Caring for bamboo in water

In flower shops, unusual plants with green shoots of a spiral or zigzag shape are increasingly being found. The shoots can be of varying heights and have small green leaves. On the price tags they are called “lucky bamboo”, but they have no relationship with the real one, except for the similarity in appearance. In fact, this is a variety of a completely different plant - dracaena.

Content:

• Introduction
• Growing Basics
• Water for bamboo
• Happy place in the apartment
• Bamboo pruning and propagation
• Conclusion

Introduction

Dracaena sanderiana received its nickname for its external resemblance to bamboo, but belongs to a different plant family. It blooms very rarely, with white flowers with a sweet aroma. An erect stem with long green leaves reaches a height of 2 meters, but in apartments it often grows to 0.7-1 m. And bamboo became “lucky” thanks to Asian culture, in which it is considered a symbol of success and good luck. But the correct name of the plant did not catch on and all over the world it is called the bamboo of happiness.

Growing Basics

Indoor bamboo is unpretentious, but requires compliance with fairly simple rules for caring for it. First of all, indirect sunlight, a little coolness and periodic ventilation of the room where it grows.

In winter, the bamboo of happiness should be kept at a temperature of at least 12, and preferably 14-16 degrees. A comfortable room temperature for him is about 22 degrees. At temperatures above 35 it dies. Does not require constant spraying, occasionally it is worth wiping the leaves from dust.Pebbles or expanded clay of various sizes are placed at the bottom of a vase with water. As feeding special mineral fertilizers are used for dracaenas.

It is recommended to feed bamboo every three months. If fertilized regularly, the leaves and stems will remain green throughout the life of the bamboo. Yellowed leaves and stems should be cut off, the cut area should be allowed to dry and lubricated with soft wax.

Water for bamboo

In many apartments and houses, bamboo is grown in water, because its straight or twisted shoots look very impressive in various glass vases. But then you will need to feed him mineral fertilizers to preserve the green color of the leaves

The water in the vase with it must be filtered, or preferably distilled, at room temperature. It must be updated every 2 weeks.

You can also use rain or melt water - pour filtered or plain tap water into a plastic bottle and place in the freezer until the water completely turns into ice. Then put the bottle to thaw at room temperature. The resulting water becomes soft and more suitable for growing bamboo in it. If the water has acquired an unpleasant odor or a suspicious color earlier than 2 weeks, then you should change it and subsequently change the water in the vase with bamboo more often. If its leaves turn yellow, then the water also needs to be changed.

Happy place in the apartment

It is best to place a vase with bamboo on the eastern side of the window or closer to it. You should not leave it on a sunny windowsill, because direct rays of the sun will burn the leaves. The ideal place for bamboo in water is in partial shade.If there are no such places in the apartment, then you can place a vase with bamboo on the windowsill or floor, covering the glass with a curtain, blinds or newspaper, protecting the plant from sunburn. When ventilating the room, the plant should not be exposed to cold air, as this will have a negative effect on it.

Trimming and propagating bamboo in water

If the bamboo has grown too much and no longer looks attractive, then you should prune. It is done with special scissors, above the knots, otherwise the cut will be ugly.

Pruning can be done annually, trimming long shoots on all sides, and if necessary, removing outer canes at ground level.

By removing side shoots from the desired sides, you can model the shape and appearance of bamboo as you wish. Pruning can also be used to propagate bamboo. In this case, either cut off the top cuttings and root them in water, or cut the stem into several parts, lubricating the cuts with soft, but not hot, wax. Under no circumstances should yellowed areas of bamboo be used for propagation. If there are no shoots, then you can cut the top and after such an operation a shoot should grow, but if it does not appear, then repeat pinching the stem.

Conclusion

Caring for bamboo in water is an opportunity to let your imagination and fantasy come true. From bamboo shoots you can create various interesting compositions, add decorative stones, red and gold ribbons or talisman figures to them. "Lucky Bamboo" looks great in a transparent vase with colored hydrogel. Don’t forget about its purpose - 3 stems for good luck, 5 for prosperity, 7 influence health, and 21 stems will have an impact on all areas of life.A composition of twenty curled bamboo stems is called a tower of love.