Dracaena sanderiana
Have you ever wondered about the bundles of bamboo stems you see for sale just about everywhere , from novelty stores to warehouse clubs ?
They ’re called “ lucky bamboo , ” and despite their ubiquitous presence , they are anything but common .
Lucky bamboo , Dracaena sanderiana , is widely cultivated as a houseplant that can grow in both body of water and soil . The name also apply to a different species , D. brauneii , which has denser foliage at its base .
Photo by Vmenkov, Wikimedia Commons, viaCC BY-SA.
The two types are often sold interchangeably , withD. sanderianabeing most prevalent .
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The prow are jointed and resemble those of bamboo , but they are self-colored instead of vacuous , andDracaenaspeciesare not members of theBambusoideae , or bamboo family .
alternatively , they are in the Asparagaceae family that also includesagave , Asparagus officinales , andyucca .
As you read this clause , you ’ll recrudesce a working knowledge of lucky bamboo ’s cultural symbolism , and learn to uprise and like for your own .
What You’ll Learn
Let ’s get with a little background .
Cultivation and History
Also known as Taiwanese water bamboo and the fortune or ribbon works , this bamboo - like specie is a large commercial-grade crop in Asia , but is aboriginal to the African Republic of Cameroon .
key at the turning of the 20th 100 for German - English botanist Henry Sander , D. sanderianathrives out of doors in part - shade inUSDA Hardiness Zones10 and 11 , where it achieves a mature stature of three to five foundation marvelous and blanket .
Unlike on-key bamboo , D. sanderianaalso makes an easy - care indoor plant in bright , collateral sun , where the effects of indoor cultivation and cosmetic pruning limit its growth to more modest mesa - top dimension of one to three foundation tall , and one to two feet wide .
The leave are lance - determine and may reach seven inches in length . Outdoor plants may raise clusters of lowly , white , tubular blossoms , but those civilise indoors rarely do .
My first clash with lucky bamboo was at a high-minded opening for an Asiatic restaurant in my orbit .
There were stubble on the riposte dress in various levels like a festal Great Pyramid and plug by band of crimson ribbon . It looked likea geld floral arrangement , and it was n’t until much subsequently that I learned more about this bamboo - like plant .
For thousands of years , the Chinese have comprehend lucky bamboo as a symbol of good destiny . pass one as a giving is said to indue the recipient role with joy , fortitude , wellness , love , and successfulness .
In addition to upright fortune , favourable bamboo offers an fantabulous chance to stand for the five natural elements substantial in feng shui : earth , fire , metal , water , and wood .
pot land or pebbles tolerate for terra firma .
Red tie symbolize attack . ( affiliation may also be other colour , like Au or green . All represent various aspects of well - being , from physical and excited to financial . )
Metal is represented by electrify ribbon or twist ties , humble trinkets or coin , or a metallic element container or container ornamentation .
Water is visible in the watercraft , or exists within the dirt .
And finally , the stalk themselves are the wood .
place a plant in the southeasterly street corner of a home base is believed to promote wealth as it infuse the space with confirming energy for proportionate bread and butter according to the dogma of feng shui .
The deep - root traditions surrounding this fascinating industrial plant lead deep . Here are some widely embraced meanings of various numerical groupings of stalks :
And the playfulness does n’t stop here !
In addition to the numeral indicators of adept fortune , there are various strong-arm formations that also contribute to the overall feng shui of a living outer space .
They are awful ! Read on , we ’re almost there .
Lucky Bamboo Propagation
It is possible to begin a plant from source , but you may not recover them well . As a houseplant , D. sanderianaseldom flowers , and the focus of commercial-grade producers is on the sale of cuttings , not seeds .
In sterile laboratory mount , scientists culture vast quantities of plant life tissue in vitro , a process called “ micropropagation . ”
Not only does this interpret to a greater quantity of plants brought to market , it mean improved quality as a event of minimal disease transmittance .
As seed sprouting and micropropagation are not probable ways for the dwelling gardener to get , we move around our tending to stem cutting and transplants .
From Stem Cuttings
Take theme cuttings during the maturate season , rather than during wintertime dormancy , to avoid the hoo-hah of natural rhythms .
They should be a minimum of two inch grandiloquent with at least one “ lymph node . ”
Now , here ’s some playfulness botany :
A guest is a growing point from which a branch , leaf , or root sprout . In this case , the node dwell of the entire brown stock that split up radical segments , which are also known as “ internodes , ” because they are found between the nodes .
So , as long as you cut about an 8th to a quarter of an inch below a browned blood line , roots should germinate within the next two months .
Prepare a container by sanitizing it with a 10 per centum bleach solution ( one part bleach to nine part water ) , pawn for 10 minute , then rinse and dry it .
observe that some material , such as metal , may oppose adversely to bleach and it may be better to use mild dish soap and water instead .
Place a bed of pebbles or marble sanitized in the same way in the bottom of the container .
Anchor the stem to keep it upright , and occupy the container with one column inch of way temperature distil water . This is preferable to bug water , as it miss chemicals like chlorine and fluoride that can have an untoward effect on works tissue paper .
Place the container in a way temperature location with brilliant , indirect sunlight .
Alternatively , you may dim the gelded end of the bamboo into rooting endocrine powder and plunk it right into a container filled with land or pot medium , to a depth of one inch , and then follow the instructions for soil finish below .
From Transplants
When you buy a plant , you may get single fore , or multiple bow that have been jump together . They may arrive pot in soil , or as marginal roots .
You have the option to grow these in pee or soil , and to cultivate stems severally or as a bundle .
To originate in water , fall out the instructions draft above . The mean growth pace of a sizable industrial plant in water is almost an inch a calendar month , and may be even quicker for those planted innutrient - rich potting grunge .
For soil cultivation , proceed as follows .
If you like the original container , you ’re good to go .
To transplant , take a container with in effect drainage that can accommodate the stalks .
Pots should have a diameter that ’s encompassing enough to accommodate them , plus an column inch of extra space all around for growing and the spout of a lacrimation can .
Clean the container with a 10 per centum whitener solution ( one part whitener to nine parts water ) , soak for ten second , then rinse and dry out it .
you may leave a bundle intact or cut the ties to part the root , taking tending not to sever the base .
set an intact bundle at the same depth it was in the original container .
If you take to untie the packet and plant person stems , set them one inch deep in separate plenty , or in the same pot with at least two inches between them .
enter the parcel of stems , or cautiously unpot them and brush the dirt off . The roots should look plump and salubrious . unseasoned root word are whitish , and older unity are red . Both are perfectly normal .
If the roots look shriveled and dry , place the stems in a clean container with one in of distilled water as shortly as possible , and permit them soak while you prepare the pot .
Fill the container three - fourth of the way of life with organically rich sandy loam or a cactus and succulent potting mixture . These mixes are good choices because they are moisture retentive , airy , and well - draining .
Gently settle the stems into the soil at a depth of one column inch and tamp the grease around them , or repot to the same depth as the container they came in .
If you like , you’re able to append a layer of attractive gravel over the open of the potting mix .
Thoroughly moisten the soil and set the container in a temperate way with bright indirect sunshine .
you could hike alimentation for all plants with a drop of liquid plant solid food given once a month during the growing season .
golden bamboo can outlive temperature ranging from 50 ° F to the high-pitched XC . However , this plant does n’t handle fluctuations well , so a consistently temperate elbow room is best .
How to Grow Lucky Bamboo
While it craves shade outdoors , indoor prosperous bamboo needsbright collateral light . place it too close to a sunny window may cause the leaves to sear and turn brown .
It opt nourishing - rich , slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5 . As talk about , arenaceous loam or cactus and succulent potting mix are idealistic .
With argus-eyed care , urine - grown stems may live for a year or so . Those in land are likely to last a few year .
Do n’t be discouraged by the short lifespan of this species . By taking cuttings from the youngest stem , you may relish prosperous bamboo for years to come .
Here ’s how to care for stem in water :
Keep them clean by pouring the old liquid down the sink and fill again it with Modern each week . Do n’t recycle it , as it may be loaded with bacteria .
Once a month , carefully shift the stalk from the pebble substratum and rinse them under tepid tap water .
Lay the stems on clean cloth or paper towel while you do the pursuit :
hygienize the container and pebble with a 10 pct bleach solvent , rinse , and then dry them . Remember the recommendation to rinse materials like metal with soft dish max rather .
Reassemble the container and substratum .
Anchor the stems in the pebble substrate .
replete the container with one in of room temperature distilled water supply .
Keeping a vessel clean prolongs a plant ’s life by bottle up bacterial and fungous increment that do a disgusting odor , rotting roots and stems , and foliar decline in quality .
If your habitation is specially dry , mist the foliation from time to time to increase ambient humidity . Excessive dispassionateness make houseplant vulnerable to pests , as we will talk over shortly .
give one drop-off of liquid plant food each month during the maturate season . Discontinue usance during the dormant wintertime month .
A soilless plant may be transferred to a container of potting mix to sustain its sprightliness .
To cultivate in potting mix :
A soil - grown plant demand to be keep moist . Be indisputable to soundly rewet the pot mix before it completely dry out out . Mist as needed to increase ambient humidity , and forefend oversaturation as it leads to rotting .
A plant can live its best life in a nutrient - rich potting mix , but it still benefit from the same supplementation a soilless plant love .
Give it a drop of dilute melted plant food monthly during all time of year except winter , the torpid development point .
Growing Tips
Let ’s recap . Keep the pursual in mind for successful polish :
Pruning and Maintenance
To keep your bamboo in top shape , you may want to prune it from time to fourth dimension . Take care to employ sanitarypruning shears , so that the “ wounds , ” or cuts , are less susceptible to pestilence and disease .
Pruning is done for several reasons , including :
To get rid of damaged , pathological , or pesterer - infested stems to promote well wellness .
To “ top , ” as with trees , cut the top one-half of each stem straight across with sanitary shears to promote bushier growth .
To remove leggy , honest-to-god stems to encourage basal growth .
When large principal stalks ( not small side shoot ) are pruned , they may be coated with paraffin to seal them against blighter and disease .
Red wax is a desirable pick as it symbolizes fire . By dripping liquid wax from a lit candela onto the stem summit , or dipping them into the smooth wax in the top of a recently extinguished candle , you could reach a good sealing wax .
everyday maintenance for soil - farm lucky bamboo includes maintain even moisture by never let the soil completely dry out , and fertilizing monthly with a driblet of liquid industrial plant food during the growing season .
change the weewee on a regular basis is of the essence for soilless specimens . Ideally , as with slashed prime , exchange it once a workweek , by tippytoe the container and letting most of the one-time liquid run out .
Once a month , lightly relax and lift the stems from the substratum of pebbles , and rinse the root and stems under a stream of nerveless / tepid tap water system .
Sanitize the container and pebbles with a 10 percent bleach solution , and rinse it soundly . call up to use only rude pebbles or marbles , as opposed to painted gravel , or the color may come off .
When everything is clean , replace the layer of pebbles , reset the stem , and add one in of distilled water .
The cleaner you keep the growing environment , the healthy the stalks will be , and the longer they will last . bankruptcy to deepen the piddle on a regular basis promote bacterial growth , result in a foul odor , stem turn deterioration , and last .
Cultivars to Select
Keeping soilless stalks refreshed each week and asseverate even wet in soil - potted ones goes a foresightful way toward suffer longevity .
It also helps to start with healthy young stems . When give away in person , select stalks with unmarred , full-bodied stems . Avoid those that are discolored , ironic , misshapen , or wilting .
In addition to green farewell , there are two varieties uncommitted with variegated leaf . They may be a fleck more difficult to recover , but the challenge may be fun !
D. sanderiana‘White Stripe Victory ’ has gullible leave of absence with livid striping .
AndD. sanderiana‘White Stripe Gold ’ boasts light-green foliage with lily-livered margins .
In addition to foliar variations , you ’ll find exciting stem formations .
Imaginative growers “ railroad train ” or manipulate staunch into cosmetic innovation like braids , Curl , heart and soul , layers , and pyramids . If you ’re clever and patient , you might try your hand at this ancient art !
Creatively arranged stalk make beautiful , meaningful gifts both to oneself and to others .
For those who conceive , the shapes and directional attribute align with feng shui principles and get peace and confident energy to a living place .
Here is a source of stalks to get you started . receive favorable bamboofrom NW Wholesaler via Amazon now .
Lucky Bamboo
This package tender 10 racy eight - column inch prow civilize to curl at the tops for a fashionable look . Keep the package intact or undo it and separate the stalk for individual water or soil cultivation .
There are about 120 tropic , tree diagram - likeDracaenaspecies . As you browse , you may arrive across lotus bamboo , D. deremensisor D. compacta .
It may be draw as golden bamboo as well , but it has a longsighted leafless stubble and a tussock of lotus - like parting , and is neither bamboo , nor luck - bearing per traditional lore .
Managing Pests and Disease
You should have few pest and disease return when caring forD. sanderiana .
However , with moisture stress , vulnerability to both gain .
Sap - suckingmealybugsandspider mitesmay pest plants in hot , dry environment , as well as those that are underwatered .
One or more applications of an organic horticultural insect powder , such as neem rock oil , should take upkeep of the problem . With large infestations , it may be best to salve an unaffected piece to cut and root , or toss a plant life altogether and get a new one .
In increase , various diseasesmay stage themselves in overly wet situations . These include the following , listed with the pathogens that cause them :
All of these are fungal condition . The remotion of the touched plant portions and an program of a cop - based antifungal agent may be helpful .
However , it may be more cost in force to fling a severely infected plant and purchase a new one .
Other issue that may get up include brown of the tips of the leaf . And while this may take place with underwatering , it may also be the resolution of using tap body of water or else of distilled .
And at last , water that is not changed often enough is prime breeding ground for multiple types of bacterium that can compromise beginning , root word , and leafage .
Telltale signs are a foul odor , mirky water , mushy stalk , and droop . In this case , starting over may be the best class of action .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Joy and Prosperity
commence on the path to positive free energy and a harmonious life with your very own prosperous bamboo . You do n’t have to wait to get one as a gift . It is say to be just as uncaused when you buy one yourself .
Imagine the possibilities !
Is there bright collateral lighting in your office ? Would a water system - containing vessel filled with succulent green leafage serve well as a ocular delectation that bring home the bacon daily inspiration ?
Do you have a champion who would be thrilled to receive a meaningful gift ?
Would transparent piddle cultivation offer an educational chance forgardening with children ?
With a plant as empower with expectation as golden bamboo , it ’s impossible to feel anything but affirmative in its presence .
Happy horticulture , and near destiny !
If you enjoyed read about lucky bamboo , you may want to read thesehouseplant guidesnext :
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Nan Schiller
