Looking to go green? Lucky bamboo plants are a hearty, resilient plant that require very little maintained. Whether in soil or in water, these little hardy plants will last you a really long time. Also, the great thing about lucky bamboo plants is that they aren’t at all hard to found. Literally—you can find them in homes as well as in more office settings. They are called “lucky” because they are apart of the practice of Feng Shui—which brings together all the natural elements of the environment together. Even the number of stalks has meaning as well—three stalks are for happiness, five for wealth, six for health, and four otherwise for death. With such symbolism, these plants make great gifts. As lucky bamboo plants can be braided up into pillar and pear-shaped arrangements, they can be very elegant and sophisticated for more formal events like weddings.
But lucky bamboo plants are not really bamboo plants at all—in fact, they are actually called Dracaena Sanderianas, and grow in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asian. Nevertheless, the majority of them are shipped from either China or Taiwan, and usually run around $10. Though low-maintenance, it is important that you know how to take care of it. For one, lucky bamboo lights require lots of bright, though indirect, sunlight. If the leaves on your plant are turning yellow, that can be a sign that you are giving it too much direct sunlight. As they thrive better in warmer temperatures, such as 50 to 70 degrees, you should make sure to keep them away from air conditioners during the summertime.
Although they are often sold in water, lucky bamboo plants thrive better in soil. When growing them, you need an equal parts blend of sand, peat moss, and soil. This enables for your lucky bamboo plant to have better drainage, and increases its longevity. When it comes to watering your plant, make sure you fully saturate the soil, so that the soil is kept moist. But if you do decide to ultimately go with water, you can only use an inch of water. This water cannot be your regular tap water as it contains too much fluoride. Instead, make sure you use either distilled or bottled water. For hygienic purposes, make sure you change out the water on a weekly basis. You can control growth of your lucky plant through feeding it small amounts of fertilizer. If you want to grow new stalks, you can grow them from your own plant by cutting through the stalk just below the joint.
If you have children or pets (or both), it is important that you take precaution, as the leaves on lucky bamboo plants can be relatively toxic when consumed. This just means making sure your plant is up high enough so it can’t be reached—this will also make it more noticeable. You find bamboo plants everywhere from your local Walgreens to your nearest Home Depot.
