reason I was thinking I should re-plant it is because it is getting so tall! The leaves are probably 2 to 2 1/1 ft tall. Otherwise the plant is super healthy although I think it may be pot bound by the roots now and I really don’t want to upset it.
Looking at the answer given to Katie, it seems I should follow that same advice and leave well enough alone…except I still wonder is there any reason to change the pot? Thank You!
I received a lucky bamboo for New Year and as a Valentine’s Day gift. The bamboo is bent and grown in the shape of hearts. A portion of the stem (the end which as a few leaves) has turned yellow and soft but only about 1 inch. Can one salvage the rest of the stem since only a small portion of it is soft/yellow?
Hi,
I got a lucky bamboo plant two years ago at a large retail store (like Walmart) and have have been reading stuff about lucky bamboo care that really has me confused. The plant stocks (only two) are about 10 inches long with nice healthy leafs shooting off of them. The pot it’s in is 3 inches in width and five in length. Is is planted in stones with water. But here is the weird part – I have never changed its water. I’ve had to top up the water once and awhile due to evaporation and plant growth but I’ve never changed it (drained out the water and filled it up again, or disrupt the stones). I didn’t think you were suppose to. There is absolutely no sulphur of icky smell coming from the water. There is hardly a smell at all unless you think wet rocks smell. Is this not possible? Do I have some kind of magical plant that doesn’t let water go stagnant? Anyway I have become quite fond of this plant because it’s been around so long and want to do what is right for it but my thinking is, why change a good thing? What are your thoughts on this?
Thank you
Black spots on stalk
One stalk has tiny black spots but doesn’t spread. it doesn’t seem to have bacterial\fungal problems and is only found in the middle of the stalk. I changed it to another separate clean container with root hormone(to get it to grow more roots)and the spots are still there. what should I do?!
I have a 3 Lucky Bamboo plants(2 are in the process of growing stalks because i had to cut them off from the dieing mother plant) how should i care for them. right now the are trying to grow roots in water with root hormone. and could you explain the anatomy of the l.b. because now i am confused.
Hi Leoncio
Are you rooting he stalks or the leafy shoots from the stalks?
Black spots on stalk
A lady here at work has a “lucky” bamboo that is not so lucky, I am trying to help save it. However I am afraid it is not going to make it. There are brownish/black spots all along the 3 stalks which are dry and brittle, two weeks ago they were very soggy… there was an awful smell coming from it 2 weeks ago which has since kinda disappeared… I pulled what I could of the dead leaves off…However there are 2 healthy very petite green leaves coming from the top. It is here in our office and 4 days out of the week when I am here at work I keep it under my light at my desk for about 10 hours. But the rocks in the container do have the residue mentioned in above inquiries, from the tap water issues. Is this plant beyond repair or can it be salvaged? Thanks…
Can used tea leaves act as a fertiliser for L B like they do for some other indoor plants?
Yellow stalk
Hi,
I bought a lucky bamboo and have had it for about 3 weeks and I have changed the water once. After changing the water, the middle began to turn yellow and shrivel up. What caused this? and can it be saved or should I cut it and try to let the top grow roots?
hello!~
i’ve had my bamboo plant in the glass vase and stone since i bought it over a yr ago.
i would like to replant it in a larger container. may i just remove it from the old container and replant it in another larger glass container with stones.
or
has it been in water too long and needs soil??
it is very happy right now, i thought maybe it could use some room to grow
thank you for your time!~
Hi,
I’ve had my L.B. plant for well over a year now and she has grown several stalks that are about a foot tall now on the main stalks. I’ve worked with spider plants and I was curious if I do the same with these extra stalks I want to replant. Do I cut them off, or tear them off and place them in a cup of water till they grow roots and then replant them? OR is it safe to take them off and just replant them in water. I don’t want to do soil if at all possible. The water and stones seem to be doing just fine for the mother plant.
hi, i’ve had my lucky bamboo for abour 4 years now ans it been through a few rough times, but it been growing well, it now 1.2 meters high with 4 new branche comming of them, i’vve alway kept it in soin and watered it with tap water untill a few weeks ago when some white crystal/powder substance becan forming on the leaves ( not the stalks) i’ve wiped the stuff off and watered my plant with tap water left out in the sun for several days but the stuff keeps forming on the leaves ( which are now turning yellow/brown and dying)
please help me, i dont know whats wrong and how to fix it
Reading all the comments, questions, and responses were helpful and informative, but I still have a question. Can you have lucky bamboo in too much water? I recently chnaged out the vase because my 3 stalks were too tall. They are currently in a tall, wide vase with just a few rocks and mostly water. I now know that the tap water is turning the leaves yellow and I will take care of that, but can they have too much water? Do they prefer to have their roots crowded?
I’ve noticed small black spots on the stem of one of my lucky bamboo stalks. I skimmed through the comments left here, but the replies for when other people ask similar questions seem to be about mold or fungus. I’m almost definitely sure that this is no type of mold or fungus, since it hasn’t spread onto the other two lucky bamboo stalks right next to it, nor does it look like a mold or fungus that you would see on a plant. It may be bacterial, but the rate of spread seems far too slow to be something like that (there is noticeable change only if you look at it in one month intervals). The new shoots are all fine, and the plant and roots look healthy overall, but the black spots still seem slightly awkward. I’ve been changing the water every other week, and I’ve changed containers several times since I’ve seen these spots, but nothing seems to make it improve.
Also, on another plant, I noticed that there are heavy lines forming on one of the older shoots… It’s barely over two inches tall now, and it seemed fine, until about a week ago. I think the closest thing I can think of that has a similar texture would be the leaves of a leek. This condition exists on only one shoot from the plant, and all the other shoots and all other plants do not have this condition.
Any tips?
Poisonous to animals
Can you tell me if Lucky Bamboo is poisonous to cats? If it is what is the toxicity of it?
Thanks!
I need to cut one of the stalks off, its way too tall and leans badly, needs a new vase. I don’t trim the leaves very often, unless discolored. Where should I cut the long stalk off, and should I put some rocks in the bottom of the new vase before putting it in there?
I have had a lucky bamboo growing in the same vase of water and rocks for 9 years. I had to trim it once, the piece i cut off died in a glass of water after a couple months. It needs trimming again, and I was wondering what the best idea would be to do with the 2 ft piece i cut off so it doesnt die. Also, I was wondering if I should leave the rest of the original in the vase. The vase hasnt been cleaned in the 9 yrs, but the plant still seems healthy.
Are you trimming the leaf shoot or the stalk?
Hi i have just bought a nice 2 meter tall lucky bamboo from a friend, the plant leaves were nice & erect at my frinds place but as soon as i shifted them to my place i have noticed the leaves starting to become weak & are hanging down like there’s no life in them.
does the plant need more light, or do i just need to water them as the soil is somewhat still wet.
Hi,
Just a question from my grandmother, she has had her lucky bamboo for about 3 yrs its grown really tall almost hitting the roof in her house, she would like to know if you can trim the stems down and will it still grow back???
Hello,
I was reading the questions others posted and your response. They were all very helpful but I have a question that I don’t see listed above. Even though I am thinking of switching from water to soil, that’s not a major concern for me. I’ve had my plant for more than 3 years, given to me on Valentine’s Day by my husband, the plant is gorgeous and has been thriving in water all this time. My question is this. It is currently in the same vase it was in 3 years ago. I read from earlier postings that the new container should be no more than 1-2 inches larger than the current one. So since my container is tall and the plant has grown “up”, does that mean I can’t put it in a wide container? Do I need to find a another vase but only taller? I want my plant to grow “out” now. Can I repot it in a regular “round” pot now and should be the pot be fairly large or is a small one ok?
Hi there, I need some help with my lucky bamboo!!
It is sitting in water with rocks and I always sit my water out 24 hours or longer before changing it.
I am noticing the stalks starting to shrivel at the top, however they are still nice and solid looking at the bottom. What is causing this? How can I fix it before it starts to shrivel more and turn yellow.
Please advise.
Thank you,
Natalie
hi. um out of the 12 Lucky Bamboo stalks that we have, 3 of them had a bunch of tiny black dots and i think it was the fungal/bacteria that was mentioned a few times before so i removed them…but then what do i do? We plant the bamboo in soil.
which ferilizer shud i use???
The leaves of my year old bamboo plant look nice and green, but the stalks have turned yellow. I suppose I have to cut off the yellow part, but the yellow goes half way up a curled stalk. Can I salvage the curled stalk? Also, how does one make a stalk “curl?
hi…the leaves of my bamboo plant are turning into yellow colour…how can i save them…im not able to find out the reason…what care shud be taken in summer for lucky bamboo???
Hello,
2 stalks from my bamboo plant turned yellow , I removed it. Now my qus. is wheather the bamboo plant will be still lucky or do i need to change and buy new one?
I changed by bamboo plants in the past as well.
Please help on this.
Hi, I’ve just read about the Yellowing of stalks and when are like this they are dead. But how about if the end of a stalk is just started to turn Yellow? Can it be saved? Should I cut off the Yellow end?
hey, i just got a lucky bamboo and it has like dried white substance on it. is this good or bad? how can i get rid of it if its bad?
Hey, Wow… I couldn’t be more thankful for all this awesome information provided for everyone. I have 5 Lucky Bamboos downstairs in my room. It’s quite cool, and I have quite a small window, so theyre getting their fair share amount of light. The water, as you said no too much and changed every bit. But everytime I seem to buy new lucky bamboo’s and add it to the vase, they either die, or the ones I had before die. Why is that? Do I need to seperate them for a bit before and then add them to the tank?
Thanks =)
I have had my lucky bamboo plant for 4 years and now it has just overgrown with leaves and the stalks are thick. I do see where the tap water has made the leaves yellow but the stalks are a h,ealthy green. My question is a weird one: what do I do when I attempt to replant it and I discover they will not come out of the vase?! The roots have taken over and I cannot get them out at all. Should I break the vase?
hi…i want my bamboo to grow fast…i bought it six months ago but iam not able to see gud growth…what shud be done to the bamboo to grow fast…..u were saying about aspirin in ur last post….how can aspirin help bamboo
slimy back fungus on rocks
Hi, I’ve had a bamboo for a year and a half and it’s grown a ton and started another shoot. I regularly change the water and wash off the rocks that keep it secured and about a month ago I switched it into a bigger vase since it’s so much taller. I just left for 8 days on spring break and when I came back some of the leaves have yellowed and there was a slimy black fungus growing on top of the rocks. It smelled like a mixture of dirt and crap (literally) and I almost puked it because it was so overwhelming. Any ideas of what caused it and how to get rid of it?
PLANT IN SOIL
PLEASE HELP I NEED TO REPLANT MY LUCKY BAMBOO IN SOIL HOW DO I DO THIS
I received a Lucky bamboo about 2yrs ago, in a 2″x2″ glass container. It seems to have gel in the bottom 1/2″ & then some black stone-like filler, topped by blue chalk-like pebbles. It has grown a healthy foot tall,the leaves are long, about 3″ & quite thin. I watered it (boiled water left over 2days) whenever it was down an inch or so. This is the 1st time I have read any comments for bamboo care & I noticed you advise changing the water- which I have not done at all! I definitely do not like the green algae on the bottom & am wondering if I can replace all those layers with a few decoratives marbles / stones? Should I also move into a bigger vase, leaving roots intact if there are none dead or mushy? How many years do these generally live?
How long will it takefor the leafs change color???I put red coloring in the water!!!Thats my favorite color!!!
if you put food coloring in your bamboo’s water will it change colors?
hi…ihave a bamboo stalk …the bottom portion of the stalk is yellow color and top portion is green …even the leaves are dark green but there is no growth in the stalk…what shud i do.???can i cut off the yellow part and keep the remaining greenish part in water??will it develop new roots???
in some of ur above posts you asked some one to apply wax on the top of the stalk…which wax should i use…??candle wax???is it okk???????plz reply….
I just pruchased a Lucky Bamboo in a nice 4″ x 4″ wide vase with little stones on the top. I got it 6 days agoand today when I watered it the water just sits on top of the stones and dosen’t drain down into the vase. Is this normal? Will the water drain down? I stuck my finger in into the stones and they go down pretty deep. How long before the water drains?
Thank you
Jose
i have a lucky bamboo plant with 4 tier arrangement….i got it 2 months back….iam not able to see any growth in them till now???whats the reason???
some of the stalks dont have roots too……..some stalks are in brown color at their bottom….shud i remove them??
one of the stalk is greenish yellow…so i have taken out and planted in soil…is that a good idea…..plz reply
I’ve had lucky bamboo for a few years now, without any problems. I was tickled when one of my pair grew a new sprout after a cat knocked it completely off of the ledge and the stem broke.
My problem is with my other stalk – I had it on another ledge by itself, and yes, a cat decided that it wanted to “share space” and knocked it over, but not down. I rescued it and refilled the water, leaving it by my other plants (and other stalk) by my sink.
Soon after, the top leaves browned, as did the stem, about a quarter of the way down the stem. It is not all the way around, as the browning was interrupted at the other leaf node. The brown area is squishy and recently became afflicted with brown specks.
I’ve recently cleaned the container and changed out the water, using filtered water instead of from the tap like I had been. The browning stopped spreading but shows no sign of repairing itself. Will it ever? Our water is extremely hard, but it has not appeared to affect any of my other plants, nor the other lucky bamboo stalk.
Will patience be my best virtue here? If not, is it possible to salvage the living leaf shoot? There is disease above and below it, and would require cutting on an angle, instead of straight across.
Bownish/orange roots
Hey, i just bought a bamboo stalk from a store. I have it in a glass jar with those glass rock things from craft stores. It’s very long and has a big healthy leaf shoot.
The only issue is that it and it’s fellow bamboo stalks all had brownish/orangy roots. Is that what they look like naturally and will this go away with proper care?
I got three lucky bamboo plants a few years back and so far, there is absolutely nothing wrong with them that I can see, feel, or smell. But recently I moved into a home where people smoke cigarettes indoors all day long. Is this going to have a negative effect on my plants?
I cut my lucky bamboo as described, below a ring, because the leaves were very discoloured. I moved it so a better location and cut the section with discoloured leaves off and discarded it leaving only stalk. This was about 2 months ago but I haven’t seen any new leaf shoots yet. Is there something else I should be doing.
You stated above that you shouldn’t use distilled water. I have been on many other websites that require distilled water for this plant, and not spring water. So I went out and bought a gallon. Why is it different on your page? I’m worried now, because one of the stalks is completely yellow, with one little green leaf. Am I able to remove the stalk from the other two so they don’t get infected?
I have just recently purchased 5 stalks of lucky bamboo and had a question about creating new buds on the stalks. From all the pictures i have seen and the way mine are growing, each stalk has only 1 bud coming off of it that is growing leaves. Is there a way you can start new buds on a stalk so there can be more than 1 spot on a stalk that will sprout leaves off of it. Thanks
I was wondering If i could send someone a picture and they could maybe circle on paint where I have to cut the plant, becuase im very new to plants and i have no idea what im doing, my friend gave it to me since shes moving and it has a bacteria infection (like a white and grey coloring on top of the soil) and is it better for soil or water for the lucky bamboo?
How do I get rid of the hard, white, crusty substance forming around the stalks of my Lucky Bamboo plant? I have never given it tap water and believe it may be a fungus.
Hi, the glass vase that my lucky bamboo is in has bad water stains just above the water level where its evaporated. I want to wash them away with vinegar, but don’t know if its harmful to plant, or if I should just move plant to new vase. Also, I’ve read in the other postings that there should only be 2 inches of water around roots, I have more than that, and I have a new shoot growing from the bast of the original one that is completely submerged in water, should I drain the water so the leaves aren’t submerged or wait till they grow above it on their own?
i have a question. i have had a lucky bamboo for 2months, i think he is getting a little to big for the container, the roots are starting to stick up out of the pebbles and some are starting to stick up against the glass…does this mean that i need to get him a bigger container? thanks 🙂
Hello- I need help! I live away from home and when my parents were visiting, my mother bought a bamboo plant and gave it to me! It is in a tiny ceramic pot that is decorated with a little Chinese fisherman on it. I have taken very good care of it, and it has grown tall healthy baby stalks from its roots. However, I see the rocks are sinking after some time!! Can I add more or do I need to repot?? I want to keep the same container, so if I clean it out, HOW DO I DO THIS without breaking or harming the stalks?!?! I know one stalk can be thrown out, it came brown brown and dead. Please help!! I am scared to remove it for fear I will harm it!!
I bought my lucky bamboo from a chinese woman at an asian festival about 3 or 4 months ago. I live in Chicago. It came in a clay pot with rocks. I keep it on my window sill that gets some filtered direct light for a few hours and water it with tap water. It has more than doubled it’s size and is green and healthy. I want to know when I should replant it in a new pot since it is so healthy, yet growing quickly. I bought a new pot that is about 2 or 3 inches bigger and I have rocks to put ino it, but I’m not sure I should replant now or wait for a change in the plant in order to replant. Also a florest told me that replanting any plant can be traumatic. Any ideas?
Mel from Chicago: Since my plant is faring well in water with rocks, I want to continue with that, but should I wait or is it o.k. to do so now. By the way thanks for all your knowledge. This plant is the first live plant I’ve had for more than 2 months that I didn’t kill
I think I have root rot on my newly acquired plant. The story goes that I bought one shoot at the fair with no container. So I put it in a glass of water (possibly too much) and left it for a week. Then I moved it to another container with less water and now about a 1/8 of the base of the plant is black and it is starting to get into the roots. The taproot is above the node (the white, now black, ring) which I think is a good thing since that part is green. And the rest of it is green as well. I need an explanation of this issue. Can I cut the decay off along with the affected roots? Will more roots grow? Or is it hopeless? I need to know asap!!! Also.. how do you create a drainage system for these plants if they cannot be submersed in water?
Hoping you can help with my lucky bamboo plant! My mother in law gave it to me and it looked wonderful for about 9 mos. We changed the water about every three weeks and it was growing like crazy. Looked great!
When summer came, we turned on our evaporative cooler (sometimes called a swamp cooler). Sort of like an air conditioner, but it cools the air with water and blows the cooled air into the house thru a vent. The vent is in the same room as the lucky bamboo plant. Anyway after about a month or so, the leaves turned yellow. We tried moving it to a different room, but that didn’t help. We thought that maybe there was too much moisture in the air from the swamp cooler. But now suspect that adding bleach to the water a few times during the summer (if the water stands in the cooler for sever days it can get mildewy and stinky) may have affected the plant.
Anyway, we decided to cut off all of the leaves at the stalk with sharp scissors, thinking that new leaves would grow similar to when you prune other plants and bushes. But it has been almost a month and there is no sign of new growth. The areas where we cut have hardened over, similar to the top of each stalk.
The stalks are still fairly green and we have continued to change the water and rinse the roots.
Is there anything we need to do to promote new leaf growth?
Root question:
Background – I’ve had my L.B. about 4 years. It has grown several feet in height, I have cut some sections that looked worse and new growth came out the sides. It has sent new stalks up from the root base which have grown well. I used to use a few drops of Schultz 2-7-7 Cactus Plus about 1X per month.
Now the question: My root ball is topped with green feather like growth (quite a bit of it). It looks like a water plant – it is not slimy, but more leafy. I have never seen this on any LB image and am curious if it is common. I would be happy to post/ email a photo. Thanks
HI Bill
Interesting, I have not heard of this type of growth pattern. Perhaps the roots are sending out more new leaves, like the stalks it sent out from the root base.
Mystery solved: As the green growth continued, I was able to identify it. There must have been a small quantity of Java Moss in the roots when I bought the L.B. 3 years later, I have grown enough Java Moss that I share it with friends who have fish tanks. It actually does a nice job of keeping the water clean too.
I want to replant my lucky bamboo in water and sea glass. Is it okay to do this?
Grow in soil or water
Can Lucky Bamboo be grown in dirt or must it be in water? I bought is from the store potted in about a 14 inch deep pot that is 4 inches in diameter. I have 10 stalks in this put which are all nice and green and 1-3 tall. Also do you reccommend removing the leaves that are forming at the first and second joints on the top of each stalk?
Black spots
hi, i wondering if you knew why i have black spotts on my bamboo? i can not figure out what it is but it is brand new bamboo and i do not know if the black spotts will kill it.
PLEASE HELP ME!!
Spider mites
We have a 3 feet lucky bamboo, its very large. I realize that there are many spider mites. Its creepy.Can you tell us what should we do and how can we prevent it?
Can I boil water, instead of going out to buy distilled water and is fish poop food good for the plant ?
Hi
I have 2 bamboo shoots grown in a glass vase with some marble pieces and water. The stalks are curled at the top and lately I’ve noticed that the highly curved areas are becoming paler than the usual green.Would this be considered as yellow stalks?I usually keep it indoors but every couple of days i bring it close to a window but not in direct light. I’ve heard that the marble pieces are made of calcium carbonate. Could that be toxic to the plants if it’s available in the water?
where should i keep the lucky bamboo in my house { i mean which corner of the house and which room}?
Black spots in stalks
I noticed some small black spots on the stalks of my Lucky bamboo. It looks like some type of fungus/mold. Is there something I can do to remedy this?
jerry ( ursahoribl@cox.net / )
My wife’s bamboo is developing brown rusty looking spots at the base of the leaves and a few black spots on the stems. The cane also has a dark spot about the size of a dime. Cause for worry? What can be done about this?
Hello, I have a lucky bamboo that was given to me about 2 weeks ago. It was healthy, green and no problems. I changed it’s water yesterday using tap water and today I notice one of the leaf is a yellowy green so it’s basically in the middle of turning yellow and being green. It’s not completely yellow. I read that is caused from using tap water and direct sunlight, which is what I exposed it in. I just put it away from dresser and on my night stand and changed the water to a purified water. So my question is, do I need to cut off that leaf that is in the midst of turning yellow or should I leave it and it will recover on its own?
Lucky bamboo w/ fish
I may be giving my plant too much water, I cant imagine its getting too much light as the sun never shines through my window. It may also be the water I am using, I read they dont like water straight from the faucet. The stalks seem to be healthy, although one started turning yellow at the top. I cut the yellow part off and now the stalk seems to be doing okay. I havent fertilized it yet, but I might try that if it doesnt seem to be getting any better. I also had another question though. I know lucky bamboo is a water lily relative so it does okay living in just water and pebbles. But is this plant poisonous to fish? Ive read that it is but ive also seen reports and pictures where fish appear to be okay. The reason I ask is I saw someone with a lucky bamboo in a fish bowl and a betta swimming around it, and it was very cool looking so id love to try it. But if its harmful to the fish i dont want to. This is a picture of the bowl: http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/enlarge.php/897
Some sites say they have done it and there fish is okay, others say the roots will poison the fish. I think the fish and plant would work well together, the fish waste fertilizing the plant naturally, and the plant giving the fish a habitat, but thats only if it doesnt kill the fish
if the very top of the plant (where the wax is) has dried out, is there any way to save the rest of the plant from browning and drying out. For example, if I cut the dry section off and re-seal it with wax. I have seen a lot of explanations for why a plant browns but I am yet to find a solution. Thanks, Kat
Yellow stems
I got a lucky bamboo plant about a year ago as a gift. It spent about 8 months at home growing new shoots and leaves. When I brought it to my dorm room the leaves continues to grow, the plant looked great. Then I just brought it home for winter break and the plant hasnt been doing so well. Leaves started turning brown and yellow, other leaves started developing these spots on them which eventually killed the leaf. Then one of the stalks started turning yellow. I trimmed off all the bad leaves, and cut off the yellow part of the stalk, and then thinking maybe my plant was too big I put it in a bigger vase. In the process I washed off a lot of that jelly stuff you talked about in earlier comments. My plant was growing well for a year with tap water but I changed to bottled water thinking tap water might be the problem. After two weeks the yellow leaves and spots are still appearing. What is wrong with my plant? It looked to big and lush and now it looks all skimpy from all the plucked leaves. How did my plant go from so good to so bad? Please help!
Number of Stalks
I have a lucky bamboo with 17 stem, can you please tell me what his symbolizes.
Thanks,
Sanjay S
TRIMMING ROOTS
I am plant sitting a bamboo plant that is in a glass container with water only. The roots are very thick and half-way up the glass container, which is about 18″ high. I never had a bamboo plant, but now am paying attention to how they should look. The ones I’ve seen are very clean looking in the container – not filled with stringy roots. Should these be left alone or trimmed? Thanks.
2008-4-1 @ 9:04:46 pm
Shannon ( Skylar7170@hotmail.com / )
If I cut the roots of my bamboo because it is over taking the planter. Will it die?
BROWN LEAF TIPS, WHITE CRUST, YELLOW STALKS…
OK so we have this plant at our office that i take care of. I am temp here, and the plant has been here for 2 years, now that I am here the leaves are turning brown at the ends, look weak, and some of the leaves are yellow. Am I watering it TOO much? It is in a container with only water and pebbles. I heard not to give it tap water so i have washed out the water and put in bottled water a few days ago, when i did this i noticed there is a salty looking crust at the bottome of the stalks near the water, that will crumble off if you touch it. ALSO they were giving it tap water for 2 years, and never had a problem with it, so do you think that I was just giving it too much water? I was filling up the water to the top of the containter which makes some of the stalk emersed…. Please help, if this plant dies I will feel so bad!
Replanting lucky bamboo
Hi, I’ve got a question. I have had my bamboo plant for 10 months, and she is still pretty healthy. She is now growing baby shoots at the very bottom of her stalk, right in the same area as her roots. I would like to keep them growing, but the container I have her in (an Arizona Tea bottle) is becoming too small, as the baby shoots are currently growing horizontally. Is it ok for the shoots to be growing that low on her stalk? I have her in a lot of water, and I am afraid that they may not break the surface. I would also like to put her in a larger pot or container, but I’m not sure what to use. I do not have her in soil. Do you have advice and/or suggestions? Also, she has recently been growing new, different roots. They are very tiny, green, and hooked like little claws. Does this mean she wants to be planted in soil? Please help! Thanks.
Windchime bamboo
HI,MY DAUGHTER JUST GOT ME A LUCKY BAMBOO FOR MOTHERS DAY AND I’M ARAID IT’S A WHOLE NEW PLANT FOR ME.IT IS IN A VASE WITH THE JELLIED WATER BUT I READ THAT THEY CAN BE PUT IN DIRT.I WAS WANDERING HOW FAST THEY GROW AND IS THIS THE KIND OF BAMBOO LIKE WINDCHIMES ARE MADE FROM OR IS IT A DIFFERANT KIND?MY HUSBAND AND I WOULD LIKE TO START GROWING THE KIND WINDCHIMES ARE MADE FROM BUT WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT KIND THAT IS.I HAVE MY LUCKY BAMBOO OUT ON MY FRONT PORCH,IS THIS OK OR SHOULD I KEEP IT IN THE HOUSE ONCE IT STARTS GETTING HOTTER OUTSIDE?ANY INFO YOU CAN GIVE ME WOULD BE APPRECIATED.THANKS.
Yellow leaves
My Friend had sent me Lucky Bamboo stick plant n have placed it in my Drawing room n within 3-4 weeks its leaves have started turning yellow.
plz provide me tips how to care for this plant and why the leaves are turning yellow?
waiting for earliest help n thanking in anticipation. RS
Root color
Hi….I have a lucky bamboo that I just took out of its original pot…I have had it for two years and did not realize that the water should be changed every month or that using tap water was bad. One of the stalks had never had leaves and it had turned black, so I removed it and transplanted the lucky bamboo to another container. I noticed that the roots are bright orange, is this normal? Or what color should they be?
Poisonous
help my dog chewed my lucky bamboo plant now he has loose stool. Is this plant poisonous?
Rotten sulfur smell
My bamboo plants are very smelly. There is a rotten sulfur-like smell coming from the roots that doesn’t go away even if I change the water every couple of days. I have tried rinsing the roots but this doesn’t help. Can I cut the ends off to allow new roots to grow, or what can I do to fix this stinky problem. Thank you.
My bamboo plants are very smelly. There is a rotten sulfur-like smell coming from the roots that doesn’t go away even if I change the water every couple of days. I have tried rinsing the roots but this doesn’t help. I have this problem too and am wondering what is the cause, and how I can prevent it from happening again?
Algae on rocks
I have lucky bamboo in a vase with tan rocks. The rocks are getting green, mildewy looking. Is there something that can be added to the water to get rid of this, i have had this plant for 5 years now and dont want to have to take it out of its vase. Thanks