How to Grow and Care for Lucky Bamboo

The secret to growing lucky bamboo is in its soil. That’s right—you can grow lucky bamboo in ordinary garden soil. It may not be the best soil to grow a full, lush plant, but it’s perfect for growing tiny, baby plants that will grow into full, healthy adult plants. In this post, we’ll go over how to grow lucky bamboo, and how you can take the process even further by creating your own soil that will grow lucky bamboo for you.

Overview

According to data from NC State University [1], let's see a general overview of this plant:

Mature Size	1–5 ft. tall, 1–2 ft. wide (indoors)
Soil pH	Acidic
Family	Asparagaceae
Botanical Name	Dracaena sanderiana
Bloom Time	Fall, winter (does not bloom indoors)
Common Name	Lucky bamboo, friendship bamboo, ribbon plant
Sun Exposure	Partial shade
Plant Type	Perennial shrub
Soil Type	Water or moist but well-drained soil

1. Type of lucky bamboo

Lucky bamboo, also known as Dracaena sanderiana or ribbon plant, is a popular houseplant that is believed to bring good luck and positive energy according to Feng Shui. There are several different types of lucky bamboo based on the arrangements and number of stalks. Here are some common types:

Single stalk: This is the simplest and most common type of lucky bamboo. It consists of a single stalk with leaves on top.
Double stalk: As the name suggests, this type of lucky bamboo has two stalks growing together from the same root. It is believed to bring double luck and is often given as a gift for couples or newlyweds.
Triple stalk: Similar to the double stalk, the triple stalk lucky bamboo has three stalks growing from the same root. It is associated with happiness, longevity, and wealth.
Spiral lucky bamboo: This type of lucky bamboo is trained to grow in a spiral pattern, which creates an interesting and decorative effect. It is considered auspicious and is believed to promote positive energy and success.
Braided lucky bamboo: In this arrangement, multiple stalks are braided together to form an intertwined pattern. The braided lucky bamboo symbolizes strong and intertwined relationships, making it a popular gift for friends and loved ones.
Tower lucky bamboo: Tower bamboo consists of several stalks of varying heights, creating a layered effect resembling a tower. It is associated with personal growth, progress, and achievement.

2. Growing Lucky Bamboo

Lucky bamboo is a great choice for inexperienced gardeners or negligent waterers because of its well-deserved reputation as being almost indestructible. For your lucky bamboo to thrive, you might want to get the right water and light levels. As long as you cultivate lucky bamboo in decent quality water, it is simple to maintain.

Soil

Growing conditions for lucky bamboo include rich, well-drained potting soil. Keep the soil damp, but not drenched. Additionally, as long as it has access to a minimum of one inch of standing water at all times, it can thrive when placed in pebbles or even just a water-filled vase.

Light

Lucky bamboo prefers strong, filtered sunshine, such as what is present beneath a rainforest canopy. Avoid the sun's direct light since they will burn the leaves. They handle too little light better than too much. However, if the green begins to fade or the plant starts to sag, give it more light. Rotate the plant frequently so that the entire surface is exposed to the sunlight.

Water

Chlorine and other pollutants that are frequently present in tap water can cause serious damage to lucky bamboo. Unless you have hard water, you can use tap water (containing lots of minerals). As a result, it's recommended to only use bottled, distilled, or tap water that has remained out for 24 hours to allow the chlorine to dissipate when watering your lucky bamboo. If you grow your bamboo in a water vase full of pebbles, change the water every week to prevent odors and diseases. Make sure the roots are always totally submerged in water.

Humidity and Temperature

As you can anticipate, lucky bamboo plants enjoy warmer climates with temperatures from 65 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not put your plant near a hot or cold draft, in front of a heating vent, an air con, or next to a drafty window. Don't worry about raising the humidity levels in your home; your lucky bamboo plant works perfectly with average humidity.

Fertilizer

For the majority of lucky bamboo setups, one drop of liquid fertilizer per month is sufficient. As an alternative, specialized fertilizers for lucky bamboo are also available. Only every other month or so will plants growing in water require feeding with a very light liquid fertilizer. Lucky bamboo roots that are red are healthy, therefore if you notice red roots floating in a glass vase, don't be concerned.

3. Pruning

Despite having a complicated appearance, lucky bamboo is not shaped and maintained with plant wire and careful pruning like a bonsai tree. All of your indoor plants should be pruned regularly to maintain their health. Your lucky bamboo also embodies this. Most plants will eventually start to top-heavy or lose their unique shapes over time, but trimming can prevent this from happening. Generally speaking, cutting the main stalk of lucky bamboo is not a good idea. Instead, use sterile snippers to sever the offshoots. They can be cut back to one or two inches from the main stem. Soon, fresh shoots will appear, resulting in a bushier plant. The cut end should be dipped in paraffin to prevent new growth. Instead of trimming, turning the plant stalks in front of a source of light enables the plant to organically grow toward the light, giving lucky bamboo plants their distinctive shapes. Professionals frequently develop stalks on their sides to produce their recognizable spiral forms. However, doing this at home is time-consuming and requires patience to get right. It can be done by putting the plants under a three-sided box, monitoring their growth rates, and slowly and routinely rotating the plants.

4. Propagating Lucky Bamboo

We are going to share with you some tips on how to propagate lucky bamboo, one of the easiest and most rewarding plants to grow. Lucky bamboo is not actually a bamboo, but a type of dracaena that thrives in water. It is said to bring good luck and positive energy to any space, and it also looks great as a decor element. Propagating lucky bamboo is super simple. All you need is a healthy stem, a sharp knife, some water, and a container.

Here are the steps:

1. Choose a healthy stem that has at least one leaf node (where the leaves grow from). Cut it off from the main plant with a sharp knife, making sure to leave some stem below the node.

2. Place the cut end of the stem in a container filled with water. Make sure the water covers the node, but not the leaves. You can use any container you like, such as a glass vase, a ceramic pot, or even a recycled bottle.

3. Change the water every week or so to keep it fresh and prevent algae growth. You can also add some liquid fertilizer once a month to boost the growth.

4. Wait for roots to appear from the node. This may take a few weeks or months, depending on the conditions and the season. Once you see roots, you can either keep the plant in water or transfer it to soil.

5. Enjoy your new lucky bamboo plant! You can shape it by twisting or braiding the stems, or by cutting them at different heights. You can also propagate more stems from your new plant and share them with your friends and family.

That's it! Propagating lucky bamboo is really fun and easy, and you'll love having these beautiful plants around your home or office. They will brighten up any space and bring you good vibes. Happy planting!

5. Potting and Repotting Lucky Bamboo

Hey, plant lovers! Today I'm going to show you how to pot and repot lucky bamboo, one of the easiest and most popular houseplants. Lucky bamboo is not actually a bamboo, but a type of dracaena that grows in water. It's said to bring good luck and prosperity to your home, so why not give it a try?

Potting lucky bamboo is super simple. All you need is a container, some pebbles or marbles, and water. You can use any container that is wide enough to hold the stems and has no drainage holes. Fill the container with pebbles or marbles and insert the lucky bamboo stems into them. Make sure the roots are covered and the stems are stable. Then add water until it reaches about an inch above the pebbles or marbles. That's it! You have a beautiful lucky bamboo arrangement that will brighten up any space.
Repotting lucky bamboo is also easy, but you should only do it when necessary. Some signs that your lucky bamboo needs repotting are: the roots are overcrowded, the water gets cloudy quickly, the stems are too tall or bendy, or you want to change the container or style. To repot your lucky bamboo, gently remove it from the old container and rinse the roots under running water. Trim any dead or damaged roots with scissors. You can also trim the stems if they are too long or you want to create a new shape. Then follow the same steps as potting: choose a new container, fill it with pebbles or marbles, insert the stems, and add water.

6. Common Pests

The same pest problems that affect other tropical indoor plants also affect lucky bamboo. They can be cared for manually (by plucking out insects) or with the same techniques as other indoor plants. Keep an eye out for spider mites, green aphids, and white mealybugs.[2,3] To get rid of pests and any damp spots, you can even completely clean the entire plant in water and a very light liquid dish soap.

FAQs

Read below for answers to common questions about how to grow lucky bamboo.

Is lucky bamboo a good plant to grow indoors?

Lucky bamboo can thrive both inside and outside. The ideal environment for a lucky bamboo plant, nevertheless, is indoors, where it is warm yet shielded from direct sunshine.

What’s the lifespan of lucky bamboo?

Lucky bamboo only lives between one and two years. If you move your plant to a pot with soil, you can expect it to live several more years.

What’s the best place to put my lucky bamboo at home?

Placement of lucky bamboo can bring about prosperity in that specific area, according to feng shui design. Place a lucky bamboo plant specifically on your desk for professional advancement, in your doorway for fresh starts, in a bedroom for peaceful relationships, and in the wealth section of any room (further left corner from the entrance) for financial prosperity. In conclusion, the key to knowing how to grow lucky bamboo is to create a favorable environment for the bamboo seedling to grow in. New York Garden will provide all information about growing lucky bamboo for you.The more nutrients and sunlight the seedling receives, the faster it will grow. You can do this by ensuring that your soil is well-drained and has ample space for the bamboo to spread its roots. You can also add organic matter to your soil, such as manure or compost. You can also plant bamboo in a pot or in the ground, and keep the pot or hole well-watered. The more water the seedling receives, the faster it will grow.

Source: The New York Garden works under restricted procurement guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies and studies conducted by academic organizations. Tertiary references should be avoided. For more information on how we ensure our material is correct and up to date, please visit our editorial policy.